REOPENED: The Pastor's Wife

Summary

Cold Case Files: REOPENED – The Pastor's Wife

Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "REOPENED: The Pastor's Wife," Cold Case Files delves into the mysterious disappearance and eventual murder of Patty Jo Pulley, the wife of Pastor Rick Pulley. Hosted by Brooke Giddings and featuring insights from former host Bill Curtis and Investigator Keith Isom, the episode meticulously unravels a case that remained unsolved for years until new evidence brought it to justice.

The Disappearance of Patty Jo Pulley

On May 16, 1999, Patty Jo Pulley's pickup truck was discovered abandoned near Highway 62, and she was reported missing shortly thereafter. Initially perceived as a disappearance, the case hinted at underlying complexities that were not immediately apparent.

Initial Investigation and Suspicion on Rick Pulley

Bill Curtis emphasizes the personal connection investigators maintain with victims:

"I always keep a picture. Anytime I work an investigation, I keep a picture of the person missing or the victim because you always look back and the person is not just a number or not just something that fades away." [00:57]

Detective Keith Isom, though not frequently handling homicides, approached Patty Jo's case with personal dedication. Upon interviewing Rick Pulley, several red flags emerged. Curtis recounts his first impression:

"When I saw Mr. Rick Pulley for the first time, that's when I realized the scratches, the wounds on his face. And I realized at that time I needed to take a statement from him." [00:57-03:31]

Pulley presented himself as a devoted pastor with a seemingly perfect marriage, actively involved in church ministries and community missions. However, discrepancies began to surface during interviews.

Uncovering Rick Pulley's Secret Life

Detective Isom's suspicions deepened when he noticed:

"He had some scratch marks here on his chest, but also these four elongated bruises on his right bicep. When I looked at the bruises was consistent with Patty Jo reaching up, grabbing him with her left hand on his right bicep and him and also reaching with her right hand and scratching his face." [06:10-06:44]

An eyewitness, Robert Roland, identified Rick Pulley near the scene of Patty Jo's disappearance, further implicating him:

"When I pulled him, started talking to this fella, he turned and tried to hide from me and looked over his shoulder." [06:53]

Investigations revealed that Rick was leading a double life, struggling with a sexual addiction that strained their finances and threatened his public image.

Discovery of Patty Jo's Body

After three years of searching with little progress, breakthrough came in December 2002. A project geologist stumbled upon Patty Jo's skeletal remains under a bridge. Curtis describes the discovery:

"There was a bra. I didn't see a skull or anything like that. It was just bones and what appeared to be a bra across the bones." [12:51]

Forensic analysis confirmed the remains belonged to Patty Jo, and a length of rope found with them indicated foul play, shifting the case from a missing person to a homicide investigation.

Building the Case Against Rick Pulley

With newfound evidence, Detective Isom and his team revisited the case files. Critical pieces included the scratches on Rick's face and body, which forensic pathologist Dr. Patrick Lantz determined were inconsistent with a fall into a briar patch, as Rick had claimed:

"These are fairly linear...not nearly as wide as the injuries we saw in Mr. Pulley's cheek and face." [16:00]

Consolidating circumstantial evidence, the investigators were prepared to charge Rick Pulley with Patty Jo's murder, pending his location.

Arrest and Trial

Rick Pulley eventually resurfaced in Lebanon, Virginia, where he attempted to resume his pastoral role. His niece, Connie Winslow, remained steadfast in seeking justice. In February 2003, Rick was apprehended and transported to the sheriff's office. Over the following years, Rick's demeanor changed significantly, reflecting the weight of his guilt.

During the trial, District Attorney Joel Brewer highlighted the disparity between Rick's public persona and his private actions:

"She's working, cleaning houses to try to make ends meet, and he's making telephone sex calls and running up huge telephone bills." [20:56]

Despite lacking DNA or fingerprints, the physical evidence and testimonies built a compelling case:

"Patty Jo left a mark on Rick's face and his body. If it had not been for that, it's a good possibility he'd have got away with murder." [21:18]

Conclusion

On October 29, 2004, Rick Pulley was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The case concluded with a sense of closure for Patty Jo's family, who placed a cross near the bridge where her remains were found, symbolizing both loss and justice.

"It's justice for Patty Jo and now the family. Even though they always miss her, there's some type of closure." [21:59]

Reflections

The episode underscores the intricate nature of cold cases and the relentless pursuit of truth by dedicated investigators. It also highlights the devastating impact of hidden personal struggles and the facade individuals may maintain in their communities.

Key Takeaways

• Judgment Beyond Appearances: Initial perceptions can be misleading, as seen with the Pulley family's seemingly perfect exterior hiding deep personal issues.

• Persistence Pays Off: Detective Isom's unwavering dedication was crucial in reopening and solving the case.

• Impact of Forensic Evidence: Physical evidence, even in the absence of direct DNA or fingerprint links, can be pivotal in securing convictions.

Notable Quotes

• Bill Curtis on Personal Connection:

  "I always keep a picture. Anytime I work an investigation, I keep a picture of the person missing or the victim because you always look back and the person is not just a number or not just something that fades away." [00:57]

• Connie Winslow on Seeking Justice:

  "I told him, I said, you know what? I said, I just want you to have one last thing to remember our family by." [18:44]

• Keith Isom on the Case's Resolution:

  "The guilt that has gnawed on Rick Pulley is finally realized in the form of a set of cuffs and a ride back to North Carolina to await trial for murder." [19:57]

Final Thoughts

"REOPENED: The Pastor's Wife" serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities surrounding unsolved cases and the human stories behind them. Through meticulous investigation and unwavering commitment, Cold Case Files illustrates the path from mystery to resolution, bringing justice to those long waiting for answers.

Transcript

[Brooke Giddings]

As humans, we make judgments about those around us based on appearance, even though it's not always a conscious process. A person's job, body type, or even gender are just some of the things that can influence our impressions of them. In this case, a couple Rick Poly, a pastor, and his wife Patty Jo, gave those around them the impression that they were a happy, stable couple. Maybe they was true, or maybe those judgments were misguided because Patty Joe Poli was murdered and all the signs seemed to point to her husband. From ae, this is Cold Case files. I'm Brooke, and here's the admired Bill Curtis with the classic case, the pastor's wife.

[Bill Curtis]

I always keep a picture. Anytime I work an investigation, I keep a picture of the person missing or the victim because you always look back and the person is not just a number or not just something that fades away.

[Keith Isom]

Keith Isom is an investigator in Pennsylvania County, Virginia. He doesn't investigate a lot of homicides, but the ones he does get, he takes personally.

[Bill Curtis]

It's someone that actually lived and had a family and had thoughts and had breath, and now possibly something has happened to them. And so you keep reminding yourself that why you're going forward is for that person that you got that photo.

[Keith Isom]

The picture Isom holds close belongs to Patty Jo Pulley. On May 16, 1999, her pickup truck is found abandoned near Highway 62. Patty Jo herself is missing.

[Bill Curtis]

My first intuition was, well, she met someone and left. I mean, just, just without knowing anything. Because the truck, the way it was parked, the truck was parked there as if someone was going to come back and get it or as if it was placed there neat, nice not to have any damage done to it. Too much going on. David.

[Keith Isom]

Patty Jo is about the last person Detective Isom would expect to skip town.

[Connie Winslow]

Pedro, what did you think about this trip?

[Bill Curtis]

I had a wonderful trip.

[Keith Isom]

Married to a local pastor, Rick Pulley, she has helped to form a spiritual basis for the community and on the surface, seems to enjoy a perfect marriage.

[Bill Curtis]

They were involved in almost every aspect of our church. Rick and Patty Jo worked with our worship team, and they worked with our young people and with the youth ministry. There was a lot of outward ministry, mission work. They did a mission trip at least once a year.

[Keith Isom]

Randy Seddith is the lead pastor at Rick Pulley's church. Judy is his wife.

[Connie Winslow]

In church, she would lay her head.

[Bill Curtis]

On his shoulder, so there was obvious affection there. They seemed to be a happy couple. Only concern we would have had would have been that they were maybe too committed to the church ministries. And we were trying to get them to rest a little bit more, do some things outside of church, outside of mission. On the surface, everything looked fine. Of course, everyone has little problems. But as you begin to look behind the scenes, and that's where you start, find out that everything is not as it appears.

[Keith Isom]

18 hours after Patty Jo went missing, Detective Isom drives to Rick Pulley's home to talk to him about his missing wife.

[Bill Curtis]

Well, when I first came here, my intention was to give him my card, introduce myself to him and if there's any way we could be of any assistance. Assistance, you know, to let us know. And when I saw Mr. Rick Pulley for the first time, that's when I realized the scratches, the wounds on his face. And I realized at that time I needed to take a statement from him.

[Keith Isom]

The scratches on Pulley's face are deep and numerous. Rick Pulley claims he fell into a convenient briar patch.

[Bill Curtis]

This is my toolkit. An investigation.

[Keith Isom]

What started out as a courtesy visit to a concerned husband quickly morphs into a Q and A with a possible suspect.

[Bill Curtis]

The reason I wanted to tape it was simply because of the marks on his face. At that point, I felt there was a different side of this story. And the only way I really knew to get to it was just sit down with him, just. Just talk to him, Let him talk to me. I'd taken the van and taking her into work so I could take the van and have the tire fixed.

[Keith Isom]

The pastor claims he last saw his wife at 6pm on the night she disappeared. Pulley says he spent the rest of the night at the local high school.

[Bill Curtis]

And then he got talked about the play at Dan River High School. What time did you get there for the play? About 7:15, 7:20, I think the play started. It just so happened that night I was at the exact same play. He didn't know this.

[Keith Isom]

Maybe it's coincidence, luck, or perhaps a bit of both. But Isom's own son was in the same school play that night. And the detective was in the audience.

[Bill Curtis]

Watching the whole thing and asking questions about the play. How did it end? He began fumbling through it. What was the last scene? I don't know. You mean the name of it? No. What happened up on stage the last time? The last act was the lovers finally come together and everything is consummated with their relationship. And it ends with that.

[Keith Isom]

It's happy ever after.

[Bill Curtis]

His final answer was that both couples came together and they live happily ever after. Which I knew that wasn't true because One of the characters, main characters in one of the couples dies.

[Keith Isom]

The investigator believes Rick Pulley is lying and wonders why. Isom then asks the pastor to take off his shirt.

[Bill Curtis]

And of course, taking off his shirt, he had a few scratches on his arms that to me consistent with Breyers. But what really stood out to me was he had some scratch marks here on his chest, but also these four elongated bruises on his right bicep. When I looked at the bruises was consistent with Patty Jo reaching up, grabbing him with her left hand on his right bicep and him and also reaching with her right hand and scratching his face. That's why when I looked at that, that's exactly what this picture told me.

[Keith Isom]

Detective Isom's suspicion only deepens when a few days later, an eyewitness surfaces.

[Bill Curtis]

He was walking right, right along this area right here.

[Keith Isom]

Robert Roland is a self described good old boy. Two days after Patty Joe Pulley disappeared, Roland tells police about a man he saw near the missing woman's pickup.

[Bill Curtis]

So when I pulled him, started talking to this fella, he turned and tried to hide from me and looked over his shoulder.

[Keith Isom]

Thinking that the man's truck had broken down, Roland stops and offers him a lift.

[Bill Curtis]

T shirt was towing, had something hanging down on his side and it was ripped, you know, looked like a sheet or something like that. He told me, he said, I'm all right, I'm all right. Just go on, go on.

[Keith Isom]

Robert Rowland identifies a photograph of Rick Pulley as the man he met on the side of the road.

[Bill Curtis]

When they showed me the photo, I said, that's the fellow right there. That was the fellow that the photo was shown. That was the fellow you saw seen walking up 62? Yes.

[Keith Isom]

Pastor Rick Pulley is now the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance and possible murder. There is, however, still a question of motive. Detective Isom begins that inquiry with a small event that happened the night before Patty Jo Pulley disappeared.

[Bill Curtis]

Patty Jo went to Winn Dixie, which is a grocery store here, and she got up to the cash register and wrote a check, and they wouldn't take it. So here she is, a dignified woman, a very proud woman as far as a pill of the community down there where she lives, and they won't take her check. So I'm sure she's very humiliated and embarrassed.

[Keith Isom]

Phone records shed light on the source of the couple's money woes. Rick Pulley, it appears, was a sex addict, racking up nearly $1,000 a month in calls to 900 sex lines.

[Bill Curtis]

You know, we all put on masks and try to present ourselves a certain way front of everyone else. But once you go behind closed doors, you take the mask off. So at this point is the person that everyone perceived him to be in the community is what he actually was behind closed doors or where there's another Rick Pulley that no one knew about.

[Keith Isom]

It appears the local pastor was leading two lives. The question for investigators Was he willing to kill his wife in order to keep his secret foreign.

[Connie Winslow]

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[Brooke Giddings]

Rick Bowley had a sexual addiction that not only jeopardized the sanctity of his marriage, but also its financial stability. It seemed that the couple that everyone thought seemed perfect had some well hidden problems. Was a desire to keep his addiction secret enough motive for a pastor to murder his wife?

[Bill Curtis]

So they searched the area trying to find a scent, looking for her or anyone that may have left the Truck.

[Keith Isom]

Six months after Patty Joe Pulley disappeared, investigator Keith isom walks the area looking for her remains.

[Bill Curtis]

It's a thing of every night, laying in bed, trying to figure out where she could be. I looked everywhere I knew here in Virginia, on this side, the river, along the roads, knowing she was somewhere, somewhere here, but not knowing exactly where.

[Keith Isom]

One person apparently not as concerned with Patty Jo's whereabouts. Her husband, Rick. Three months after the disappearance, he leaves town, moves to southwestern Virginia, and literally never looks back.

[Bill Curtis]

Now, he didn't start it all over again up there. A new life. I never heard again from him. Never called, asked me how the case was going or anything. So he sort of forgot about me, but I didn't forget about him.

[Keith Isom]

Detective isom believes pastor Pulley to be his killer. The problem? Without a body, there is no case to be made for murder.

[Bill Curtis]

I just need a body. You know, I've got all the circumstantial evidence together, and once you put the pieces of the puzzle together, you've got a picture. But until I've got that body, then the picture's there. But the most important element is missing, and that's the crime.

[Keith Isom]

For three years, Patty Joe Pulley has lived among the missing. Then, in December 2002, a project geologist takes a walk under a bridge, one that places Patty Jo forever among the dead.

[Bill Curtis]

As I was just working, you know, I just heard something crunch under my foot. And my first impression, my first thought was, well, I stepped on a, you know, skeleton of a deer. But then when I looked down and I noticed that there was a bra. I didn't see a skull or anything like that. It was just bones and what appeared to be a bright across the bones. So the mass of the skeletal remains was in this area right here? That's correct.

[Keith Isom]

Investigators arrive and begin to process the scene.

[Bill Curtis]

We conducted an excavation of the skeletal remains and successfully recovered in excess of 95% of the skeletal remains, which is very uncommon. Once we got down to where the entire skeletal was visible, we began photographing, began searching for other physical evidence.

[Keith Isom]

Scraps of clothing as well as dental records confirmed the remains to be those of Pulley. A length of rope tells investigators Patty Jo was murdered.

[Bill Curtis]

This was very crucial. And what this indicated was the possibility of potential binding of the victim or possibly being used as a weapon for strangulation purposes. The recovery, discovery of the remains, the ropes that were found with the remains, basically led from a missing person case from Virginia evolving into a homicide investigation for North Carolina. You're sort of disappointed that she's dead. But it's a relief now that you can go ahead with it.

[Keith Isom]

Detective Keith Isom worked the original missing person's case and gets cold case to detectives up to speed.

[Bill Curtis]

I took everything I had, everyone I'd interviewed, every tape I had, every photograph and hand it to them, said, here's the case. Go through the case and you'll see the puzzle. You can put it together. I think the photographs that were taken by the investigators from the Pennsylvania county sheriff's department were clearly one of the most crucial pieces of evidence in the case.

[Keith Isom]

These pictures, taken a day after Patty Jo disappeared, are of deep scarlet scratches found on the face, arm and chest of Patty Jo's husband, Rick Pulley, longtime suspect in a missing person case now turned murder.

[Bill Curtis]

We were of the opinion that their theory that Mr. Pulley appeared to be involved was correct. He had three scrapes or scratches on.

[Keith Isom]

His left cheek in 1999. Rick Pulley told investigators the cuts on his face came from a fall into a thicket of briars. A forensic pathologist at wake Forest University, Dr. Patrick Lantz, evaluates that possibility.

[Bill Curtis]

So I just went out and just sort of thrust my arm into a briar patch to see what would happen. And of course, like most people would know, I got some superficial scratches on my forearm. And with enough effort, you might actually get one to bleed. But for the most part, these are fairly linear. They're more irregular, not nearly as wide as the the injuries we saw in Mr. Pulley's cheek and face.

[Keith Isom]

Dr. Lentz's findings help to explode Pulley's story about a fall into a briar patch. With the discovery of Patty Joe's body, detectives believe they have enough to charge Rick Pulley. Now they have to find him.

[Connie Winslow]

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[Brooke Giddings]

After finding Patty Jo Poley's body, the investigation once again turned to her husband, Pastor Rick Pulley. They reviewed all of the evidence, including the photos of the scratches on his body. He had claimed they came from a briar bush. Unable to duplicate the injuries and combined with other evidence, the police believed they could charge him with Patty Jo's murder. First, though, they needed to locate him.

[Bill Curtis]

It's like a place you would go if you wanted to hide and get away, you know, not be found or bothered.

[Keith Isom]

Connie Winslow is Patty Joe Pulley's niece. For nearly three years, Winslow has kept tabs on Rick Pulley, tracking him to the small town of Lebanon, Virginia.

[Bill Curtis]

I begged him to please just tell me where she is. And he kept saying, I don't know where she's at. You know, I did not do anything to her.

[Keith Isom]

In Lebanon, Rick Pulley has again become a church leader and a trusted member of the community. Connie Winslow, however, refuses to let him walk away.

[Bill Curtis]

I told him, I said, you know what? I said, I just want you to have one last thing to remember our family by. And I slapped him so hard. So hard. But that, believe it or not, made me feel so much better. We found that Mr. Pulley was at his work, which is at this residence. Right here is where he was doing his counseling at at that time.

[Keith Isom]

In February of 2003, Rick Pulley gets a second visit from his pest. This time it is in the form of the local chief of police with a warrant for the pastor's arrest.

[Bill Curtis]

When I got here, found him alone and very cooperative, Went ahead and transported him up to the sheriff's office where the detectives waited to question him. This here was when we went to pick up Rick in Lebanon. This is what he looked like when he was sitting in jail in the holding cell.

[Keith Isom]

In four short years, Rick Pulley has changed from a brown haired young man of 43 to a white haired shell at 47. Detective Isom chalks it up to the corrosive effect of guilt.

[Bill Curtis]

We all have consciences, and no matter how we may want to portray ourselves one way, there's always a little something inside that eats on us.

[Keith Isom]

The guilt that has gnawed on Rick Pulley is finally realized in the form of a set of cuffs and a ride back to north Carolina to await trial for murder.

[Bill Curtis]

This life which is left in the form of a skull and bones and restraints all came from this beautiful woman.

[Keith Isom]

At trial, Caswell county district attorney Joel Brewer tells the story of the perfect marriage which somehow took a wrong turn to murder.

[Bill Curtis]

She's working, cleaning houses to try to make ends meet, and he's making telephone sex calls and running up huge telephone bills.

[Keith Isom]

The DA doesn't have DNA or fingerprints. What he does have the gashes on Rick Pulley's face scratching out the identity of a killer.

[Bill Curtis]

We told the jury at the beginning of our final argument that in Genesis, the lord set a mark on Cain. And then we began to explain to the jury how the mark was set upon Ricky Pulley by Patty Joe and what this told Keith Isom. And pretty much the best witness on the whole thing was Patty Jo to where she left a mark on Rick's face and his body. If it had not been for that, It's a good possibility he'd have got away with murder.

[Keith Isom]

On October 29, 2004, Rick Pulley is convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

[Bill Curtis]

It's justice for Patty Joe and now the family. Even though they always miss her, there's some type of closure. You gonna put it on the road side or this side?

[Keith Isom]

On a cold January morning, the family of Patty Joe Pulley places a cross near the bridge where her remains were found.

[Bill Curtis]

Try it. Hit it on that side. Another time we let her lay there three and a half years. And he knew where she was. And we did. She was our baby. And we had a lot of good times, didn't we, Rita? I didn't want the death penalty for him. I thought it would be too easy. I think knowing him and the type of person he is, what he has now, life in prison without parole is exactly what he needs. It's the worst thing for him.

[Brooke Giddings]

Rick Pulley is currently serving his sentence at a medium security facility in North Carolina. He's 62 years old. All people are supposed to be equal in the eyes of the law, but the law is full of human eyes. In cases where someone we have looked to for guidance, like a pastor, commits a violent crime, it can cause everyone to feel a little betrayed. This podcast is hosted by Brooke giddings, produced by McKamey, Lynn and Steve Delamater. Our associate producer is Julie McGruder. Our executive producer is Ted Butler. Our music was created by Blake Maples. This podcast is distributed by Podcast one. The Cold Case Files TV series was produced by Curtis Productions and is hosted by Bill Curtis. Check out more Cold case [e-mail] or learn more about cases like this one by visiting the AE Real Crime [e-mail] RealCrime.

[Keith Isom]

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[Brooke Giddings]

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[Bill Curtis]

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[Keith Isom]

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[Connie Winslow]

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[Bill Curtis]

I am Patrick.

[Brooke Giddings]

Patrick is me.

[Keith Isom]

Oh, Forrest Gump.

[Bill Curtis]

Come on, criminal minds. Solving crime after bedtime, whatever you love to watch.

[Keith Isom]

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[Brooke Giddings]

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