The Real-Life Murderer That May Have Inspired Jeepers Creepers
By Daniel Kim
Here's what we know for sure (via Fandom): On April 15, 1990, 46-year old property assessor Dennis DePue went to pick up his children from the house of his ex-wife, Marilynn. An argument ensued, with Dennis reportedly beating Marilynn and throwing her down the stairs. Hoisting her, semi-conscious, into his van, he told the kids that he was taking their mother to the hospital, then disappeared for nearly a year.
Or rather, he almost disappeared. Ray and Marie Thorton were startled by DePue when his van came tearing down the road, passing them in a hurry. The couple spotted the van a few minutes later, pulled over next to an abandoned schoolhouse, with DePue standing nearby with what appeared to be a bloody sheet. Not long after that, the van pulled up behind them again, tailgating the couple for miles before they nervously pulled off the highway.
The description of this vehicular back-and-forth has marked similarities to the first act of "Jeepers Creepers," but the most remarkable parallels come from the season three episode of "Unsolved Mysteries."
