Unsolved Mysteries made its Netflix debut earlier this year with six original cases. One of them chronicled the disappearance of Patrice Endres, a hairstylist who vanished within a 13-minute time-frame from her hair salon. Hence, the episode’s title “13 Minutes.” Fans who watched were quick to make their opinions public, and the response to Patrice’s husband, Rob Endres, was not what the Unsolved Mysteries creator expected.
Creator Terry Dunn Meurer has weighed in on the potential of a Volume 3 for Unsolved Mysteries, and some of the cases featured in its first. “13 Minutes” revealed that Patrice Endres’ remains were eventually discovered, turning the investigation from a missing person’s case to a murder investigation. Patrice’s widower, Rob Endres, was among those interviewed for the piece, and Meurer found the ensuing suspicion around Rob unexpected, telling Newsweek:
We were surprised by that reaction and disappointed. Mainly because we really think of anybody that we put in Unsolved Mysteries as innocent until proven guilty. And Rob...we made a very fair presentation of Rob. Rob is a character, granted, but the police say his alibi was checked out and there is no way that he could have done it based on the time frame of when Patrice was abducted.So, we felt like we made a very balanced presentation, and so we were disappointed that the audience took that and twisted it, and accused Rob of maybe having harmed Patrice. I believe that Rob really loved Patrice and that he is innocent until proven guilty.
There you have it. Unsolved Mysteries’ creator says that Rob Endres’ alibi checks out, and therefore suspicion of his involvement is unfounded. Terry Dunn Meurer also points out that people on the show are innocent until proven guilty in the U.S. court of law. That has not stopped Rob Enders from joining other Unsolved Mysteries figures in garnering viewers’ outspoken suspicion.
Of course, there was more to the “13 Minutes” episode. Patrice Endres’ son, Pistol, was also interviewed. He described his tense relationship with his stepfather, which included Rob changing the locks to the house Pistol shared with his mom and Rob, shortly after Patrice disappeared. For his part, Rob Endres provided his side of the story too, including what he did after Patrice Endres’ remains were discovered.
In one of the most-discussed aspects of the episode, Rob Endres described that he had the local mortuary “piece” together what was found of Patrice’s body. That was not all that Rob shared. He explained that he had held and walked around the funeral parlor with his wife’s skull. Rob also shared that he slept with her jarred cremains.
Presently, he has also kept Patrice’s remains from her son. In the end, Rob Endres has found himself the target of a lot of speculation and outright accusations. Asked if she had spoken to Rob after the episode started streaming in July, Unsolved Mysteries creator Terry Dunn Meurer shared:
I have not personally, but I believe our story producer has been in contact with him.
Based on the Unsolved Mysteries creator's earlier statements, Rob Endres did not get a “bad edit.” Terry Dunn Meurer decried viewers who have “twisted” what the episode presented into suggesting that Rob Endres was somehow involved in his wife’s abduction and murder. To date, Patrice’s murderer has not been apprehended, even as tips on Unsolved Mysteries cases have poured in. Hopefully, that will change as there has already been traction on another mystery.
There has already been hope that escaped child killer Lester Eubanks, whose crimes were featured in Volume 2, may be apprehended. For now, you can check in on this fall’s premieres. The first two volumes of Unsolved Mysteries are also streaming on Netflix alongside lots of new 2020 content, while older episodes are up on Peacock. Unsolved Mysteries is heading into podcast territory soon, so stay tuned.
