Media
A Ripple in Ann Arbor
Originated and produced by Ann Arbor City Council Member Cynthia Harrison, the short documentary film A Ripple in Ann Arbor tells the story of the search for a serial rapist in Ann Arbor in the 1990s, the unfocused and invasive tactics used by police to find the perpetrator, and the innocent man who took the city to court to expose these tactics and reclaim his dignity, weaving interviews with people who lived these events with primary source materials.
Directed by filmmaker Aliyah Mitchell in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library Archives, the film was released on November 9, 2025, in a truth and reconciliation event at the Michigan Theater. Following the showing of the film, a panel discussion of local civic and law enforcement leaders discussed the events and offered a formal apology to those affected.
The AADL Archives has many additional materials to explore relating to this topic, including dozens of Ann Arbor News articles that appear in the film. Michigan Daily articles are courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library:
1:02 - Police Suspect Serial Rapist - Michigan Daily, May 11, 1994
1:13 - Manhunt For Rapist Intensifies - Michigan Daily, October 17, 1994
2:21 - 5 Police Officers Receive Special Valor Citations - Ann Arbor News, June 24, 1991
3:00 - Police Give Public Improved Profile Of Serial Rapist - Ann Arbor News, June 30, 1994
6:27 - Rites Honor Gailbreath - Ann Arbor News, May 13, 1994
9:28 - Residents Resent Living In Fear - Ann Arbor News, May 13, 1994
10:35 - Public Seeks Action On Serial Rapist - Ann Arbor News, May 12, 1994
10:37 - Police Take Hit At Rapist Forum - Ann Arbor News, August 3, 1995
11:11 - Tenants Union & HRP Plot Renter Survival Tactics - Ann Arbor Sun, October 11, 1974
17:42 - Women & Safety - Ann Arbor News, November 15, 1994
20:28 - Coalition For Community Unity - Ann Arbor News, August 1, 1994
21:42 - Description Used Of Rapist Worries Some - Ann Arbor News, May 15, 1994
22:30 - Reward In Serial Rapist Case Grows - Ann Arbor News, October 29, 1994
24:22, 24:57 & 25:16 - Blacks Feel Wounded By Suspicion - Ann Arbor News, January 25, 1995
25:04 - Police Vow To Return Samples Eventually - Ann Arbor News, July 16, 1995
27:45 - More Consideration Of Blacks Urged In City Planning - Ann Arbor News, March 20, 1972
31:04 - Kurt Berggren For District Court Election Editorials - Agenda, November 1990
31:35 - Search For Serial Rapist Prompts Civil Rights Suit - Ann Arbor News, April 4, 1995
31:59 - 2nd Serial Attacker Suspected - Ann Arbor News, November 1, 1994
32:07 - Police Find Clues In Molester Hunt - Ann Arbor News, November 19, 1994
32:23 - Ann Arbor Man Gets 16-20 Years For Sexual Assault - Ann Arbor News, November 18, 1997
32:53 - Cabbie Describes Tension of Pursuit - Ann Arbor News, January 10, 1995
33:16 - Women Feel Sense of Relief - Ann Arbor News, March 3, 1995
33:23 - 5 Stories That Rocked Our Summer - Agenda, September 1995
33:28 - ‘92 DNA Tests Link Man To Serial Rapes - Michigan Daily, January 9, 1995
33:38 - Police Take Hit At Rapist Forum - Ann Arbor News, August 3, 1995
33:46 - Man Wins Ruling on Blood Sample - Ann Arbor News, December 14, 1995
36:19 - Blood Samples Are Still Barrier - Ann Arbor News, July 14, 1995
36:48 - Man Sues A2 Police Over Harassment In Rape Case - Michigan Daily, April 4, 1995
41:46 - Black Men Recount Pain Of Being Suspected In Rapes - Ann Arbor News, December 11, 1994
45:13 - Public Concerned About Racism Allegations - Ann Arbor News, November 15, 1994
Media
AADL Talks To: Phil Hallman, Film Historian, University of Michigan Librarian and Archivist
Phil Hallman's lengthy relationship with Ann Arbor film culture began with trips to Ann Arbor during high school in nearby Plymouth and includes his involvement with the Ann Arbor Film Cooperative and city-wide film festivals through the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, Phil has been curator for the Mavericks & Makers collections housed at the U-M Library’s Special Collections Research Center; the Donald Hall Collection screenplay collection in the University of Michigan's Film, Television, and Media department, and has served as Film Studies Librarian and subject specialist liaison for the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. Phil talks with us about his long love affair with film, the heyday of Ann Arbor's famous campus cinema culture, and some gems from the collections he curates.
Media
AADL Talks To: Bill Lynn, Former Member of the Mojo Boogie Band, Retired Musician and Auctioneer
Bill Lynn is a musician who lived in Ann Arbor during the late 1960s and 1970s, where he was part of the popular Mojo Boogie Band. Bill recalls living in Ann Arbor during the heyday of the counterculture movement. He reminisces about friends, band members, anti-war protests, draft dodging techniques, the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, favorite local venues, the changing national music scene, and tells stories about friendships and colleagues, including John Sinclair, the Tate Brothers, JC Crawford, and musician Andrew Williams. Additional stories can be found in the Bill Lynn Collection.
Media
AADL Talks To: Scott Morgan, Singer and Musician
Scott Morgan is the former frontman and founding member of The Rationals, a popular Ann Arbor-based rock band that saw success in the mid-1960s and early 1970s with "Guitar Army," "I Need You," and their cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect." The Rationals played regional and national venues with groups like The Yardbirds, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix. After the group disbanded in the early 1970s, Scott founded and performed with other bands, including Guardian Angel, Scots Pirates, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, the Hydromatics, and The Hellacopters. Scott talks with us about growing up in Ann Arbor during the 1960s and the region’s heady music scene during this period; his friendships and collaborations with area musicians such as Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, Bob Seger, and Fred “Sonic” Smith. He also recalls some favorite Ann Arbor venues and how the local music scene has changed.
The Scott Morgan Collection comprises photographs, documents (including posters, postcards, and flyers) from the past 60 years, music from Scott's record collection, and a scrapbook from a fan of The Rationals. We also have news clippings and The Rationals: "Ann Arbor's Beatles," a 1991 interview with Scott Morgan and Bill Figg, by Frank Uhle.
Media
Talkin' Music - Episode 3: Beginnings: Instructional Program for Youth
In the 1960’s Dr. Patterson noticed a lack of participation from students of color in Ann Arbor’s public school music programs, an issue that still persists today. He founded the Our Own Thing Instructional Program to provide free instruments, instruction, and support for local youth. In this episode, we hear a lively discussion between Dr. Patterson and Sylvia Harmon, one of his earliest students.
Media
AADL Talks To: Bob and Patty Creal, Lifelong Ann Arborites and Washtenaw County History Society Board Members
Robert and Patty Creal, married 63 years this summer, are both board members for the Washtenaw County Historical Society with deep family roots in the Ann Arbor area. In this wide-ranging interview, Bob, a retired lawyer, and Patty, a former teacher, talk about their parents' and grandparents' Ann Arbor. They also paint a vivid portrait of Ann Arbor during the 1940s and 1950s with stories of growing up on opposite sides of town during the World War II era of rationing and Victory Gardens to a courtship involving no less than two iconic Ann Arbor institutions. Bob also discusses the signal achievements of his father, Cecil O. Creal, who served as mayor of Ann Arbor from 1959-1965.
Media
AADL Talks To: Paul Vornhagen, Jazz Saxophonist, Flutist, and Vocalist
Paul is an award-winning jazz saxophonist, flutist, and vocalist who got his start in Ann Arbor in 1972 as an accompanist at the University of Michigan Dance Department. Over the past four decades, Paul has played in numerous configurations and venues worldwide. He talks with us about the jazz scene in Ann Arbor in the early years, some of his favorite local venues -- past and present, reminisces about some of the many musicians he's played with, and the many changes he's witnessed in Ann Arbor over the years.
Listen to a historical recording by Paul Vornhagen and Friends captured live at the former Del Rio restaurant
Media
Paul Vornhagen & Friends: Live at the Del Rio, with Kalle Nemvalts
This is a live recording of the group Paul Vornhagen & Friends at the Del Rio, circa early 1980s. Musicians include Paul Vornhagen (saxophone, flute, vocals); Kalle Nemvalts (trumpet); Rich Burgess (keys); Norm Shobey (congas); Pete Hodges (bass); Karl Dietrick (drums)
- Scrapple from the Apple
- Triste
- Tough Talk
- St. Thomas
- Manha de Carnaval
- I Mean You
Media
Talkin' Music - Episode 2: Taking Root, Voices Heard, Part 2
In this episode, we continue to be inspired by Dr. Patterson’s journey through life and music, from imitating singers he heard on the radio to introducing audiences to new genres. He shares his passion for community and dedication to African American choral music, particularly Spirituals.
Media
AADL Talks To: Tommy York, of York Food and Drink
Tommy York, owner of the popular eatery York Food & Drink, started his career with Espresso Royale, eventually transitioning to Zingerman’s community of businesses. After several years, he joined partner Matt Morgan to open Morgan & York. Tommy talks with us about his background in social work and how it shaped the evolution of his business; some of the many personal and professional challenges he’s faced over the years, and how he learned from mentors along the way to put people before profit.