A new Unsolved Mysteries theory suggests that Rey Rivera, the subject of "Mystery on the Rooftop," died after falling from a helicopter. A series clip recently made the rounds on the internet, in which people involved with the case discuss a scenario that's not actually included in the Netflix episode. Here's why the helicopter theory can't be ruled out, but also why it's unlikely.
In May 2006, Rivera's body was found at the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. The 32-year-old had presumably leaped to his death and fell through a rooftop opening. However, investigators and the victim's family members couldn't determine why Rivera would kill himself, and didn't understand the specifics of the jump itself. Rivera had been working for his longtime friend Porter Stansberry and had reportedly received a company call from Stansberry and Associates that prompted him to abruptly leave home on the evening of his death. Rivera's widow, Allison, later found a cryptic note behind her husband's computer that referenced various Hollywood movies. Online sleuths have theorized that it was a coded suicide note, which has sparked various rumors about the deceased's business dealings. After Rivera's death, Stansberry and Associates placed gag orders on employees.
In a newly-released Unsolved Mysteries clip, investigative journalist Stephen Janis states that "Given the hole and given that nobody saw him enter the building — he had to come from somewhere else.” Internet theories have since spread about Rivera's alleged fall from a helicopter, which would seem to explain the location of his body at the Belvedere Hotel. Some theorists believe that he'd somehow acquired dangerous information about his employer and friend, Stansberry, who was investigated for fraud the year before by the Securities & Exchange Commission, and ordered to pay $1.5 million for "disseminating false information in several Internet newsletters." Per Unsolved Mysteries, Rivera's job was to write said newsletters.
Detective Michael Baier dismissed the helicopter theory, citing "airspace issues" and the fact that helicopters wouldn't fly that low in Baltimore. On the flip side, Belvedere Hotel employee Gary Shivers has stated the helicopters did indeed fly in the area, just a couple blocks away. So, if someone really wanted to drop Rivera from a helicopter, then it certainly would have been possible. However, author Mikita Brottman — who spent 10 years researching the case — has stated that locals would've heard some type of noise, and Baier suggested that the nearby harbor would've been a more logical location to dispose of a body.
On Reddit, where Unsolved Mysteries enthusiasts really dig dip and explore various theories, the helicopter theory has also been criticized for logistical purposes. As one commenter states, "There are a zillion better ways to kill someone." What is true, based on the evidence presented in "Mystery on the Rooftop" on Netflix, is that Rivera had a wild imagination, loved to write, and was a big fan of numerous Hollywood directors. It's possible that such information could have been used by a wealthy individual to lure him into a helicopter, where Rivera may have realized that something bad was about to happen and confronted whomever he was with. In that case, the killer(s) may have decided to act quickly while flying over the Belvedere Hotel, and so the drop would've been spontaneous and not planned.