Awesome - An Almost Perfect Marriage Fell Into Trouble Forty Years Later

 A couple from New York City had one of the best love stories you have heard – Bobby and Cheryl Love. What made the word “almost” appear is that in a previous statement, a strain was caused in their relationship. 

After 40 Years Of Being Married, Woman Finds Out From The FBI Who Her Husband Really Is

Not Your Typical Morning

Just like any other family, their marriage and family was going so great until a secret from Bobby’s past life was discovered by Cheryl. Another typical morning for the Love family – Cheryl woke up first and decided to start the day by cooking breakfast. 

Not Your Typical Morning

“Crazy Lady”

As she heard a knock coming from the door, she stopped and peeked through the window to see who was outside their house. A police officer was in front of their home! Not like most people who would typically feel anxious when police officers suddenly appeared outside their home, Cheryl assumed their home would be mistaken only for the house of the crazy lady.

“Crazy Lady”

Life-Changing

“Crazy Lady” is the name that the neighbor who lives next to them used to call. The police had always visited her regularly since she began living in that place. That’s why Cheryl thought the cops were merely making a mistake, but she was mistaken.

Life-Changing

Asking For His Name

She opened their front door and found out twelve uniformed police officers were waiting for her. That was the moment she started feeling a certain nervousness in her system. Cheryl didn’t know that something was about to happen which would change their lives forever. 

Asking For His Name

Absolute Chaos

Looking at the uniforms that were worn by police officers, Cheryl learned they came from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They asked her permission to go inside-Cheryl, who had no idea what was going on at all, just said yes.

Absolute Chaos

Asking For His Name

Quickly, the group of officers went inside looking for the bedroom. Who they found inside the bedroom was Booby. One of the police officers step-up and demanded his name. The husband responded nervously: “Bobby Love.” 

Asking For His Name

In Shock

Cheryl was shaken. She said, “They went straight back to the bedroom, and walked up to Bobby.” She then heard the officers ask her husband: “What’s your name?” to which he answered, “Bobby Love.” 

In Shock

Walter Miller

But the cops were not happy with his reply. They repeated the question and made it clear his real and original name was what they were asking for. It took Bobby a couple of seconds before answering the question from the police. 

Walter Miller

An 80’s Concert

From his own mouth came two names: “Walter Miller,” and the storytelling begins … Completely confused, Cheryl had no clue on how to react to all this. She pleaded and asked what was going on. As he was being pushed out the door, Bobby said, “This goes way back, Cheryl. Back before I met you.” 

An 80’s Concert

Going Downhill

Originally, Walter Miller was from North Carolina. During the 1960s he grew up and shared that his family used to live in a life of less fortune. The fact that their family was really huge-two parents and eight children-was one factor that made it really hard for their parents to raise them. 

Going Downhill

Years Of Petty Crimes

The secret of Walter Miller began from the day he went to the concert of Sam Cooke. At this concert, he shared what he had experienced. He said the singer’s fans really enjoyed themselves, dancing to the music, so much so that their idol had to call them out just to sit down. 

Years Of Petty Crimes

Trouble Was Calling

Walter and the other fans had really enjoyed it until something happened. Walter said some words of swear, and accidentally said it out loud, but it was meant only as a joke. That was clearly heard by the security officers and they had him arrested.

Trouble Was Calling

Juvenile Detention Center

He was kicked out of the concert and went to the nearest police station directly. It was not his lucky day, really. The incident at that concert was the very first time he got a record for doing anything against the law. 

Juvenile Detention Center

His Life Quickly Changed

However, Walter still did several awful things like stealing other people’s purses, checks, and wallets through different tactics. All those little robberies felt like a routine to him already. He said: “I lifted purses from unlocked cars, I was stealing government checks out of mailboxes, I got bolder and bolder.” 

His Life Quickly Changed

Imprisoned

He had committed smaller crimes frequently. It was all he could do to get money fast. Well, he was having another very bad day when he was caught breaking into the band room of his school, stealing some valuables. 

Imprisoned

Calculating A Plan

The gesture sent him into a detention center for juveniles. It was not like the lenient detention centers in the movies that you see. Walter also came up against some serious repercussions. Walter didn’t like any experience from the detention center. 

Calculating A Plan

A Daring Escape

He was suffering from everything-from the treatment to the meals served in the place. First, let ‘s talk about food. Walter described the meal as being really bad. He also shared his experiences of being beaten up violently. 

A Daring Escape

First Disappearance

“I still have scars from all the times I got beat up,” he said, despite the fact that it had been years since he’d stayed at the center. All those memories and experiences will forever remain on him and with him.

First Disappearance

The Escape

Everything in the detention center that he was experiencing really pushed him to plan an escape. What more inspired him was the sounds of the train outside the middle that he kept listening to every night.

The Escape

Making His Way To The Tracks

This was how Walter began building a plan to get out of that place without being caught. To accomplish his escape from the juvenile detention center, he needs to know where the train was going and the perfect opportunity to perform it.

Making His Way To The Tracks

Washington D.C

Because of strict security, the plan was almost impossible to achieve. One night, the guard who was securing the doors turned his back to check the time. Walter knew this was his chance and been waiting for this opportunity of getting his freedom.

Washington D.C

Spoken To Soon

He quickly ran and dashed, going to the exit doors. He states, “I ran out the back door — toward the sound of that whistle. And that was the first place I ever escaped from,” But it was only the start.

Spoken To Soon

Much Worse Crimes

He said, “I ran out the back door — toward the sound of that whistle. And that was the first place I ever escaped from,” but it wasn’t the last. Walter managed to pull off a serious crime – a prison escape of sorts.

Much Worse Crimes

Youth Gang

The only thing that he wanted to do is get into the train station. Without any idea where the track would bring him, the most important was to get away from the detention center. He was able to manage and get on the train that came from North Carolina, and go to Washington, D.C.

Youth Gang

Getting Caught Again

With all the trauma he got from the juvenile detention center, Walter swore to live a new and better life, especially as he was very fortunate to have the opportunity to re-establish himself in Washington DC.

Getting Caught Again

Back In Cuffs

He had a brother who lived there so that he found a place to stay. He began going back to school again, too-high school. Well, I don’t really know if it was the right choice for him to go to that particular school, because it was the place where he met the people who led him to do bad things again.

Back In Cuffs

Sentenced For His Crimes

Once again, however, Walter became part of the “wrong crowd”. As a result, his life took a turn for the dramatic yet again. He couldn’t seem to stay on the right path – it was almost as if he attracted trouble somehow.

Sentenced For His Crimes

Maximum-Security

Still, this was the start of something bigger. From the little robbery he used to do before-stealing wallets, checks, purses and other items from other people, his new circle of friends led him to take part in bank robberies.

Maximum-Security

His Work Paid Off

They managed to steal several banks at first and were not caught. The trick they used leaves Washington D.C. And head straight to North Carolina. He explained they still went thereafter every robbery because there wasn’t strict enforcement of laws.

His Work Paid Off

The Transfer

His new group of friends led him to take part in bank robberies from the little theft he used to do before-stealing wallets, checks, purses, and other things from other people. At first, they managed to steal a few banks and were not caught.

The Transfer

Things Were Changing

Washington D.C. leaves the trick they used and head straight to North Carolina. He explained that they were still going every robbery thereafter because laws were not strictly enforced. One day, they decided to rob another bank.

Things Were Changing

Everything Went Downhill

Unfortunately, its security has outsmarted them. It turned out that the bank had no regular alarm; instead, it had the silent high-tech alarm that alarmed an employee who immediately managed to call 911.

Everything Went Downhill

Too Many Negative Reports

This was the first time their party got captured. He knew the feeling of being arrested and being kept in a prison-like place. That’s why, by running away from the bank, Walter tried his luck to escape as he saw all his friends locked in handcuffs.

Too Many Negative Reports

An Eye On Him

However, this time Genie did not grant his wish-he was shot by a police officer who also instantly put him in handcuffs. Their party went on a few trials as they were supported by their attorneys. The jury ruled and declared them all guilty.

An Eye On Him

A New Opportunity

They were given the consequence of a total of 25 to 30 years in prison. It seemed like fate was a real thing, because not only was he sentenced to prison, but at that time his mother also died. Although his lawyer did everything he could to get him out of prison or, at least, lower the years to which he was sentenced, nothing happened and he still had to wait 25 to 30 years before he got out of prison. 

A New Opportunity

The Plotting Begins

Walter was always the risk-taker and planned an escape again. The plan’s first goal was to move him to a minimum-security prison so he could escape. He was patient for a few months. He also avoided all activities that could lead him to do something stupid that could destroy his clean jail record. 

The Plotting Begins

His Big Escape Plan

Well, unlike the prison he had previously stayed in, his hard work and discipline got himself transferred to a facility with a much lower level of security. The new prison he was in felt “more like a camp” compared to the maximum security one he was previously in. 

His Big Escape Plan

Collecting The Necessary Information

While the facility also had high fences and gun towers looming nearby, it came with a larger sense of freedom. He was in shock when he landed on the new facility to which he had been moved. He saw the prisoners staying there gaining much more freedom compared with those staying in the prison from which he came. 

Collecting The Necessary Information

The Decision

At that time, his relatives and friends already had the ability to visit him. He also had the ability to select what activity he was going to engage in-he chose to spend time hosting a radio show available at the facility. 

The Decision

Everything Was Set

He hated admitting it, but that time he was really enjoying his stay in the facility-also, to think he could try to host a radio show that had always been one of his dreams. He was almost close to dropping the escape he had already arranged when he was accused of swearing at the captain securing the cell in which he lived. 

Everything Was Set

Wailing Of The Sirens

It was all a mistake and the one who cursed the captain was really his co-prisoner. The captain was so ashamed of what had happened. He was too furious to listen to an argument from Walter that the allegation was false. 

Wailing Of The Sirens

Tactical Change

Well, it did the damage. Captains generally wouldn’t take seriously swearing aimed at them and just ignore it, but Walter was very unlucky because this particular captain was different. The captain had no sympathy for him. 

Tactical Change

The Death Of Walter Miller

He had written and submitted tons of negative reports about him. After a few weeks, Walter was sent back to the prison with full security for all those papers. “The negative reports kept piling up until I was one mark away from being sent back up the hill,” Walter said. 

The Death Of Walter Miller

The Birth Of Bobby Love

Since he didn’t want to go back, he came to the decision that it was time for him to figure out a way to escape. He was also assigned, as a punishment, to a task that most inmates hated-cleaning up scattered trash on the streets. 

The Birth Of Bobby Love

Bobby Love

He had to suffer, along with other inmates, from all the more difficult tasks associated with street cleaning. He even said he and other prisoners who were also assigned to clean up the streets were thrown at him by rude people with milkshakes and hamburgers. 

Bobby Love

Needing Employment

Months were already gone by and he was still assigned to this task. He could no longer bear it. All the pain impelled him to plan a prison escape. This was a major escape scheme, and much more dangerous than his escape from the juvenile detention center. 

Needing Employment

Bobby And Cheryl

He has gathered all the knowledge that he already knew to construct a perfect plan. He has noticed for the past few months that the day when they were usually guided by the laziest and lenient guard, it happened every Tuesday. 

Bobby And Cheryl

A Heart Of Gold

The knowledge had a big part to play in the scheme-implementing the escape on a Tuesday. He just had to wait for the perfect chance. They used to ride a bus to the place they would clean up. Another piece of knowledge that helped him develop his strategy was his discovery of the location where the bus normally would stop. 

A Heart Of Gold

Building A Life Together

It would be the place he was going to get off the bus carefully and just run away. “That was going to be my last night in prison,” Walter said. He went through his plan one more time and decided that the best time was now. 

Building A Life Together

Devoted Family Man

He felt ready. But, how would he be able to manage to pull off another escape? Next Tuesday came and even though he also felt nervous, Walter had a great feeling about it. He woke up early and prepared all his belongings, especially his clothes. 

Devoted Family Man

His Secret

He was very happy to see that the one who guided them was the laziest guard that day and he wasn’t strict at all. So, the first part of his plan had already been tested-it seemed as if his plan would succeed. 

His Secret

Strongly Mistaken

He set off to the seats at the back of the bus. A part of his escape strategy was to sit near the back entrance, which was also used as the bus’ exit during an emergency. The driver has already jumped onto the gas and left for their destination. 

Strongly Mistaken

His New Slate

Walter was also quick in stepping out of the bus through the back door as soon as it made a quick stop. He hid to change his clothes in a safe place then ran away immediately. Quickly, Walter stripped off his prison clothing before he ran deeper into the forest. 

His New Slate

Noticing Oddities

The sound of sirens became more and more distant the further he got. As his adrenaline kicked in, he kept running. He refused to stop. He knew this would be his best bet. He managed to run away from all the police officers who were tracking him for an hour and slowed down completely when he started hearing the sirens of police cars. 

Noticing Oddities

Spooked

When he realized he had already managed to escape from prison, he asked for money from some people and he was lucky enough to collect enough to give him a bus ride. Wary of the local area, he went cautiously to the nearest bus station and rode on a bus to New York City. 

Spooked

Praying To The Lord

Within the bus, the transformation of his name and personality occurred. A woman who was sitting next to him was a very nice person who began a conversation by asking for his name. He realized that it would be a very good decision to change his name. It was for this reason that he introduced himself as Bobby Love. Stepping out of the bus and finding himself on New York City streets, he promised himself as Bobby Love, to start a new life again. Walter – I mean, Bobby-was able to book a hotel room to live in for a couple of nights, with all the money strangers gave him. He began living his new identity by applying for a birth certificate, a driver’s license, and a social security number, which he all managed to get due to his greatness with lies.

Praying To The Lord

Everything Came Crashing Down

At that time, he had no job and he was running out of money so he had to sleep on the streets for a while. He spent a couple of days finding a job and ended up doing many jobs. His hard work earned him a cheap hotel room and sufficient money to purchase food. He wanted to raise more, so he’d been searching for an extra job. In the 1980s the Baptist Medical Center hired him to work in their cafeteria. It turned out that accepting that job was one of the biggest decisions he ‘d ever made throughout his life, because that was the place where he met his life’s love, Cheryl.

Everything Came Crashing Down

Crashing

The love story of Bobby and Cheryl began when they went out on a date-hitting the cinema to watch Prince’s film Purple Rain, and then going to a concert featuring Gladys Knight & the Pips. Bobby said he fell so hard for Cheryl because she was what he’d been waiting for an entirely opposite version of himself. Cheryl was a gentle, loving, innocent child. She was their dream child. It seemed like everything was going great in Bobby Love ‘s life. He married Cheryl happily on 30 March 1985. They made an announcement after a few months that they were pregnant with a baby girl who they eventually called Jasmine.

Crashing

Deceived

After a few years, they also welcomed another baby girl into this country and called her Jessica. The Love family spent 11 years full of joy after the second child was born. Little did they realize that two angels were already about to grace them-Cheryl gave birth to his twins, Justin and Jordan. Bobby lived a great life being a good father to her children, a caring husband to his wife, a hard-working employee working two jobs, and an involved church member. For all the challenges he ‘d faced in juggling his careers, other errands, and his family; he’s always made sure his family’s needs come first.

Deceived

Facing Grim Circumstances

There was no time when Bobby stopped worrying about his secret of escaping from jail even though it had already been done decades before. He wanted to let his wife know everything that happened in his life, but he loved her so much that he couldn’t afford to lose her and destroy all the family had created that’s why he didn’t have the courage to talk about his dark secret with Cheryl. It wasn’t just Bobby who dreamed about his tragic past. His family knew all the things he had done, including when he changed his name as Bobby Love and managed to keep all his lies for himself.

Facing Grim Circumstances

For Better Or Worse

They never lost contact with each other. He then moved back to North Carolina, until he learned that one of his parents had passed away. He was very nervous that he was going to be caught there but his family love overwhelmed his fear. Okay, returning to his hometown may have been the thing that prompted the authorities to pursue him again. Perhaps, a policeman saw him. Perhaps, somebody thought he ‘d come back to town. We never would have known. He said, “That part of my life was buried back in North Carolina. And it wasn’t coming back,” soon enough, however, he would be proven wrong. He never quite felt like he was in the clear, but he thought he was safe in his new life.

For Better Or Worse

To Leave Or Not To Leave

Cheryl shared in an interview about how she considered odd things about her husband. She said Bobby will feel very nervous and afraid of all the people walking down the streets every time they get out of the door. He also felt very scared when somebody asked him for those directions. One of the strangest things she found about Bobby was that he never liked being part of any photo-he was just terrified by cameras. Cheryl said you could see that he was a bit on edge in general.

To Leave Or Not To Leave

Doing Everything She Could

He looked worried. There are times when people would stop and ask him anything mundane, like directions, he would always “seem spooked”. Cheryl disclosed moments when she almost gave up. Bobby would just cut off himself in a really odd way while they were having a quarrel. She said when things got difficult she had returned to interact with the Lord by praying as a tool for coping. She didn’t know what to expect – would she feel sorry for his husband or hate him because he didn’t tell her? All she knew was that her feelings were badly hurt.

Doing Everything She Could

Bobby Love

Having her husband arrested by police officers assigned to her by the Federal Investigation Bureau, she fell into pieces. Cheryl described, “My world came crashing down,” and also admitted that she was more hurt than embarrassed. She felt as if she had been living a lie. He mind was so full of doubt about her relationship. She continued, “Bobby had deceived me for all those years. There was no truth in our house,” in another interview, Cheryl said she was “like I was in a movie — a Lifetime movie.”

Bobby Love

Addressing The Parole Board

Despite her complex feelings, she still felt the need to do something. Bobby Love was immediately held in Rikers Island, the main jail complex in New York City. No final decisions were yet made regarding the consequences he would face after escaping from prison. The only thing Bobby surely thought he would be sentenced to was to stay in jail for the remaining 10 years left of his service before. With the help of an attorney, Cheryl thought of all the possible consequences that her husband might face-they all were serious.

Addressing The Parole Board

Better Than Ever

She also remembered when she saw her husband behind bars for the first time. She said that he couldn’t utter a single thing-all he did was cry out to her. Cheryl admitted there was a part of her that felt furious with her husband for not telling her anything about his past, but his love for him would still outweigh all of her anger and fears. She decided to be in that battle with Bobby. She never had to leave his side. Cheryl said to Bobby, “Bobby Love, I married you for better or for worse. And now this is the worst.” With that in mind, she began working on her next move.

Better Than Ever

Love

Cheryl wasn’t going to just watch her husband’s life wilt away in prison. Cheryl became stronger, as a wife to her husband and a mother to their children. She was thinking of different plans for getting him out of jail or lessening the years he was sentenced to prison. She wrote a letter telling them how good Bobby ever since she met him. She also asked other people and her children to write, and those letters were sent to the governor and President Obama. She states, “I didn’t know a thing about Walter Miller, but I told them all about Bobby Love.” Cheryl said, “I didn’t know a thing about Walter Miller, but I told them all about Bobby Love.”

Love

Changed Man

She knew without a doubt that her husband had changed and saw that he really has become a brand-new person. After 12 months of staying in New York City’s main jail complex, the parole board came and decided to set Bobby free. With all of his wife’s efforts and his excellent record inside the prison might help the parole board make that decision. Whatever drove them to free Bobby from prison, no one knows it.

Changed Man

A Miracle

It may be impossible; all they knew was on that day; a miracle happened in the Love family’s lives. After discovering the full and real story of everything that he did in the past as Walter Miller, Cheryl still forgave him and gave him a second chance. They decided to continue a normal life as if nothing changed. “The day he was set free, I sat him down and I asked ‘What is it? Are we the Loves? Or are we the Millers?” And he said: ”We Love. We Love.” 

A Miracle

Stronger On The Other Side

The family even became stronger because of everything, and since then, every member of the Love family had moved on and lived a peaceful and happy life. Now that Bobby’s secret has been revealed, the couple felt like they were even more connected now. Cheryl is finally in the marriage she had always wanted, and their lives are now completely free. “The day he was set free, I sat him down and I asked ‘What is it? Are we the Loves? Or are we the Millers?’ And he said: ‘We Love. We Love.’”

Stronger On The Other Side