A Deal with the Devil
Page 22
We also spent hours talking to sources who gave us their time and trust. Chrissie Stevens was willing to recount one of the most painful times of her life in telling us about her mother’s decline. She welcomed us into her home and went through her memories in such detail that we tried to channel her powerful words in each chapter where we told her story. The whole investigation began because a box of junk mail was sent to us by two women whose relatives had been taken in by scams. It is sources like these women, who are concerned enough about something to make the effort to reach out to a reporter, that make our job so worthwhile. We met a number of other investigators who were just as committed to getting to the bottom of this. Clayton Gerber, a USPIS agent, convinced us that the Maria Duval letters were something more than just a typical mail scam. Journalists, including Jan Vanlangendonck from Belgium and Willem Bosma from the Netherlands, provided us with sources, documents, and information from their own reporting on this scam. Dr. Peter Lichtenberg helped us understand the psychological state of many of the victims who fall prey to scams like this.
Countless readers shared their own experiences with loved ones taken advantage of by this scam, while others emailed us fascinating theories, tips, and new leads along the way.
Finally, a big thank-you to Jim Steele, our investigative reporting and book-writing mentor who has a thoughtful, intelligent answer for every question that comes his way.
Blake
Growing up, I watched my grandfather John Thomas write book after book on his typewriter—carefully editing each sentence and getting rid of stray words and typos with his old-fashioned eraser and brush. I remember seeing the final copies show up in the mail, and I couldn’t believe that all those words flowing from his head into that typewriter had been converted into such beautiful books. I knew then that I wanted to do this one day. And while modern-day technology made the process easier, I can’t help but be reminded of my grandfather, his curiosity, and his love for writing that provided me with such endless inspiration.
For those of you who were part of this bizarre journey, thank you for being so supportive. Charlie, who listened to every new development along the way, who put up with the dreams of frightening international businessmen that woke me at night, the constant frustration I faced with every dead end we hit, and the questions I blurted out of nowhere. My mom, who loved even the roughest drafts of this story. To the rest of my family and friends—Winston Ellis, Chandler Ellis, John Thomas, Mary Koto, Tory Clark, Lynne Grubbs, Clayton Goodgame, Julianne Pepitone, the Donnellys, the Sayres, the McIntyres, Kim Thai, and Robert Dodge—I am so grateful for your support, your thoughtful feedback, and your continued interest in this mystery.
Finally, none of this would have happened without Melanie, my partner in crime through this whole adventure. You know how to tap into my crazy, and your brilliantly organized mind is the only way we get things done. I can’t wait for many more investigations and journeys to come.
Melanie
Long before I became a journalist, I always dreamed of being a published author, and there are countless people who have helped make that goal a reality. I have been fortunate to learn from teachers and editors who have helped sharpen both my senses and my writing. No one has been a bigger cheerleader than my Syracuse University professor and lifelong mentor Charlotte Grimes. Grimes, you taught me to show and not tell and that the best stories are often told in fewer words. For this, and for all of your support and tough edits over the years, including edits of some of these very pages, I am so grateful. To all my friends and family who read various drafts of this book—Jessie Assimon, Laura Stampler, Meghan Directo, my mom, and others—thank you so much for taking time out of your busy lives to give us such thoughtful feedback.
And then there’s my family, who put up with this bizarre obsession for the better part of two years. Ryan, I am so lucky to be married to someone who is so supportive of my passions. Thank you for never being annoyed when I checked my phone constantly for Maria Duval updates or when I disappeared for days or weeks at a time to continue this adventure. To my parents, Jim and Julia Hicken, who have nurtured my love for reading and writing since my childhood, thank you for always being my biggest fans. To my brother, Scott Hicken, thank you for always pushing me to think outside the box and to get out of my comfort zone. To my brand-new daughter, thank you for napping so I could finish up final edits. In all seriousness, I am so excited to be your mom and can’t wait for you to have this book on your very own bookshelf someday!
And finally to my work wife, Blake: I feel so lucky to get to spend each day working with one of my best friends. Your empathy makes our reporting and writing that much better, while your ability to stay calm in even the most stressful situations still astounds me. From our unforgettable trips to France to our wine-fueled writing sessions, working on this project has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’m so excited to see what we do next.
About the Authors
BLAKE ELLIS (left) and MELANIE HICKEN (right) are an award-winning investigative duo at CNN. They have exposed everything from widespread sexual abuse in nursing homes to the predatory tactics of government debt collectors. Over the years, their work has prompted legislative action and government investigation. Blake Ellis lives in Denver and is a graduate of Kenyon College. Melanie Hicken lives in Los Angeles and is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and New York University.
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Notes
Epigraph
Archived version of MariaDuval.com and MariaDuval.net accessed via the Internet Archive.
The Journalists
Patrick Guerin’s letter and video DVD received by elderly source; Department of Justice press release from November 2014, titled “Justice Department Files Enforcement Actions to Shut Down ‘Psychic’ Mail Fraud Schemes”; online consumer complaints; interviews with family members of victims; “Dump all the mystic messages in the bin,” Evening Chronicle, February 7, 2002; interviews with the US Postal Inspection Service and information from the agency’s website.
The Promises
Maria Duval letter filed as evidence in 2014 US government lawsuit.
The Scam
Maria Duval letters filed as evidence and other documents from 2014 US government lawsuit; Maria Duval Letters; public Maria Duval trademark documents; victim loss estimates for United States and Canada from US Postal Inspection Service.
The Victims
Interviews and written recollections of Chrissie Stevens; online consumer complaints; 2011 elder fraud loss estimate from “The MetLife Study of Financial Abuse”; victim letters filed as evidence in 2014 US government lawsuit; interview with Dr. Peter Lichtenberg; “We Predict a Bleak Future for Maria the Sinister Psychic . . . Maria Duval psychic swindler who offers free good luck talisman,” Sunday Mail (London, UK), March 23, 1997; “Praise for river rescue bid; Parents thank heroic officer,” The Journal (Newcastle, UK), December 31, 1998; “Riverdeath Girl in Psychic Rid,” Sunderland Echo (Sunderland, UK), December 31, 1998; “Dead teenager’s psychic fixation,” Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, UK), July 29, 1999; “Probe into girl’s river death,” Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, UK), December 31, 1998; “Dump all the mystic messages in the bin,” Evening Chr
onicle (Newcastle, UK), February 7, 2002; “Riddle of drowning ‘spirit girl,’ ” The Mirror (London, UK), January 1, 1999.
The Address
Maria Duval letters filed as evidence and other documents from 2014 US government lawsuit; email from reader.
The Mysterious Psychic
Maria Duval Wikipedia entry, fall 2015; emails and interviews with private investigator Ron Reinhold; Maria Duval letter provided by Reinhold; “We Predict a Bleak Future for Maria the Sinister Psychic . . . Maria Duval psychic swindler who offers free good luck talisman,” Sunday Mail (London, UK), March 23, 1997; Astrocat online forum; “Fortune teller’s key to happiness unveiled as scam,” New Zealand Herald, December 18, 2001; 2004 press release from Danish Consumer Ombudsman, “ICPEN Europe Fights Commercial Clairvoyants”; 2006 scam alert from Windsor, Ontario, Police Department; emails from Windsor Police Department; email from Western Australia Department of Commerce; motion filed in 2014 US government lawsuit; emails from psychics; French Maria Duval trademark documents; international Maria Duval trademark documents accessed through the World Intellectual Property Organization; emails with trademark attorneys; YouTube video of media appearance in Finland; audio recording of January 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio interview conducted by Maria Zijlstra; YouTube video of 2007 interview of Maria Duval, aired on Belgian television program Koppen; interview with Belgian journalist Jan Vanlangendonck.
The Psychic Sidekick
Maria Duval and Patrick Guerin letters filed as evidence in 2014 US government lawsuit; Patrick Guerin Facebook page; Patrick Guerin business website; Google Street View.
The Sightings
Flickr photos posted by user named “Maria Duval”; press release about Maria Duval’s Russia visit (translated into English); “Draguignan Maria Duval: le retour que personne n’avait prédit,” Var-matin, December 28, 2008; declaration of Thomas Ninan; documents from 2014 US government lawsuit; YouTube videos posted by user gd2use; news articles from Kazakhstan and Russia.
The Dentist’s Wife
Maria Duval YouTube videos; archived versions of MariaDuval.com and MariaDuval.net accessed via the Internet Archive.
The Investigators
US Postal Inspection Service official website; declaration from Postal Inspector Thomas Ninan and other documents from 2014 US government lawsuit; Lawrence County Historical Society website; Robert M. Lombardo, The Black Hand: Terror by Letter in Chicago (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2010); Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum website; crimeinnyc.org; archived version of Data Marketing Group website accessed via the Internet Archive; Google Street View.
The Business Web
Domain registrations for Maria Duval’s websites; Joseph Davitt’s business websites and LinkedIn profile; Google Street View; international business filings; interviews with Barney McGettigan, Gerard du Passage, and a former representative for Maria Duval.
The Sparks Connection
2014 US government lawsuit; obituary for Martin Dettling’s relative; interview with Martin’s family member.
The Whistleblower
Interview with former Astroforce employee.
The “Mailing Genius”
Interview with Belgian journalist Jan Vanlangendonck; interviews with former employees with knowledge of Jacques Mailland and the Maria Duval letters; Facebook and Google+ profiles for Jacques Mailland; direct marketing conference attendance list posted online; interview with Dutch journalist Willem Bosma; email from Jacques Mailland’s Brazilian kitesurfing school; email from Jacques Mailland’s business colleague.
The Bizarre Businessman
“Le piège retors des ventes par correspondance,” L’Hebdo, July 14, 1994; official Raelism website; Swiss government business filings; interview with former colleague of Jean-Claude Reuille; 2005 decision from New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority; Astroforce business filings.
The Copywriter
Maria Duval letters filed as evidence and other documents from 2014 US government lawsuit; interview with copywriter.
The Nucleus
Swiss business filings; interview with Lukas Mattle; online Russian complaints and news articles; Russian Maria Duval website.
The Windfall
Interview with Françoise Barre; Maria Duval, Comment devenir voyant(e): Pratiques et techniques de la voyance (Paris: Éditions Henri Veyrier, 1985); L’Estagnol business filings.
The Trip
Email from Antoine Palfroy.
The Dusty Archives
Interview with Nice-Matin archivist; archived articles; “Le sabbat d’une gentille sourcière,” Nice-Matin, October 1, 1992.
The Psychic No One Sees
Interviews with local Callas residents and shop owners.
The House
Maria Duval trademark documents; interview with woman at gate of Maria Duval’s house.
The Sister
L’Estagnol business filings; interview with Maria Duval’s sister, Marie-Françoise Gamba; interview with former Callas mayor Françoise Barre.
The Pot of Jelly
Interview with Maria Duval’s gardener; interview with Callas town hall employee.
The Lover
“Draguignan Maria Duval: le retour que personne n’avait prédit,” Var-matin, December 28, 2008; interview with alleged former manager.
The Son
Trademarks and websites owned by Antoine Palfroy; official Freemason websites; “France: Where Freemasons Are Still Feared,” Bloomberg News, April 19, 2012, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-04-19/france-where-freemasons-are-still-feared.
The Attorney
Facebook and LinkedIn profiles for Andrea Egger; Maria Duval trademark documents.
The Deal
Interview with Antoine Palfroy (translated from French to English).
The Myth
“Quelque pas dans l’étrange,” Nice-matin, February 7, 1978.
The Responses
Reader emails.
The Other Psychics
Emails, interview, and website of self-proclaimed astropsychologist Dr. Turi; websites and domain registrations for online psychics Laetezia, Alisha, Rinalda, and Martin Zoller; interview with anonymous employee of Anne Chamfort operation.
The Checks
Treasury Department, US Postal Inspection Service, and Department of Justice case documents and announcements.
The Dark and the Strange
Email from filmmaker; interview with German professor and cult expert; “Quelque pas dans l’étrange,” Nice-matin, February 7, 1978; email from Luis Ramos.
The Romanians
Email from man claiming to be Romanian journalist; email from woman claiming to be Maria Duval’s secretary in Romania.
The Childhood Friend
Interview with Patric; emails from Jean-Claude Reuille.
The Return to Sanity
US Department of Justice settlement documents; interview with Jean-Claude Reuille.
The Bizarre Businessman Revisited
Interview with Jean-Claude Reuille.
The Fading Myth
Online complaints; documents from 2014 US government lawsuit; emails from CNN readers.
The Irony
Interviews, diary entries, online comment, emails, and personal mementos from Chrissie Stevens.
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