April 20, 2025 • 18 mins
In honor of my friend Linda Mazur, we are replaying one of my favorite episodes: the little-known mystery of the 1997 disappearance of screenwriter Gary Devore. Gary was returning home after working out the ending of his latest script, which he claimed would blow the lid off government secrets, when he disappeared without a trace. Did Gary step out to “buy a pack of cigarettes,” or was he met with foul play? We’ll delve into what happened that fateful night and revisit the rumors and conspiracy theories that continue to baffle and disturb people.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Executive Producer Sandy Adomaitis
Producer Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker (00:11):
Hello, my name is Sandy Adamis, the social media
director for the page,international Screenwriting
Awards, and your host for theWriter's Hangout.
A podcast that celebrates themany stages of writing, from
inspiration to the first draft,revising, getting a project made
and everything in between.
(00:32):
We'll talk to the best and thebrightest in the entertainment
industry and create a spacewhere you can hang out, learn
from the pros, and have fun.
Hey guys, it's Sandy.
I'm coming to you from StudioCity, California, the jewel of
the San Fernando Valley, andjust one canyon or freeway ride
(00:56):
away from the star studded meanstreets of Hollywood,
California.
today.
We're gonna replay one of myfavorite episodes of the
writer's Hangout in honor of myfriend Linda Mazer, who left us
way too soon.
She was beautiful, generous,intelligent, and kind.
Steve, David, and Laura, myheart is with you.
(01:18):
Let's start the show.
Hey writers, we're gonna dosomething a little different
today.
We're gonna tell you the storyof screenwriter Gary Devore
Terry, have you, do yourecognize the name Gary Devore?
I don't.
Okay.
I think a lot of our listenersare gonna find his story
fascinating.
On the morning of June 27th,1997, 55-year-old screenwriter
(01:40):
Gary Devore.
A burly man with salt andpepper here, who was known for
writing late 80 action moviesand the Billy Crystal Gregory
Hines buddy cop film runningScared.
He was getting ready to headback to his home in Santa
Barbara from the Santa Fe Ranchof his good friend and actress,
Marsha Mason.
You know that name right?
Yes.
(02:00):
Goodbye girl.
Beautiful.
It was such a good film.
Gary always went to Marsha'sRanch when he needed to hunker
down and figure out a toughscript problem.
this visit was no different.
Gary had been struggling withthe ending of his latest
screenplay, the Big Steal, whichwas a patch and project of his,
and now he was done.
And for the audience.
(02:22):
If you're going to drivestraight through, like Gary was
planning to do Santa Fe, NewMexico to Santa Barbara, where
he lived is what would you sayabout a 14 to 15 hour ride if
you're cruising.
Yeah.
Once behind the wheel of hisEddie Bauer edition Ford
Explorer.
I just love that.
I love that Eddie Bauer.
It, that was really big.
(02:42):
I think in the eighties it washuge.
Yeah.
Gary phoned his wife, Wendy,saying he finished the script
and he was heading home laterthat night and five hours from
home at 10:20 PM Gary filled upat the.
Hi, Sierra Oasis gas station inFenner, California.
He got back on the road and twohours later Gary called Wendy
(03:03):
saying he was past Barstow.
Again, for the audience,Fenner, California is midway
point.
Between Santa Barbara and LasVegas.
Wendy wanted Gary to stop andspend the night at a hotel, but
they had friends coming over towatch the Tyson Holy Field match
the next day, and he told Wendyhe wanted to press on.
(03:24):
Wendy was watching Real Sex onHBO.
That sounds like it was aninteresting show.
Wow, Wendy.
Yeah, and told Gary that shewould call him back when it was
over.
Gary then stopped for coffee onHighway 14 at a Denny's around
12:45 AM in Mojave, California.
Mojave, California is locatedin the southwestern region of
(03:47):
the Mojave Desert.
Gary is now two and a halfhours away from home.
As promised, Wendy called Gary,but she couldn't get through
this time.
She tried three times from 1:00AM to one 10 with no luck.
Then her phone rang.
It was Gary, and he soundeddistant.
I.
(04:07):
Was that you trying to call mehoney?
Wendy remembered thinking whata strange thing to say after
all, who else would be trying tocall at 1:00 AM Are you okay,
Gary?
Wendy asked, I'm pumping pureadrenaline here.
Gary responded later.
Wendy told authorities shethought that to mean Gary was
(04:28):
scared and someone must havebeen in the car with him.
This is a man whose business'words she was saying pumping
pure adrenaline.
Means something.
Wendy drifted off to sleep andwoke up at 9:00 AM Gary still
wasn't home After the break.
we'll continue with the Garydivorce story.
(04:49):
This episode of The Writer'sHangout is brought to you by
podcast, the podcast for peoplewho want to launch, grow, and
monetize.
A successful podcast writershave you.
Ever thought about starting apodcast?
Do you even know where tostart?
If you said no?
I was just like you.
Back in 2022 when the writershangout started.
(05:13):
Now why does 2022 ring a bellfor you?
Oh yeah, we were in a pandemic,which meant none of my
incredibly talented friendscould drop by and help me
brainstorm what to do.
I cried a lot of tears andfrustration before that first
episode was launched.
Do you hear me?
(05:34):
GarageBand?
I wish I had Podcast Craft backthen.
Podcast Craft takes you fromnovice podcaster to Confident
Broadcaster.
They'll teach you how to startand grow successful podcast in
their easy to follow sessions.
You can findpodCraft@podcraft.net, or
(05:54):
anywhere you get your podcasts.
Back to the show.
at 1:00 PM A worried.
Wendy called the police only tobe told nothing could be done.
Gary was an adult and adultshad to be missing for 24 hours
before a report can be taken.
That's a really stupid rule, bythe way.
(06:14):
I hate that does sound sowrong.
I know.
I hate that rule.
I really do.
Because people do know whenpeople are missing.
That it's time to look for 'em.
Yes.
Sometimes that's a half anhour.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
You know your spouse's comingsand goings.
That's right.
Also three hours in the desert,if you are lost that.
That's precious time tickingaway.
(06:35):
Yeah.
This is during the day, right?
Yeah, that's okay.
Okay, so at 4:00 PM Wendy fileda missing persons report for
Gary, and the search became amulti-agency project including
the Santa Barbara Sheriff's LACounty, and get this, the FBI.
Wendy called all of her andGary's friends for help and
(06:58):
sheriffs, organized searchteams, and combed the area.
He was last seen the Denny's inthe Mojave Desert and the gas
station in Fenner, California.
A childhood friend of Gary'sstepped up and offered a hundred
thousand dollars reward.
For his recovery, which enticedbikers and men with bloodhounds
to join the search in Palmdale,California along Highway 14.
(07:21):
The Aqueduct Bridge was drivenover countless times.
They figured if there was gonnabe an accident, that's where it
would've happened.
Underneath the Aqueduct Bridgeflows the water from the Owens
River in the eastern SierraNevada Mountains to Los Angeles,
California.
Gary's buddies arrived and rodeon horseback searching under
(07:42):
the relentless and unforgivingson while helicopters soared
from above.
Gary's ex-wife called peopleshe knew in special forces for
help.
They searched the aqueduct withinfrared.
Dozens of agents in suits beganto arrive one after another,
claiming to be C-I-A-N-S-A andmilitary.
Wendy didn't ask questions.
(08:04):
She was happy to have anyone'shelp.
A week of searching went by.
No, Gary, Wendy returned hometo Santa Barbara there.
She discovered the one copy ofthe big steal was missing from
the home office.
By week two, the men in suitsdisappeared and only law
enforcement remained.
Now it was Wendy's time in thebarrel.
(08:27):
Sheriff's got in her face andtried to intimidate her into
confessing.
She took part in Gary'sdisappearance.
She was asked to take a liedetector test.
She did, and unveiled, Wendywondered if it was because of
the extreme stress.
People began to accept Gary'sdeath.
The chance of survival in thedesert for three weeks are small
(08:48):
media attention lessened, andmonth after month ticked by.
But on the first anniversary ofGary's disappearance, the press
once again became interested inthe story.
Wendy was quoted as saying, I'mnot going to believe Gary's
gone until I see a body.
Nine days later on Friday, July7th, 1998, an amateur detective
(09:13):
named Douglas Crawford, who wasfascinated by Gary's
disappearance had a hunch thatGary could be under the waters
of the California.
Aqueduct in Palmdale,California as that was recently
the location of another death.
Although it had been searchedby helicopters and people on the
ground, Crawford was right.
(09:33):
Police located skeletal remainsinside Gary's submerged.
Eddie Bauer edition FordExplorer in an upright position,
15 feet underwater in theconcrete open river channel.
After the police had retrievedthe Ford Explorer from the murky
water, Gary's gun and hislaptop containing the big steel
(09:57):
couldn't be found.
The SUV headlights werediscovered to be in the off
position, and Gary known fornever wearing a seatbelt, was
belted in tight.
All strange, right?
Yes.
I buried the lead here.
Gary's hands were missing.
That's right.
(10:18):
The writer had no hands.
This has got to be some kind ofmessage.
That's gruesome.
All this was considered verysuspicious as again, the
Aqueduct bridge was searchedwhen Gary initially disappeared
and had showed no.
Signs of impact at the time.
something.
There would be skid marks.
(10:38):
There would be a rail broken,When Gary first went missing,
his case became popular withconspiracy theorists.
And now with the discovery ofthe SUV minus Gary's script gun
in hands, the speculations wentthrough the roof.
Let's break three of them downnow.
The number one theory outthere.
Enemy of the state.
(11:00):
Gary was murdered by the CIA.
I need to take a step back herea second.
Explain something.
The CIA had a long history inHollywood and it's been alleged
that back in the 1950s, theystarted a project called
Operation Mockingbird, where theCIA began recruiting American
(11:20):
journalists and writers into apropaganda network.
The recruited writers were puton the CIA payroll and
instructed to write fake storiesthat promoted government ideas
by dispelling communist ones.
Gary's script, the big steal hetold friends would be the
hardest hitting films studioshad ever seen, featuring
(11:41):
disturbing details against theUS government involving drugs,
bank robbery, and the 1989invasion of.
Would the CIA really murder ascreenwriter over a movie?
Gary was known to have aworking relationship with the
CIA and his ideology about theUS government had changed from
(12:01):
pro to disillusioned over theyears.
But is that enough to havesomeone murdered?
That leads us to theory numbertwo.
The Invisible man, Gary Devoreis in the witness protection
program.
Did the CIA become aware of thepowerful and damning secrets
Gary was about to spill to theworld via his screenplay.
(12:22):
Did they stop him that night onthe road, tell him the only way
out alive was to disappear,start a new life.
Is that why it took a year tofind Gary's body?
Did the CIA stage, the Aqueductarea?
Lot of questions, Gary'sfriends, and Wendy said Gary
would never agree to such athing.
(12:42):
But then again, Wendy once saidshe saw a homeless man in a
shopping center in LA who lookedexactly like Gary as she
imagined him having aged 15years.
The man talked about conspiracytheories and said he fought in
the Gulf War.
Wendy never saw the man again.
The third theory is the leastcommon.
(13:02):
So I'll end with this doubleindemnity.
Wendy had Gary killed possible,but no evidence was ever found.
Terry, who do you think killedthe screenwriter with no hands?
I think we can eliminate EddieBowers and the hands thing
freaks me out.
(13:23):
That, that's really like amafia move, right?
Yeah.
So you feel like he wasn't whywould missing an arm, two hands.
Yeah.
Why would the CIA want that outthere?
Message not to write anythingagainst, to government.
Yeah.
But to whom people that areinterested in it.
His screenplay did uncover somethings about the invasion of
(13:48):
Panama that he felt would.
Be like a bomb dropping.
Also we're talking about theeighties.
I think if that came out today,wouldn't even make page one of
any of the newspapers.
Yeah, I think what I'm askingis that if the CIA, the kind of
organization that wants to senda scare kill out and I have
(14:12):
problems with that.
Yeah.
Although it really seems likeI.
That that fits the story prettywell.
And I know that the CIA haschanged a lot since the internet
became popular.
I think they were more activebefore.
I feel like they're more inhiding now than they ever were
before.
I think they, I think theymessed around a lot more, but
(14:33):
the information flow right,tends to then have them to be
even more secretive now.
So do you believe thatOperation Mockingbird did
happen?
That the CIA was justinfiltrating the American psyche
with positive stories andjournalists and screenwriters
helped with that Back in the dayI.
I just don't know.
(14:53):
Yeah, we just don't know.
We just dunno.
Do you think that Gary, I meanhe seemed like a successful,
happy man.
Everything that I read, him andWendy were very happy.
He had really cool friends.
It was really a boys club inthe eighties.
For screenwriting, and he wasin the mix.
I can't see him disappearing,starting a new life.
(15:16):
And everybody else who knew himsaid that he would never go
into the witness protectionprogram.
And it's a, the car is soidentifiable that.
We know that he's thatsomebody's in there would be
setting up.
If it's not his skeleton, it'ssomebody else's.
If he's setting that up, thatseems like a lot of work.
Yeah.
That's a lot of work to find askeleton, even if you are a cool
(15:38):
guy from the eighties.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So obviously, let me, if I wasjust gonna make this a casual.
Decision on this.
I would say he drove off theroad right.
Possible to do that.
Tired.
It was very late at night.
Yeah.
He's he's energized bysomething.
Yes.
That feeling.
Yeah.
When you finish a project,you're happy.
Yeah.
And maybe you're not taketaking the care that you would.
(16:02):
And it's been a long drive.
So he's off and he's into thewater.
It's deep.
It is deep.
It's deep.
And you've mentioned it'shappened before.
Yeah.
Yes.
So it's possible.
It's happened numerous times.
Okay.
And the other question I wouldask you on this hands thing I
barely got through biology inthe high school Yes.
That I went to.
I would say I need to know ifthe lack of tendons and.
(16:25):
Other parts that kind of keepthe bones together.
If over time those were fish,then other things, right?
Yeah, that is a possibility.
There were differentpathologies done and like an,
like anything else in the world.
One said absolutely this canhappen.
Water wears things down thehands could have detached and
(16:48):
then you have other peoplesaying it's impossible for.
Just the hands to detach.
Oh, okay.
That's a good point.
But that just the screenwriterwith no hands just sounds.
Yeah.
It'd be interesting if thosehands were in the back with the
computer finishing a sitcompiece.
Wouldn't that be then you'dknow.
Yeah.
Then you, then we would know.
(17:08):
He didn't.
He would just kept going.
He said, this has to be done.
I have to finish.
I am fascinated by Gary Devore.
I hope Wendy is okay.
Just how horrible you're justtalking to your husband and he
just never makes it home theyseem to be such a lovely couple.
I wanna let you know myresources for this story were a
(17:29):
vice article written by ThomasGaine and I leaned very heavy on
a book entitled The Writer WithNo Hands by Matthew Alford, and
a doc.
of the same name by WilliamWestaway.
The book is available onAmazon.
Kindle, but the award-winningdoc is really hard to find in
the United States.
spent hours searching for itand then I reached out to the
(17:50):
director, William, who was kindenough to send me a link, and I
really appreciated that.
And I wanna say a big thank youto William.
I highly recommend both thebook and the doc.
If you'd like to learn moreabout Gary Devore, And that's a
wrap for the Writer's Hangout.
Thanks so much for listening.
If you enjoyed the show, pleasetake a moment to leave us a
(18:11):
review on Apple Podcasts.
Your positive feedback willhelp us keep the show going so
we can continue bringing youmore future episodes.
Remember, keep writing.
The world needs your stories.
The Writers Hangout issponsored by the Page,
international ScreenwritingAwards executive producer
(18:34):
Kristin Ove, producers TerrySampson and Sandy Adamis.
Music by Ethan Stoller.
Hello, my name is Sandy Adamis, the social media
director for the page,international Screenwriting
Awards, and your host for theWriter's Hangout.
A podcast that celebrates themany stages of writing, from
inspiration to the first draft,revising, getting a project made
and everything in between.
(00:32):
We'll talk to the best and thebrightest in the entertainment
industry and create a spacewhere you can hang out, learn
from the pros, and have fun.
Hey guys, it's Sandy.
I'm coming to you from StudioCity, California, the jewel of
the San Fernando Valley, andjust one canyon or freeway ride
(00:56):
away from the star studded meanstreets of Hollywood,
California.
today.
We're gonna replay one of myfavorite episodes of the
writer's Hangout in honor of myfriend Linda Mazer, who left us
way too soon.
She was beautiful, generous,intelligent, and kind.
Steve, David, and Laura, myheart is with you.
(01:18):
Let's start the show.
Hey writers, we're gonna dosomething a little different
today.
We're gonna tell you the storyof screenwriter Gary Devore
Terry, have you, do yourecognize the name Gary Devore?
I don't.
Okay.
I think a lot of our listenersare gonna find his story
fascinating.
On the morning of June 27th,1997, 55-year-old screenwriter
(01:40):
Gary Devore.
A burly man with salt andpepper here, who was known for
writing late 80 action moviesand the Billy Crystal Gregory
Hines buddy cop film runningScared.
He was getting ready to headback to his home in Santa
Barbara from the Santa Fe Ranchof his good friend and actress,
Marsha Mason.
You know that name right?
Yes.
(02:00):
Goodbye girl.
Beautiful.
It was such a good film.
Gary always went to Marsha'sRanch when he needed to hunker
down and figure out a toughscript problem.
this visit was no different.
Gary had been struggling withthe ending of his latest
screenplay, the Big Steal, whichwas a patch and project of his,
and now he was done.
And for the audience.
(02:22):
If you're going to drivestraight through, like Gary was
planning to do Santa Fe, NewMexico to Santa Barbara, where
he lived is what would you sayabout a 14 to 15 hour ride if
you're cruising.
Yeah.
Once behind the wheel of hisEddie Bauer edition Ford
Explorer.
I just love that.
I love that Eddie Bauer.
It, that was really big.
(02:42):
I think in the eighties it washuge.
Yeah.
Gary phoned his wife, Wendy,saying he finished the script
and he was heading home laterthat night and five hours from
home at 10:20 PM Gary filled upat the.
Hi, Sierra Oasis gas station inFenner, California.
He got back on the road and twohours later Gary called Wendy
(03:03):
saying he was past Barstow.
Again, for the audience,Fenner, California is midway
point.
Between Santa Barbara and LasVegas.
Wendy wanted Gary to stop andspend the night at a hotel, but
they had friends coming over towatch the Tyson Holy Field match
the next day, and he told Wendyhe wanted to press on.
(03:24):
Wendy was watching Real Sex onHBO.
That sounds like it was aninteresting show.
Wow, Wendy.
Yeah, and told Gary that shewould call him back when it was
over.
Gary then stopped for coffee onHighway 14 at a Denny's around
12:45 AM in Mojave, California.
Mojave, California is locatedin the southwestern region of
(03:47):
the Mojave Desert.
Gary is now two and a halfhours away from home.
As promised, Wendy called Gary,but she couldn't get through
this time.
She tried three times from 1:00AM to one 10 with no luck.
Then her phone rang.
It was Gary, and he soundeddistant.
I.
(04:07):
Was that you trying to call mehoney?
Wendy remembered thinking whata strange thing to say after
all, who else would be trying tocall at 1:00 AM Are you okay,
Gary?
Wendy asked, I'm pumping pureadrenaline here.
Gary responded later.
Wendy told authorities shethought that to mean Gary was
(04:28):
scared and someone must havebeen in the car with him.
This is a man whose business'words she was saying pumping
pure adrenaline.
Means something.
Wendy drifted off to sleep andwoke up at 9:00 AM Gary still
wasn't home After the break.
we'll continue with the Garydivorce story.
(04:49):
This episode of The Writer'sHangout is brought to you by
podcast, the podcast for peoplewho want to launch, grow, and
monetize.
A successful podcast writershave you.
Ever thought about starting apodcast?
Do you even know where tostart?
If you said no?
I was just like you.
Back in 2022 when the writershangout started.
(05:13):
Now why does 2022 ring a bellfor you?
Oh yeah, we were in a pandemic,which meant none of my
incredibly talented friendscould drop by and help me
brainstorm what to do.
I cried a lot of tears andfrustration before that first
episode was launched.
Do you hear me?
(05:34):
GarageBand?
I wish I had Podcast Craft backthen.
Podcast Craft takes you fromnovice podcaster to Confident
Broadcaster.
They'll teach you how to startand grow successful podcast in
their easy to follow sessions.
You can findpodCraft@podcraft.net, or
(05:54):
anywhere you get your podcasts.
Back to the show.
at 1:00 PM A worried.
Wendy called the police only tobe told nothing could be done.
Gary was an adult and adultshad to be missing for 24 hours
before a report can be taken.
That's a really stupid rule, bythe way.
(06:14):
I hate that does sound sowrong.
I know.
I hate that rule.
I really do.
Because people do know whenpeople are missing.
That it's time to look for 'em.
Yes.
Sometimes that's a half anhour.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
You know your spouse's comingsand goings.
That's right.
Also three hours in the desert,if you are lost that.
That's precious time tickingaway.
(06:35):
Yeah.
This is during the day, right?
Yeah, that's okay.
Okay, so at 4:00 PM Wendy fileda missing persons report for
Gary, and the search became amulti-agency project including
the Santa Barbara Sheriff's LACounty, and get this, the FBI.
Wendy called all of her andGary's friends for help and
(06:58):
sheriffs, organized searchteams, and combed the area.
He was last seen the Denny's inthe Mojave Desert and the gas
station in Fenner, California.
A childhood friend of Gary'sstepped up and offered a hundred
thousand dollars reward.
For his recovery, which enticedbikers and men with bloodhounds
to join the search in Palmdale,California along Highway 14.
(07:21):
The Aqueduct Bridge was drivenover countless times.
They figured if there was gonnabe an accident, that's where it
would've happened.
Underneath the Aqueduct Bridgeflows the water from the Owens
River in the eastern SierraNevada Mountains to Los Angeles,
California.
Gary's buddies arrived and rodeon horseback searching under
(07:42):
the relentless and unforgivingson while helicopters soared
from above.
Gary's ex-wife called peopleshe knew in special forces for
help.
They searched the aqueduct withinfrared.
Dozens of agents in suits beganto arrive one after another,
claiming to be C-I-A-N-S-A andmilitary.
Wendy didn't ask questions.
(08:04):
She was happy to have anyone'shelp.
A week of searching went by.
No, Gary, Wendy returned hometo Santa Barbara there.
She discovered the one copy ofthe big steal was missing from
the home office.
By week two, the men in suitsdisappeared and only law
enforcement remained.
Now it was Wendy's time in thebarrel.
(08:27):
Sheriff's got in her face andtried to intimidate her into
confessing.
She took part in Gary'sdisappearance.
She was asked to take a liedetector test.
She did, and unveiled, Wendywondered if it was because of
the extreme stress.
People began to accept Gary'sdeath.
The chance of survival in thedesert for three weeks are small
(08:48):
media attention lessened, andmonth after month ticked by.
But on the first anniversary ofGary's disappearance, the press
once again became interested inthe story.
Wendy was quoted as saying, I'mnot going to believe Gary's
gone until I see a body.
Nine days later on Friday, July7th, 1998, an amateur detective
(09:13):
named Douglas Crawford, who wasfascinated by Gary's
disappearance had a hunch thatGary could be under the waters
of the California.
Aqueduct in Palmdale,California as that was recently
the location of another death.
Although it had been searchedby helicopters and people on the
ground, Crawford was right.
(09:33):
Police located skeletal remainsinside Gary's submerged.
Eddie Bauer edition FordExplorer in an upright position,
15 feet underwater in theconcrete open river channel.
After the police had retrievedthe Ford Explorer from the murky
water, Gary's gun and hislaptop containing the big steel
(09:57):
couldn't be found.
The SUV headlights werediscovered to be in the off
position, and Gary known fornever wearing a seatbelt, was
belted in tight.
All strange, right?
Yes.
I buried the lead here.
Gary's hands were missing.
That's right.
(10:18):
The writer had no hands.
This has got to be some kind ofmessage.
That's gruesome.
All this was considered verysuspicious as again, the
Aqueduct bridge was searchedwhen Gary initially disappeared
and had showed no.
Signs of impact at the time.
something.
There would be skid marks.
(10:38):
There would be a rail broken,When Gary first went missing,
his case became popular withconspiracy theorists.
And now with the discovery ofthe SUV minus Gary's script gun
in hands, the speculations wentthrough the roof.
Let's break three of them downnow.
The number one theory outthere.
Enemy of the state.
(11:00):
Gary was murdered by the CIA.
I need to take a step back herea second.
Explain something.
The CIA had a long history inHollywood and it's been alleged
that back in the 1950s, theystarted a project called
Operation Mockingbird, where theCIA began recruiting American
(11:20):
journalists and writers into apropaganda network.
The recruited writers were puton the CIA payroll and
instructed to write fake storiesthat promoted government ideas
by dispelling communist ones.
Gary's script, the big steal hetold friends would be the
hardest hitting films studioshad ever seen, featuring
(11:41):
disturbing details against theUS government involving drugs,
bank robbery, and the 1989invasion of.
Would the CIA really murder ascreenwriter over a movie?
Gary was known to have aworking relationship with the
CIA and his ideology about theUS government had changed from
(12:01):
pro to disillusioned over theyears.
But is that enough to havesomeone murdered?
That leads us to theory numbertwo.
The Invisible man, Gary Devoreis in the witness protection
program.
Did the CIA become aware of thepowerful and damning secrets
Gary was about to spill to theworld via his screenplay.
(12:22):
Did they stop him that night onthe road, tell him the only way
out alive was to disappear,start a new life.
Is that why it took a year tofind Gary's body?
Did the CIA stage, the Aqueductarea?
Lot of questions, Gary'sfriends, and Wendy said Gary
would never agree to such athing.
(12:42):
But then again, Wendy once saidshe saw a homeless man in a
shopping center in LA who lookedexactly like Gary as she
imagined him having aged 15years.
The man talked about conspiracytheories and said he fought in
the Gulf War.
Wendy never saw the man again.
The third theory is the leastcommon.
(13:02):
So I'll end with this doubleindemnity.
Wendy had Gary killed possible,but no evidence was ever found.
Terry, who do you think killedthe screenwriter with no hands?
I think we can eliminate EddieBowers and the hands thing
freaks me out.
(13:23):
That, that's really like amafia move, right?
Yeah.
So you feel like he wasn't whywould missing an arm, two hands.
Yeah.
Why would the CIA want that outthere?
Message not to write anythingagainst, to government.
Yeah.
But to whom people that areinterested in it.
His screenplay did uncover somethings about the invasion of
(13:48):
Panama that he felt would.
Be like a bomb dropping.
Also we're talking about theeighties.
I think if that came out today,wouldn't even make page one of
any of the newspapers.
Yeah, I think what I'm askingis that if the CIA, the kind of
organization that wants to senda scare kill out and I have
(14:12):
problems with that.
Yeah.
Although it really seems likeI.
That that fits the story prettywell.
And I know that the CIA haschanged a lot since the internet
became popular.
I think they were more activebefore.
I feel like they're more inhiding now than they ever were
before.
I think they, I think theymessed around a lot more, but
(14:33):
the information flow right,tends to then have them to be
even more secretive now.
So do you believe thatOperation Mockingbird did
happen?
That the CIA was justinfiltrating the American psyche
with positive stories andjournalists and screenwriters
helped with that Back in the dayI.
I just don't know.
(14:53):
Yeah, we just don't know.
We just dunno.
Do you think that Gary, I meanhe seemed like a successful,
happy man.
Everything that I read, him andWendy were very happy.
He had really cool friends.
It was really a boys club inthe eighties.
For screenwriting, and he wasin the mix.
I can't see him disappearing,starting a new life.
(15:16):
And everybody else who knew himsaid that he would never go
into the witness protectionprogram.
And it's a, the car is soidentifiable that.
We know that he's thatsomebody's in there would be
setting up.
If it's not his skeleton, it'ssomebody else's.
If he's setting that up, thatseems like a lot of work.
Yeah.
That's a lot of work to find askeleton, even if you are a cool
(15:38):
guy from the eighties.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So obviously, let me, if I wasjust gonna make this a casual.
Decision on this.
I would say he drove off theroad right.
Possible to do that.
Tired.
It was very late at night.
Yeah.
He's he's energized bysomething.
Yes.
That feeling.
Yeah.
When you finish a project,you're happy.
Yeah.
And maybe you're not taketaking the care that you would.
(16:02):
And it's been a long drive.
So he's off and he's into thewater.
It's deep.
It is deep.
It's deep.
And you've mentioned it'shappened before.
Yeah.
Yes.
So it's possible.
It's happened numerous times.
Okay.
And the other question I wouldask you on this hands thing I
barely got through biology inthe high school Yes.
That I went to.
I would say I need to know ifthe lack of tendons and.
(16:25):
Other parts that kind of keepthe bones together.
If over time those were fish,then other things, right?
Yeah, that is a possibility.
There were differentpathologies done and like an,
like anything else in the world.
One said absolutely this canhappen.
Water wears things down thehands could have detached and
(16:48):
then you have other peoplesaying it's impossible for.
Just the hands to detach.
Oh, okay.
That's a good point.
But that just the screenwriterwith no hands just sounds.
Yeah.
It'd be interesting if thosehands were in the back with the
computer finishing a sitcompiece.
Wouldn't that be then you'dknow.
Yeah.
Then you, then we would know.
(17:08):
He didn't.
He would just kept going.
He said, this has to be done.
I have to finish.
I am fascinated by Gary Devore.
I hope Wendy is okay.
Just how horrible you're justtalking to your husband and he
just never makes it home theyseem to be such a lovely couple.
I wanna let you know myresources for this story were a
(17:29):
vice article written by ThomasGaine and I leaned very heavy on
a book entitled The Writer WithNo Hands by Matthew Alford, and
a doc.
of the same name by WilliamWestaway.
The book is available onAmazon.
Kindle, but the award-winningdoc is really hard to find in
the United States.
spent hours searching for itand then I reached out to the
(17:50):
director, William, who was kindenough to send me a link, and I
really appreciated that.
And I wanna say a big thank youto William.
I highly recommend both thebook and the doc.
If you'd like to learn moreabout Gary Devore, And that's a
wrap for the Writer's Hangout.
Thanks so much for listening.
If you enjoyed the show, pleasetake a moment to leave us a
(18:11):
review on Apple Podcasts.
Your positive feedback willhelp us keep the show going so
we can continue bringing youmore future episodes.
Remember, keep writing.
The world needs your stories.
The Writers Hangout issponsored by the Page,
international ScreenwritingAwards executive producer
(18:34):
Kristin Ove, producers TerrySampson and Sandy Adamis.
Music by Ethan Stoller.
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