need to add title here

Live To Tell: The Year We Disappeared

February 16, 2009 7:10 PM

"In Full:" A little girl is terrorized when a killer wants her entire family dead.

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by alpman6 October 11, 2009 4:59 AM EDT
I have not been shot but I really do underestand John feeling toward Mel Reine. I have gone through a time and circumstance in which I shared Johns' feelings toward some individuals that I knew had wronged me. But as difficult as it might be to understand John did the right thing. If he would've carried out his plan imagine the devestation to his family if he had carried out his plan to kill Reine and had been caught and sent to prison? Reine would've won. The best revenge is to live well! What do you think Reine would give to be able to end his suffering and have some type of life. I don't know if Reine is still alive (if you call his life living) but one thing I do know is that in his own way if alive he and his family suffer for the evil they have done.
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by alpman6 October 11, 2009 4:57 AM EDT
I have not been shot but I really do underestand John feeling toward Mel Reine. I have gone through a time and circumstance in which I shared Johns' feelings toward some individuals that I knew had wronged me. But as difficult as it might be to understand John did the right thing. If he would've carried out his plan imagine the devestation to his family if he had carried out his plan to kill Reine and had been caught and sent to prison? Reine would've won. The best revenge is to live well! What do you think Reine would give to be able to end his suffering and have some type of life. I don't know if Reine is still alive (if you call his life living) but one thing I do know is that in his own way if alive he and his family suffer for the evil they have done.
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by Umplascepsus October 3, 2009 2:28 AM EDT
I knew Melvin Reine when I lived in Falmouth in the early 60's. He was a real weirdo and a nut case to boot. I hope he rots in hell. I was really disappointed that John Busby didn't go back and take care of the justice himself with the 22 rifle and silencer. When I was a kid, it was said then that the Falmouth Police Department was corrupt. I guess this proves it. I'm sure somebody got paid off. What a shame. John Busby has to live with his horrrendous wounds which will get worse with age and Melvin Reine, a mass murderer walked. He's getting off easy as he won't remember anything. Of course, he wouldn't care anyway.
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by tapittwice August 10, 2009 9:45 PM EDT
I also find the behaviour of the police not looking after one of their own because they were afraid of the suspect totally inexcusable, and each and every one of them should be ashamed of their treachery towards their brother.
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by Buckeye Barbie March 26, 2009 1:28 PM EDT
This was a fabulous telling of the story! I read the Book "The Year We Disappeared" and could not put it down until I finished. My Cousin, Jeff was killed by Melvin Reine (Who by the way, got away with his killing too). There was a story that ran in one of the Detective Magazines that was titled "The Boy Found In The Cranberry Bog". I was hunting for that story when I came accross the book and this site. My Heart goes out to the Busby Family. They were all very Brave and Strong! I was wondering if a Movie was in the making for this. God Bless The Whole Busby Family!
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by shellinFL March 15, 2009 9:26 PM EDT
Amazing story- John, you are just as handsome now as you were back then.
Kudos to you for pulling through this & to your family as well.
Bless you all for all you have gone through.

floridafran-what is the name of the book?
I just read the henry hill book that his kids wrote
oops-nevermind I just saw it flash across the screen...
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by shellinFL March 15, 2009 9:26 PM EDT
Amazing story- John, you are just as handsome now as you were back then.
Kudos to you for pulling through this & to your family as well.
Bless you all for all you have gone through.

floridafran-what is the name of the book?
I just read the henry hill book that his kids wrote
oops-nevermind I just saw it flash across the screen...
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by marymaui88 March 4, 2009 2:06 PM EST
This family can really teach us all a lesson. I can hardly believe the marrige stayed intact. Kudos to the whole family, and how brave they were to tell their story! If you look at the local news for this area, you will find that there are still terrible things going on (see the murder of Shirly Reine just a year ago!) and then you will know how brave this family was to finally speak out against what is going on with that corrupt town.
PS: I would also like to see the mystery of 48 hours return, but I do like these new "live to tell" shows. Maybe put this on a different night and put the Live to Tell on another night?
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by davideidel March 1, 2009 2:19 AM EST
I hate, hate, hate the new version of 48 hours. Without some of the great commentators like Harold Dow, Susan Spencer, etc. the show has lost all of its punch. This used to be my favorite show. These stories seem compelling, but are boring. I could hardly watch it. It is going to fail. My favorite program has gone down the drain. I'm sad. The people talk too slowly, there is no suspense. It sucks.
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by dmhphils February 25, 2009 5:12 AM EST
Revenge will surely eat you alive. My question is: if he knew who it was that shot him, why didn't he prosecute and why didn't the police investigate? Sounds fishy to me.
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by excapecodder February 24, 2009 5:13 PM EST
I went to school w/the Busby kids. I remember this but I was too young to understand. I grew up, moved away, and found myself becoming a policeman. Now I am disgusted on how he was abandoned by our town, let alone his department. V22forever, there is no other side, that part of the story is correct. Picture a small town and an insane man. He was rumored to be connected to organized crime from the Boston area. An interesting endnote to the story is that the two sons who stand to inherit the family business now that Mel Reine has been committed, have started clawing at each other. Melvin's current wife, who stood to get the lion's share, was found shot to death in her garage.
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by floridafran February 19, 2009 1:59 PM EST
I've read the book and it was amazing to see the real people in it. The show leaves out a lot of details, but I guess they didn't have time to tell the whole story that this police officer and his daughter tell in their book. I recommend both! Amazing family.
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by photomom20 February 17, 2009 11:50 PM EST
I''m sorry.. but that was boring. I feel for what the family went thru and find it such a disgrace that no one in the police department was held with some accountability but... there was much that was unanswered and it just didn''t have the intensity that the title makes you think you are going to get. I hope that you have stronger stories in the future.
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by bubbles82-2009 February 17, 2009 10:22 PM EST
thank you, I enjoyed this story very much :)
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by v22forever February 17, 2009 7:53 AM EST
As much as I hate to say it, the one thing I have learned in life is that there are always two sides to every story. In this instance, I am wondering if something is not being told here which would account for the actions of those involved?
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by theseattlite February 17, 2009 7:41 AM EST
Proof positive of what a bunch of cowards most police are. Most police, not this particular cop that was shot, but all the other officers on the force for example.
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by naomish February 17, 2009 1:35 AM EST
^^ Very tragic that the FBI was not involved; an utter travesty. A great family, nearly destroyed but survived in tact.
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by loh1251 February 16, 2009 11:30 PM EST
I found the story of John Busby to be extremely disheartening. It is an amazing story that stopped short of investigative reporting regarding the "why" of the Falmouth Police Department not investigating properly. The fact that Reines is now suffering dimentia and not prosecutable because of the statute of limitation does not explain the conduct of the police department that the corruption evident in that community! How about a follow-up investigation into the dynamics of a community and department that allowed this case to go unsolved for over 20 years???
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