Live To Tell: The Year We Disappeared

A Little Girl Is Terrorized When A Killer Wants Her Entire Family Dead

(CBS)  Imagine being 9 years old and learning that someone wants to kill your family. That’s what happened to Cylin Busby when she was growing up in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Cylin’s father, John, was a cop who refused to be intimidated -- even by a thug suspected of one murder and two disappearances. But one summer night in 1979, John Busby was ambushed and gunned down.

With the shooter at large, his young family had to run for their lives. Cylin, now grown up, tells a story of revenge and the long-awaited justice that no one could predict.

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CYLIN BUSBY: Imagine being nine years old and learning that someone wanted to kill you... your dad... your brothers... and your mom. That’s what I found out when I was nine years old.

It all began on a perfect summer day. It was the end of summer, August. It was hot, sunny, not a cloud in the sky. And we spent all day at the beach.

And everything was ideal until that night, when everything changed.

KELLIE COLLIER-DRISCOLL: My uncle was a police officer, and he worked the midnight shift.

CYLIN: My dad left for work just like normal. He hadn’t gone probably half a mile from our house when a car pulled up behind him, pulled out alongside him and he was shot through the driver’s side window of his car with a shotgun.

The shotgun blast tore through his face and ripped off his lower jaw.

KELLIE : Before he lost consciousness he wrote: Not an accident. He realized that they were trying to kill him and he feared for his family’s life.

CYLIN: On that summer night, my childhood ended. I was never alone again. We were guarded 24 hours a day. Everybody had a gun.

KELLIE : We were fenced in.

CYLIN: We had an attack dog. We had a sniper on the roof with a long-range rifle.

KELLIE: You couldn’t go out.

CYLIN: I had hidden a steak knife under my mattress and I would just lay there and listen. I just knew that the people who shot my father were not going to stop until we were all dead.

Next door to our house there was an old graveyard. It sounds morbid, but it was actually this beautiful place to go and play. There were these old trees that were perfect for climbing, and a grassy lawn to play tag and hide and seek. We spent a lot of time over there.

Falmouth, Mass., was the ideal place to grow up. Every summer day, we’d get up in the morning. My mom would pack a lunch. And we would head out to Old Silver Beach. By the end of the summer we'd all be brown as berries and just relaxed and happy.

That summer it was me, my two older brothers, Eric and Sean. My dad. My mom. My mom was studying to be a nurse. And then my cousin Kellie who was helping out my parents to take care of us kids. She was there to have fun, but babysitting was how she earned her rent.

My father was a police officer. In his uniform, my dad looked incredibly handsome, I thought. He looked like a movie star to me. He seemed invincible.

[jtschau]

I've read the book 'The Year We Disappeared" after watching this and it answer many of the questions that's been posted here, especially why it was 'allowed'. John Busby stated quite clearly that he knew when he was shot, that there were members of the Falmouth PD who must had helped Reines and could not be trusted. Even so, he knew several he did trust and they guarded his family at home, and him when his was in the hospital. The book also revealed that one of the FPD did in fact give the Reines the duty roster so they would know when and where to ambush John Busby. Corruption of this scale could not have been perpetrated without the knowledge of the Chief of Police and from the book, it is apparent that this corruption had occurred long before Busby joined the force. This brings back memories of what happened in the '70s to NYPD Frank Serpico. Sad how little has change.

[Buckeye Barbie]

Okay, I am so steamed right now! shizzydaboss has to be related to this Satanistic Killer! Talk about lives being ruined? My Aunt refused to leave Falmouth until Reine and his Evil Family were brought to justice over my Cousin, Jeff's death. She ended up dying in Falmouth. The pain this Family has put not only my Family, but numerous others through. Jeff was only 17! And finding out that Shirley May (Souza) Reine's Sister put up a Memorial Site on Virtual Memorials in honor of Shirley and Melvin just plain sickens me. Shirley was with Melvin when he killed Jeff and had the odasity to show up at Jeff's Funeral start telling my Aunt Verna the vial things they made Jeff do before they killed him. Give me a break when you expect Sympathy for Evilness! I want to see a Movie made of all of this and am praying that Falmouth cleans up it's Town and compensates the Busby Family, which would not be enough in my opinion.

[novitz]

Thank you to Cylin and John Busby for writing this book, for sharing with the world the evil that can be caused by fear, cowardly non-action and blatant corruption. Thank you also for showing us (quietly; without any great drama) how you overcame your devastating trauma, and for giving us some insight into the people you are today. Amazing. The picture of John Busby sitting awake night after night, gun resting on his knee - just waiting - will not ever leave me. My admiration for all of you knows no bounds. You are remarkable people who deserve only happiness. It would be good to know how Eric and Shawn are now; whether they are happy and well. Thank you again, Busby family. Sheila McLaren

[cliffps]

In 1967, a Federal jury in Meridian, Miss., convicted 7 Klansmen of conspiracy in the deaths of the 3 civil rights workers. I'm just wondering if SOMEhow, in this particular case, a Federal authority could possibly intervene here, leading maybe to some acceptable level of compensation for the family at the expense of Mel Reine's estate, regardless of whether or not he's turned it over by now to another family member. I mean if the business was so lucrative, I'm sure some legal entity can attach and lien to his estate somehow? I certainly hope all avenues of pay-back under the law have not yet been exhausted! And to think, nobody else in this Reine family has enough common decency to help compensate these poor folks in any way after what their own relatives have done. I imagine they all just looked away and laughed at this poor family back then, too sad. How in hell do they live with themselves?

[susiedaversa]

We NEVER NEVER miss 48HRS, we watch it as a family. I have to say that this particular one scared me to death. I felt the pain and fear of this family. It was so well done. I never thought that your producers could top yourselfs, but you did. I had to actually walk away and watch it later after I had prepared myself for this incredible story. Hats of to the staff of 48hrs. May God Bless this incredible family.
Susan

[andrew_693]

that town sure sounds like a bunch of pussssssies and hicks.

[scoobydoopat]

cosmoCA, I have to agree with you. I taped this program on my DVR. While it was an interesting story, it could have been told in 10 minutes. The producers really stretched out this story. I skipped to the end of the program just to find out the ending to the story.

[berniepeders]

What puzzles me is that NO ONE in that town, whether a cop or a civilian, had the brains and/or guts to just wait somewhere and ambush that sOn oF a *** (Reine). I doubt if the police dept. would have spent much time on that investigation either.
Peace

[cbsblogger]

In the old west when a bully came to town and harassed it and the townspeople, they and the sheriff got together and disposed of the bully. They should have done that with this Reine guy years ago.

[cloudy412]

We could learn from the Busby''s what is important. I''ve read some excerpts from his book on Amazon.com. I plan to purchase it and finish reading it, I also hope they are getting a share of the profits. But they have already won, like John Busby said he is happy and loves his family and his life. As for Melvin Reine he is a diaper wearing vegetable in an institution... that''s Karma baby!

[cosmoca-2009]

This was an interesting story, but I have to agree it could have been told in 5 minutes. I thought it would never end. Please bring back 48 Hours.