MISSING: Bonnie Lee Schultz

Summary

Crime Junkie Episode Summary

Episode: MISSING: Bonnie Lee Schulz
Release Date: January 12, 2026
Host(s): Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat
Podcast Network: Audiochuck
Topic: The unsolved 1997 disappearance of Bonnie Lee Schulz in Indianapolis, IN

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Overview:

Ashley and Brit delve into the mysterious disappearance of Bonnie Lee Schulz, a devoted mother of two who vanished over the July 4th weekend in 1997 after telling her husband, Rick, she wanted a divorce. The hosts challenge listeners to look beyond the “obvious” narrative and consider overlooked avenues in this cold case. The episode explores the emotional build-up, key relationships, the timeline of events, and long-standing suspicions—primarily revolving around Bonnie’s husband—while emphasizing the case’s enduring unanswered questions due to investigative shortcomings.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Bonnie’s Background and Marital Troubles

• Marriage and Family Life:

  • Bonnie married her high school sweetheart, Rick, at a young age, adopting the role of homemaker for 26 years and raising two children, Josh and Gretchen.
  • She later took a job at RGIS (Regis) for greater independence and financial flexibility.
  • Rick was controlling about the household and finances, which strained their relationship.

• Growing Unhappiness:

  • Bonnie’s dissatisfaction, compounded by her mother’s death (1995), led her to reevaluate her life and marriage ([05:05]).
  • Public marital conflict emerged in 1997 during a family event in Wisconsin.

2. Initiation of Divorce and Affair

• Seeking Advice:

  • Bonnie confided in her friend Diane about unhappiness and the contemplation of an affair ([06:41]).
  • Bonnie feared Rick’s reaction to a divorce and struggled with how to proceed logistically.

• The Affair:

  • Bonnie began seeing John Guy, a coworker, encouraged by her friend Anita ([08:15]).
  • John did not want a long-term relationship with a married woman; Bonnie was nonetheless empowered to make choices for herself.

3. Last Day Timeline (July 3-4, 1997)

• The Night Bonnie Disappeared ([10:59]):

  • Bonnie told Rick she wanted a divorce on the night of July 3.
  • She kissed her daughter and left for a party with Anita, wearing her signature "Number One Mom" necklace ([10:55]).
  • Her demeanor changed from composed at home to visibly upset at the restaurant where she met Anita.

• Evening Activities:

  • Bonnie met coworkers at Houlihan’s, then attended a fireworks party and ended up at the Timeout Lounge until about 3:30–4:00 a.m with John.
  • Last seen by John, talking and kissing in the parking lot before driving home. She was following John for a while before they parted ways ([23:19]).

4. Immediate Aftermath and Initial Investigation

• Morning After Bonnie’s Disappearance:

  • Rick acted as if nothing was wrong and told the kids Bonnie was at a friend's house ([12:30]).
  • Rick waited until 5:10 p.m on July 4 to report her missing; the initial police response was routine and dismissive.

• Family and Friends’ Reactions:

  • Rick did not immediately notify key friends or Bonnie’s family; Diane expressed immediate suspicion about Rick ([17:35]).
  • Rick’s behavior, such as not notifying people sooner and making odd comments, raised red flags:
    “You son of a b. You killed her. You did something to her.” — Diane ([17:35])
    "Nobody's going to find her car or anything until after the holiday. Every place will be closed till Monday... like, behind a doctor's office." — Rick ([19:39])

• Lack of Early Police Action:

  • No detective assigned until Monday, July 7.
  • Interviews and follow-ups were delayed; critical steps (e.g., searching for physical evidence, interviewing Rick and the kids promptly) were missed.

5. Police Theories and Suspicions

• Rick’s Statements:

  • Rick’s knowledge of Bonnie’s possible routes home, specifically mentioning the Timeout Lounge and 62nd Street, raised investigators' eyebrows ([36:35]).
  • Investigators speculate about whether Rick could have followed Bonnie after she left the bar.

• Polygraph Tests:

  • John: passes
  • Rick: fails ([44:15])

• Interviews with Children:

  • Police skirt Rick’s request to be present by interviewing Gretchen and Josh while Rick is away ([45:30]).
  • Gretchen gives detectives Bonnie’s “Number One Mom” necklace, stating it was not in its usual spot, which was considered potentially significant by police ([47:48]).

6. Family Dynamics and Ongoing Tensions

• Bonnie’s Family:

  • Family was initially not suspicious; odd behavior by Rick made them reconsider (e.g., delayed phone calls, nonchalance at their arrival to help search) ([52:04]).
  • Detective Kelly stirred suspicion further, especially after recounting Rick’s cryptic words:
    “He will never figure this out.” — Rick to a detective ([55:41])

• Potential Evidence and Missed Opportunities:

  • Claims about Rick having a scratch and broken glasses after Bonnie’s disappearance, but no police report or photograph exists; this ambiguity has become a source of frustration ([57:47]).
  • The necklace was shown to a psychic, who believed it had been broken (though family said it was not), later returned to Rick.

7. The Case’s Legacy and Lingering Questions

• Investigation Shortcomings:

  • The hosts underscore that a half-hearted investigation failed to deliver closure or justice—harming both the accused (Rick) and the missing’s family.
  • Josh:
    "He said he is willing to accept that his dad did something if they can just show him that his dad did something. ... What's not fair to do is like a half-ass investigation and then point the finger at the only parent they have left." ([58:36])

• Tensions and Injury to Children:

  • The lack of answers leaves Rick’s children grappling with the possibility their father is a killer, but absent conclusive proof, they remain in limbo.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ashley’s Opening Challenge:
  "What if the reason this case hasn't been solved isn't because answers went with her husband to the grave? What if it’s because no one ever looked for answers in the right place?" ([01:20])

• Commentary on Womanhood & Expectations:
  "You pick a path at 19 and then all of a sudden that is your lot in life when you're 45." — Ashley ([05:05])

• Diane’s Immediate Suspicion:
  "You son of a b. You killed her. You did something to her." — Diane ([17:35])

• Rick’s Suspicious Statement:
  "Nobody's going to find her car or anything until after the holiday. Every place will be closed till Monday... like, behind a doctor's office." ([19:39])
  (Brit: "That feels like a weirdly specific example." Ashley: "Diane says she just looked at him, like, what the hell, man?")

• Ashley’s Emphasis on Investigation Gaps:
  "If he did have that cut, they missed their chance to take photos and to add that as evidence. If there wasn't a cut and this is just bad memories or whatever ... there's also no proof of that." ([58:21])

• Josh's Plea:
  "What's not fair to do is like a half-ass investigation and then point the finger at the only parent they have left." ([59:19])

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Important Timestamps (MM:SS)

• 00:04 – Ashley sets the narrative tone: challenging assumptions about guilty husbands
• 06:41 – Bonnie’s confession to her friend Diane about wanting an affair/divorce
• 08:15 – Revelation of the affair with John Guy
• 10:55 – Bonnie’s last moments at home, kissing her daughter goodbye
• 14:56 – Rick’s minimal and delayed actions in reporting Bonnie missing
• 17:35 – Diane’s confrontation with Rick, growing suspicions
• 19:39 – Rick’s strange comment about Bonnie’s car being found “after the holiday”
• 23:13 – John’s account of the final goodbye and Bonnie’s drive home route
• 31:13 – Rick’s own words about the marital breakdown and divorce discussions
• 36:35 – The “Timeout Lounge” slip and police suspicion about Rick’s knowledge
• 44:15 – Polygraph results: John passes, Rick fails
• 47:48 – Gretchen’s presentation of the “Number One Mom” necklace to detectives
• 52:04 – Bonnie’s family’s initial nonchalance turning to suspicion
• 55:41 – Rick’s cryptic remark: “He will never figure this out.”
• 58:36 – Josh’s frustration with the incomplete investigation
• 59:40 – Ashley teases further revelations and alternate theories in Part Two

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Tone & Style

• Tone: Empathetic, inquisitive, and analytical with conversational banter
• Style: Relatable, thoughtful, and thorough—encouraging listeners not to jump to conclusions without considering investigative failures and alternate possibilities

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To Be Continued...

The episode ends with Ashley teasing a part two, promising "surprises, contradictions, and new theories" to explore whether Bonnie's case could be solved if approached differently. Fans can access the second part early via the Crime Junkie Fan Club; otherwise, Part Two releases the following week.

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Transcript

[A]

Hi, crime junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers.

[B]

And I'm Britt.

[A]

And I have an interesting one for you today, one where I ask you to put aside old tropes and quick judgments and listen all the way to the end of the story. Because you just might find the thing that I have come to learn over the years, that when you go beyond the surface level of a case, things are never as simple as they appear. Because this case, on its surface, seems like one that you might have heard before. A tragic tale old as true crime. Woman tells her husband she wants a divorce. Woman goes missing and husband does and says all the wrong things, which make everyone around him think that he is, oh, so guilty of a crime that they can't prove even happened. He eventually dies under a cloud of suspicion, and the case is still unsolved. But if the husband did it and it was that obvious, why couldn't police make their case for just a moment? I want us all to consider something. What if the reason this case hasn't been solved isn't because answers went with her husband to the grave? What if it's because no one ever looked for answers in the right place? And if we could step back and reconsider what we think we know, Is it possible to finally find Bonnie Lee Schult? In the summer of 1997, Bonnie Lee Schulz found herself in a position that many women have. She had gotten married young to her high school boyfriend and jumped quickly into the role of homemaker, following her husband's job wherever it took them. In over 26 years of marriage, she raised two kids who she loved more than anything. But no amount of love from them back could fill the space that she felt growing between her and her husband, Rick. It wasn't the kind of thing that I think happens all at once because of something said or done. It's this, like, lifetime of small decisions that send two people growing in separate directions. But there came a time for Bonnie when I think finding a way back to each other probably didn't seem possible. About the time her youngest would have been going into first grade, Bonnie decided to join the workforce. So she got a job at a company called rgis or sometimes called Regis, doing inventory audits at stores in the area. I don't know if the goal was just to, like, get a little more independence and identity outside of the home or if it was just to have some extra money since her husband kept her on a tight budget, but it served to do both nonetheless. And Rick wasn't a Fan Bonnie told her friend Diane that Rick made it clear, I mean, she could go get her full time job, but he still expected her to have the house cleaned and dinners ready at the same way he did when she was a stay at home mom. So she juggled it all. But with time away came perspective. And perspective is everything. The more Bonnie was around other people and saw other relationships, she became less satisfied with her own. Now, I have no idea how many conversations she and Rick had in the privacy of their own home about her unhappiness or the unique challenges of their relationship. But they never discussed marital problems in public, at least not until 1997. That's when things were coming to a head. Aside from whatever she was feeling internally about her marriage, her mother got diagnosed with cancer and made a quick decline. She passed away in 1995, which I'm sure kind of brought with it a whole other host of feelings. And so by Easter 1997, when her and Rick were in Wisconsin for her niece's first communion, Bonnie's brother Mike says that he and his siblings witnessed the first fight that he had ever seen between the couple. Bonnie had instigated it, pointing out that Rick didn't do things for her that other husbands did for their wives. The specifics are lost on Mike all these years later, but he said it was kind of her just being like, you know, so and so does this for their wife. This person does that. You don't do any of these things for me. And he said it might have started as banter, but it actually got heated until finally the couple just, like, stopped. And probably in, like, good Midwest fashion, everyone sat in awkward silence for about half a second before trying to just, like, change the sub and pretend like they didn't see what just happened.

[B]

Well, and I wonder how much of that was brought on by her mom's situation, like, not just watching her die and all the emotions that come with that. But like you said, it was quick. So, like, the idea that any moment could be your last, your life is so short, it would make you, like, really take stock of things.

[A]

That's what I was saying. Like, brings up this whole host of feelings, like, am I happy? Am I living the life that I want to live? And I mean, I could read into this for days because traditionally, the farther back you go in generations, the more you have just these, like, expectations of what it means to be a wife and a mother and married. And like, you pick a path at 19 and then all of a sudden that is your lot in life. When you're 45. Like, was her mother happy? I don't know. I know nothing about her mother's life and marriage. Actually, Rick does say that he feels that this kind of was, like, playing a part, affecting body. Yeah, but, I mean, I see your point, and I think it's a good one. Like, death in general just gets people thinking. And it is very possible and likely, based on what Rick later says, that whatever was bubbling under the surface got accelerated by her mother's death. Because after that fight in Wisconsin, things don't go back to status quo when they get back to Indianapolis. Two weeks before she went missing, Bonnie called one of her closest friends, Diane Desando. The two actually lived pretty close to each other, and so they would often go for walks whenever one phoned the other. But this time when Bonnie called, Diane knew that it was different right away. I mean, for one, it was late when she called, like, 9pm and when she heard Bonnie's voice, she could tell right away that she was upset. So the two met up for a walk, and she said Bonnie just, like, unloaded. She said Rick made her feel unappreciated and ugly. Their intimacy was gone, and she had to beg him for any affection. And this. All of this was already taking Diane aback. I mean, they hung out, like, with the couple, like her and her husband, all together. They played cards all the time.

[B]

She had no idea, but you never really know.

[A]

Yeah, but then Bonnie, this is when she dropped the real bomb. She said, I'm about to have an affair, and I really don't want to do that to Rick. But, you know, I need somebody that makes me feel appreciated and loved, and I don't feel that anymore with him. And so Diane was like, well, why don't you just ask Rick for a divorce? Tell him you don't want to be married anymore. And Bonnie said that she was afraid of how Rick would react, but clearly that's where things were headed, because she also said that she was gonna start looking for apartments, though she had no idea how she was gonna actually afford one. I mean, she wanted something close by so the kids could still see their dad. But even the two bedrooms were too much, and she probably really needed three since her son was 15 and her daughter was 10. And the bigger issue at hand was that she didn't even know how to get a divorce or how much that would even cost. And so she was really looking to Diane for some kind of advice or help. And Diane was still married. So she's like, listen, I have no blue. Like, what about one of your sisters? Can you ask them? And Bonnie was like, no, no, no. I don't want any family knowing at this point. So Diane made another suggestion. She said, well, isn't there a lady at work who you said is divorced? Like, maybe you can ask her. And there was possibly more than one, but I know for sure that Bonnie began confiding in a woman named Anita Cardone.

[B]

Just to pause for a second, can we go back to the A fair comment real quick? Like, was there someone specific she was talking about or was she just like, I'm so lonely, I have to do something. Like, this is the path that I'm on based on, like, where my relationship with my husband is.

[A]

In this conversation with Diane, she doesn't name anyone specifically. And Diane didn't press for a name or details at the time. She just kind of wanted to let Bonnie vent without prying too much. And she assumed if there was someone, it would probably just be someone that Bonnie worked with and there actually was someone. And Diane's assumptions were spot on. The man she was having an affair with was John Guy, and he worked at RGIS with Bonnie and Anita. Now, I don't know how her relationship with John started or exactly when, but Bonnie was getting bolder with every day that passed. She seemed more comfortable standing on her own, going places, making plans, whether Rick approved or not, with people he didn't know. She put a deposit down for a cruise that she planned to take with co workers in December. And encouraged by Anita, she began going out more after work with, like, that group of people to just grab drinks or to at least be social with those drinking because, like, she wasn't much of a drinker herself. So somewhere in all of that, something began to blossom between Bonnie and this John Guy. And she was probably feeling seen and cared for and so many other feelings that she probably resigned herself to believing were for other people. But it wasn't a fairy tale. John told her he wasn't going to date a married woman, so there wasn't a happy ending where she didn't hurt someone. But for probably the first time in 26 years, Bonnie was going to choose herself. On July 3, 1997, she sat with Rick on the front porch of their home and in no uncertain terms told him that she wanted a divorce. They went back and forth for a while, but there was no talking her out of it. The time for compromise had passed, like her mind was made up and she wasn't going to keep arguing about it. She told Rick that she was Going to go to a house party with Anita to watch fireworks that night. And then she would be back because she promised to take their daughter Gretchen to a movie. And then the family was going to go see a fireworks show together the next day. It was going to be July 4th. Diane recalls Bonnie saying how excited that Gretchen was for the fireworks. So she was, like, set on going. Even if it was gonna be awkward being around Rick and their friends when no one else would know that they were about to separate. And, like, the thing I wanna, like, get across is that whatever was happening between her and Rick, it did not change how she felt about her kids. So at around 8:30 that night, after they have this conversation, she went inside and leaned down to kiss her daughter goodbye. And her daughter Gretchen remembers her mom's necklace swinging as she did this. The number one mom pendant that she and her brother Josh had gotten her for Mother's Day was like tapping her in the face.

[B]

With it being 97, I can, like, close my eyes and see this pendant.

[A]

So Bonnie kisses her goodbye, she walks out the door and drives off in her blue 1990 Mercury Sable. And the mystery of what happens next has plagued those who Love Bonnie for 28 years now. If Bonnie left her house calm, cool, and collected, that mask had melted away by the time she got to the Houlihans restaurant, where she met Anita and other co workers. Because Anita says that when Bonnie shows up, she looked really upset. Like, Anita could tell that she'd been crying. So she hustled Bonnie to the bathroom so they could talk in private. And Bonnie told Anita that she just had this big fight with her husband Rick. She told him she wanted a divorce. Rick said no, which is.

[B]

That's not how that works, right?

[A]

And Anita said that Bonnie looked so upset that she even asked if Rick hit her. But Bonnie said no, though she also told Anita that she didn't know what Rick might do. Once Bonnie calmed down, they ate dinner with a few co workers. And then they went to that party where they could see fireworks at a house that was owned by this woman that John was friendly with. Her name was Phyllis. So they all stay at Phyllis's house until about 12:30. And then that's when a small group of them decide to move that party bar that Phyllis worked at called the Timeout Lounge. And it seems like they might have bopped over to another place first. But, like, all in all, they were at the Timeout Lounge as it got close to closing time. And we actually talked to Phyllis for this story, and it felt A little bit like, we got to step back into a time machine because guess where you can find her. She still tends bar at the Timeout lounge. And she told us that she remembers that night like it was yesterday. Phyllis didn't know Bonnie all that well. She just knew her through John. And they'd come in a couple of times before. And she said Bonnie never drank much, maybe a beer. And things were like par for the course that night. She wasn't at dinner, but by the time Bonnie got to her house, she seemed fine as they watched fireworks and they all hung out at the bar. Now, Anita told investigators that she. She left the bar at around 2 or 2:30 in the morning. And Phyllis said that she called it quits not long after that, just before closing time, around like 2:45. And when she called it quits, Bonnie and John were still hanging out. They actually had hung back with some staff till about 3:30 when it was very much like a you don't have to go, but you can't stay here situation. The bar was like going to officially close up shop. So when the final people trickled out of the parking lot, John and Bonnie were still there together, talking outside their cars. And that was the last time other people saw Bonnie. Less than five hours later, Gretchen was waking up to a whole new reality. That morning when she came downstairs, her dad was in the living room fully dressed, reading, with the dog in his lap. It wasn't weird that he was up before her, but, you know, it was a little out of the norm that he wasn't still in his PJs. And when she asked where her mom was, her dad just said that she was probably at a friend's house. Like, no biggie. But it does feel odd when the day keeps slipping by without her there. She doesn't show up to take Gretchen to the movie as planned. Josh gets back from the sleepover that he was at by the afternoon, but Bonnie is still not there. So at 5:10pm Rick reports her missing. A deputy from the Marion County Sheriff's Department goes to their house to take the report. On the 4th, he gets her vehicle information. But when he hears that they had been having marital issues and they're talking about it before she leaves the house that night to go hang out with friends, he might make some assumptions that Bonnie's just gonna turn back up. I mean, he literally says, like, basically, call us if she does. And then he leaves. So, not knowing what else to do, Rick tries to keep things as normal as possible for the kids. They go to their friend's house to watch the fireworks as planned. And Rick just tells the other people there that Bonnie had gone out with friends.

[B]

He doesn't mention that he had just reported her missing.

[A]

Not to them. No.

[B]

Wait, do the kids at this point realize that she's missing? Like they would have seen the deputy show up.

[A]

We talked to Josh. He says that he doesn't remember the deputy coming to the house that Friday or his dad reporting her missing, which to me, like, there is probably a world where he was trying to shield them from all of that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So Josh can't remember exactly how or what his dad told him in those first few days. He just knows that he knew something was wrong by Saturday, the next day for sure. Now, no one calls or comes by the house on Saturday. So not knowing what else to do, that's when Rick starts looking for contact numbers for people that Bonnie worked with, specifically Anita, since he knew that's who Bonnie was going out with that night. Now, it took him some back and forth with Bonnie's boss, Felix, to get Anita on the phone, but when he finally does, she tells him she has no clue where Bonnie was. She said they each headed home at like 3 o' clock in the morning. Bonnie was fine then. Now, we know this isn't the whole truth, but she wasn't about to tell Rick that his wife hung back with John. But she at least calls John right after she gets off the phone with Rick to see if he is with her. And he's like, no, he had no clue. He said that people couldn't find her and he hadn't seen her talk to her since they left the timeout lounge. So since Anita is saying that Bonnie was driving home the last she saw her, Rick decides to go out and look for Bonnie or her car that Saturday night. And then again with Josh first thing Sunday morning. And Josh says that he remembers his dad seeming worried but not overly frantic. They were just kind of looking anywhere they could think of for her car or for any sign of her. But no matter how many streets and parking lots they search, there is just no sign of Bonnie. So that night, this is Sunday night now, Rick calls her friend Diane, the one that she walks with, and he's calling her to tell her that Bonnie's missing. Now it's about 7pm when she gets that call. And she said she answered the phone and Rick's voice is kind of shaky and he, he's just like, I'm just calling to tell you that Bonnie's missing.

[B]

Is. Is this the first call she's getting about Bonnie?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So he didn't call her at all before to see if Diane had seen her, knew where she was?

[A]

No. Which, like, you would kind of think, right? But she says this is the first time she's finding out that nobody knows where Bonnie is.

[B]

It kind of feels like there's zero rhyme or reason as to who Rick is telling, when he's telling them what they're telling. And, like, this all feels super weird.

[A]

It gave Diane a bad feeling, too. And she said instantly she thought, quote, you son of a b. You killed her. You did something to her. End quote. That's what she told us. Now, Diane's husband told her, you know, you're just jumping to conclusions. Bonnie is probably just staying with a friend or something. But she's like, who? You know, like, whose house would she be?

[B]

Right.

[A]

He said she's been gone since Thursday. It's Sunday now. He's just telling me never called and asked, like, have you seen her? Is she with you? Have you talked to her? Do you know where she is? Like, never got that call. So her husband telling her not to worry did not make her worry any less.

[B]

Shocker.

[A]

Yeah, she said that right? Then she marched over to their house ready to confront Rick. But as she's going over there, she, like, knocks on the door and it's Gretchen who answers, which, like, totally knocks her off her axis because she, like, she forgot about the kids in all of this. And she's not about to interrogate Gretchen's dad in front of her, so she decides to, like, tone it down a little bit and just, like, talk to him. Except the conversation did not make her feel any better. So she says, like, Rick, tell me what happened. Tell me how things went down. And he goes, well, you know, she went out that night with some people that she worked with, and apparently she was out until 3 o' clock when the bar closed and she never came home. He told her that the lady she works with, I assume he means Anita, kept calling him and saying she wanted to talk to the cops. Like, give me the cop that's involved. And I'm guessing Anita wanted to tell someone what she knew about Bonnie's, like, real last movements, but she still didn't want to tell Rick anything. But by the way, there is no cop involved. The sheriff's office has still not called them back. A detective hasn't even been assigned to the case yet. But that report the deputy took is just in, like, holiday weekend purgatory, waiting for regular business Hours to start. Oh. Which is, like, wild.

[B]

Yeah. And, like, I don't know, maybe fast track the missing person. But.

[A]

So anyway, so he's telling Diane about Anita, like, blowing him up, and he made a comment. He goes, you know, it's a holiday weekend, and nobody's gonna find her car or anything until after the holiday. Every place will be closed till Monday. So it's gonna be a few days before anybody even finds her car or sees her, you know, somewhere, like, behind a doctor's office.

[B]

That feels like a weirdly specific example.

[A]

Diane says she just looked at him, like, what the hell, man? Like, what? What does that mean?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then she said there was this other moment when he was sitting in a chair, like, looking down at his feet, and all of a sudden he goes. And she is too stupid to even know how to use an ATM card. Like, meaning Bonnie. And she said her eyes just went wide and her mouth, like, dropped open.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he looks up from his feet and sees the shock in her face, like, what are you saying about your missing wife right now? And without her actually, like, saying that out loud, he goes, oh, well, I mean, you know, she's just never used one before. So she ends up leaving the house, not feeling any better than when she got there, but also unsure what to do about her growing suspicions. So that's Sunday night. Monday is when Bonnie's case finally gets assigned to a detective. And that person gives Rick a call to see if Bonnie has come back yet.

[B]

Glad that's the first course of action.

[A]

I guess she hasn't. And Rick tells them he hasn't found anyone who has talked to her, seen her. And so this is when the detective starts making more calls.

[B]

Making more calls. Like, do they not go to the house and talk to Rick or the kids, maybe, like, poke around a little bit?

[A]

No. And this is really frustrating for those looking back on the case, because there's a thing. Thousand little things that have been speculated, like, in all these years since Bonnie went missing, stuff that would probably be a whole lot more clear or definitive if the early days of this case would have been handled differently. But it seems like day one, after being assigned the case, the Marion county detective is just making calls, getting statements from the people who were last with Bonnie, like Anita, who tells them how upset Bonnie was when she showed up. And she tells them the full story that she didn't tell Rick that John was there with them. And Bonnie and John had been having an affair for a couple of months. She definitely did not think that Rick knew And she says that she definitely didn't say anything to him when he called her looking for Bonnie. And so she's admitting to investigators that she lied to Rick. Like she didn't want to tell him anything that would throw Bonnie under the bus. She said she didn't even tell him where else they went that night. She just told him that she and Bonnie left the party at 3am but the truth, she tells investigators, is that when she Left at around 2, 2:30am Bonnie was still with John. But then she also tells him, listen, like I called John, John has no clue where she is, so she's not with him. Which, as you can imagine, when the detective hears this, they want to talk to John directly. And he confirms what Anita said, that she left before he and Bonnie did. And he says that him and Bonnie stayed inside till around 3.30am and then after that they were like chatting, kissing next to their cars in the parking lot for like an hour, he says. And he says Bonnie mentioned to him this big argument that she had with Rick earlier that night and that Rick told Bonnie he would fight a divorce. And he said they were also just generally talking about other things. Like she said she was going to take her 10 year old daughter to the movies later that day.

[B]

So that means as of like four in the morning, she's still planning on being home that day.

[A]

Yeah, and John says that after they were done talking, so this would be around like 4:45 in the morning, him and Bonnie get into their own cars to each head to their own respective homes. Now, they didn't live near one another, but they did both need to travel west to get to their homes. So he says Bonnie was following his car for part of the drive. And as they turn south out of the Timeout lounge parking lot, they would have been driving down Allisonville Road to 62nd Street. Like, this is all very familiar to us. We're like in this area all the time. But they turn onto 62nd street heading west, and then at Compton street, that's when John needs to turn off to get to his house. So at the light he went into the left turn lane. Bonnie pulled up next to him. He says he waved to her as he turned. And then Bonnie continued straight towards her house, which would have been like another 20 minutes away. But that, he says is the last time he saw her. Now I assume they talked to other people as well who were there that night, but how long it took to make contact with people and when exactly those conversations happened is a little TBD. I just know that it's not until August 6th, a full month after Bonnie went missing, that investigators actually talked to Rick in person for a recorded interview. Interview that we actually got a transcript of. Our records request from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was.

[B]

Can I guess?

[A]

Oh, yeah. Denied Always. But Bonnie's son Josh actually had copies of this transcript and shared them with us. We informed IMPD that we would be using this in our episode and asked if we could have the recordings of. Of this to at least if not play so you could hear him directly. Match tone and inflection. Because I don't want the vibe of it. I don't want to misrepresent anything said by Richard Schultz, AKA I mean, whoever calls Rick. I know I've been calling Rick. His name's Richard. But again, they denied that request. So these sections of the transcript are going to be read by voice actors and it may not reflect the exact tone.

[C]

What is your name, sir? Richard E. Schultz. What is your age? 46. And do you know why you're down here this morning? Questioning relating to the disappearance of my wife. All right, sir, when was the last time you saw Mrs. Schultz? At approximately 8:30pm Friday or Thursday, July 3rd. Okay. And would you tell us, was there any discussions on July 3rd, that evening, or prior to her leaving? Yes, there was. And what were those discussions? We had discussed, as we had previously, some situations in regards to divorce. Now, when you say situations, that's a general term. I need you to be specific. Financial aspects, I believe would be the best way to put about a divorce. All right, sir. How we could. Her desire was to stay in the house with the kids and stay where? Fairly in the school systems. And we were happy with the school systems and what we could do to meet that wish, as well as provide some finances for me to set up a separate apartment or whatever, if it came to that. Did she, in fact ask you to move out of the house at a Future date on July 3, 1997, prior to leaving? She did not ask me to move out. Did you discuss previously with her about you moving out? We had discussed previously about a possibility of either one of us moving out. And who brought that up? I think it was. It was just a joint part of the conversation as to what the possibilities were. The discussion about her moving out was primarily it would. It would be easier for me to obtain a mortgage to keep the house than it would be probably for her. But the point I want to make about four. Friday's discussion was I was willing to procure the mortgage, allow her to live in the house with the kids. Again, as long as we were able to come up with enough finances that I could set up a separate house, I was willing to make the payments so she could stay in the house with the kids and I would move out as my indication of some willingness to compromise on these issues so we could discuss intermediate steps to divorce rather than going to that final step right away. Were you surprised when she talked to you about divorce? Very. And when was the first time she brought up divorce? I'd say in the end of May, sometime during the month of May, a couple of months prior to the beginning of July. In that time frame, what was her reason for wanting a divorce? Lack of sexual activity on my part. That was the sole reason. And her fear of ending up being alone. And she defined alone as the fact that we had nothing in common. How did you take that? My reaction was, you know, we had the same thing in common as most married people do. I mean, we had children. Our lives revolved around the children. Sporting activities, school activities. I mean, Bonnie was in booster clubs for Josh's sports activities. She was in the PTA for Gretchen. She was a member of the altar church. I had been the treasurer of the church. I've been a coach for Little League. I mean, our lives just revolved around the kids. So I mean, to say we had nothing in common, I thought was a gross overstatement. Did it anger you? It bewildered me. I don't think it angered me. In the whole month or two that lead up to the time of her leaving, I was try and find out, you know, what. What caused her to come to these types of conclusions or whatever. I mean, it was. What did she say? Was thrown out in a very matter of fact type of situation rather than, again, apparent to me building up over time. And she just said, you know, she was unhappy with some of the things that were going on in her life. She felt underappreciated at times and by me and the kids. And again, it was just a half a dozen or so conversations over that period of time trying to find out what the source of all this was. It hit me out of the blue. And the period of time would be from somewhere in May to the beginning of July when she left. But I don't remember the specific date that she brought it up or whatever. Okay. It strikes me as. It struck me as a very short period of time from the time that she started to discuss the voice, her displeasure to, you know, sometime in the round of the first or middle of June saying, well, I just think that we should just get a divorce. There are no answers. Well, you know, in my own opinion, there are intermediate steps to take before we do that. I think that we could for counseling and try and find out if we can reconcile before we go to divorce. And what did she say to that? She didn't, she didn't say very much. She just hung up on the divorce situation. And again, I tried to appease her to a certain degree by saying that, you know, I think that there's a way we can financially handle. We wouldn't, no matter which direction we went, we wouldn't lose the house and the kids living where they were or whatever, which I was hoping was a peace offering or whatever you want to call it, to try to get her to discuss or consider of the intermediate steps before the before divorce.

[A]

Now I want to just jump in really quick and compare this to what we actually know. The timing makes sense. So we know that the fight they had in front of her family was around Easter, the one where she's saying he doesn't do things that other husbands do for their wives.

[B]

Everyone's sitting awkwardly watching it happen.

[A]

So the idea that like since May she has been saying she feels unappreciated by her family, like that tracks, that makes sense.

[B]

Easter, Spring, May's right after.

[A]

And Rick says that he notices this strong shift a couple of months ago. So that lines up with what Anita has told police, that like she's been seeing John for like that amount of time. And Rick is super honest about Bonnie having issues with a lack of intimacy on his part, which to me would be an easy thing to lie about, but he doesn't. Yeah, the thing that is a little TBD in this is his response to her wanting a divorce. And it feels so nuanced to me. So he's saying that like he just wants to figure it out, like, let's take some steps first before we just like jump straight to divorce. Which feels reasonable. But you have Anita saying that Bonnie is super upset that night and Rick would not give her the divorce, which makes you want to say like, oh, he's lying. But I will say that when police talked to their 10 year old daughter who was home that night, Gretchen, she said she was watching them outside through the window as they were like on the porch having this conversation. She says it's like 15, 20 minutes long and she could tell that her mom was like a little upset just by the way she was talking.

[B]

It was an intense conversation.

[A]

Yeah, but she didn't necessarily even describe it as an argument, like mom seemed upset, which, like, I don't think contradicts anything that Rick is saying.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So let's just jump back into the interview.

[C]

Has Mrs. Schultz ever left like this before? Never. Has she ever threatened to leave before? No. Have you ever been physically violent? Have you ever struck her, pushed her, shoved her, held her tight against her will or anything at all? No. Never ever? Never. When she asked you for a divorce, did you think at any time during those three month time period, and I know that's just a ballpark figure on the time frame, think that there was another person in her life, another male? I did not. When she told you that she was disappointed in the lack of sexual activity, did you then think there possibly may be another male? I would. I probably. I probably thought there was a possibility, but I just. I still don't think so. I mean, it's possible, sure. Well, I need. I'm trying to find out what you're thinking. Did you consider another male? No. At all? No. During that whole three month time period, you never considered that Bonnie may be having an affair? I did not. Do you know any of her co. Or did you know any of her co workers prior to her disappearance? No. Okay, so you know of no coworker's address or phone numbers prior to her disappearance? I did not.

[A]

Again, this all tracks with what other people know. The way that Bonnie explained things to Diane on their walk, it did not seem like Rick knew there was another man. And Anita and John are very clear and say that Rick did not know about. About the affair. I mean, even up until the point of Saturday when Rick is calling Anita looking for Bonnie, he's not asking about another man. Right. And Anita isn't offering that up. She is still covering for Bonnie.

[B]

Right. He's just asking specifically, like about Bonnie. Not even like who they were, where they were.

[A]

Just where they were.

[B]

Just where they were. When was the last time you saw her?

[A]

Which is what makes this next part of the interview stand out to detectives.

[C]

What time Does Bonnie leave? July 3, 1997? 8:30, maybe 8:40pm okay. Do you know where she's going specifically? No. She told me she was going to a party, a house party with Anita. When did you talk to Anita? I tried to call her a couple of times during the afternoon on Saturday the 5th. I got no answer and no answering machine. Her daughter called me back later that same afternoon indicating that he had gotten a number off of caller ID type lists. I don't have that feature. So I don't know how it works. And I asked her if Anita was there and she said she thought she had gone to work. I asked her if she knew where Bonnie was and she said she didn't know. And then after talking, I believe it was after talking to her, Felix had returned my beep. I had beeped him and talked to him about the situation. He had a manager from Regis call me later that evening, like say, in the seven o' clock area, Saturday, on Saturday, from the job that Bonnie was supposed to be at. He indicated she was not there. He indicated that Anita was. I asked him to have Anita call me. He said that he would do that. She called a half an hour, 45 minutes later. I asked her if she knew where Bonnie was. She said no. She said they had left a timeout lounge the night before around three. And I need you to speak up. You got quiet on me. Oh, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting the name of the place. The Timeout lounge name just gets me every time I bring it up.

[A]

Here. This is, is the main reason I want to see this recorded interview so badly. Because this is the moment detectives still point to 28 years later. The moment they believe Rick knows he messed up. Sergeant Kistner with IMPD has viewed that tape and he says that you can read the words on the page, but what you cannot see is Rick's body language. He says, meaning Kistner. Kissner says that Anita is very clear that she never told Rick where she and Bonnie had been when he called on Saturday. According to her, all she said was that they headed home around 3am full stop. So then, so how would Rick know about the timeout lounge? Kissner says that he and the current lead detective agree that you can see it in his demeanor, that he realized he stepped in it. And if Anita never told him where they were or anything more, then this next part really doesn't make sense.

[C]

So Anita told you that they had left the timeout lounge around 3:00 clock in the morning? That's correct. Okay. Left about 3:00 clock in the morning. Yes. So this was maybe around 8 on Saturday evening. I got in the car, I drove to the timeout lounge. I went across 86th Street. So you knew where the timeout lounge was? I looked it up in the phone book. Okay. Or I, I believe or Anita may have told me. I don't remember how I found out where it was. Okay. I drove over there going east on 86th street to Allisonville. I found the place, came back through broad ripple on 62nd street around 8:30 quarter till 9 on Saturday night, it's very busy. There are lots of people on the street and lots of cars and I did not see anything. Sunday morning at 5 o', clock, Josh and I got up and went to try to retrace those same steps and we went. How do you know to go through Broad Ripple? You went to 86 to Allisonville Road and you found the timeout lounge. Why would you not go back the same way that you went? Well, I didn't see anything on the way over. Why? I mean, why go back the same way? I was trying to figure out as many possible ways that she would come home. Did you go 465? No, I did not. But you went to 86th street to go to 62nd on the way back through Broad Ripple? Yeah. Why? I mean, if you're looking for how she would go home, I would think that he would cover all of your bases. Well, why didn't you go 465? Because at that point in time the police report had been filed and I, I assumed that it would be if the car would have been seen along 465. It's much more heavily traveled than some of these other areas. So you go out 86, but you come back 62nd. What's the interest coming back on 62nd? It's just a different possible route. I was going to try as as much. Are those the only two that you tried that evening? Yes. Okay. And as I indicated, we got up early Sunday morning, my son and I, and we went, I, I, Anita told me, I believe on, I don't remember when it was the first phone call or the second one that she had seen her heading west on 62nd Street. Anita told you that she saw Mrs. Schultz when you say her? Yes. Heading west on 62nd street from the Timeout Lounge. At what time? At 3 or 3:30 when they left the bar. Anita said she saw her? Yes, your wife. Did Anita say anybody else was with them? She did not. She said they were there alone.

[A]

I get why investigators are suspicious. Yes. We know from John that Bonnie took 62nd street home and that's the last place he saw her as they waved goodbye. But how would Rick know that?

[B]

I mean, he's saying he's checking all the routes, right?

[A]

Sure. But then he doesn't like 62nd street is the one that he calls out specifically to investigators. And later in the interview he explains, well, you know, like she was most familiar with this route because of like X, Y and Z reasons which all the reasons were valid. And in 1997, this is a time before Google Maps. So, like, I kind of get that gut instinct off the bat, but you've been down 62nd street before a million times. It turns into Broad Ripple Avenue, which has, like, this strip of restaurants and bars where, like, all the college kids go, or, like, at least used to, I don't know what's cool these days. And it is very busy on a weekend. So he says his reason for not checking 465, which is one of our major highways, is that, like, oh, well, if there was an accident, then police would have seen that. But, like, if that's your reasoning, I'm pretty sure the same can be said for that area.

[B]

That's a second. Yeah.

[A]

And, like, sure that busy road doesn't stretch all the way to her house? Like, check the whole route. Fine, whatever. But check more. Yeah. So why doesn't he. Like, the feeling everyone says they get is that it's like he knew what route she took home. And if he knew, then there are only a couple of options. One, Anita Misremembers. And she actually did tell him or let it slip and he had more to go off of. Or two, and the theory that police seem to be hinting at is that Rick followed Bonnie that night. And it wasn't just the fact that he knew her route home that made them think that. It's something that John ends up telling them later on. Sergeant Kistner says that in subsequent conversations with John, he ends up telling investigators, like, hey, you know, looking back on it, I had this gut feeling that somebody was watching us that night before we left in the parking lot at the timeout lounge. And then he tells him about another instance prior to that in which they were leaving the lounge and he saw a car pull out behind Bonnie and it was actually following her, but he got stopped at the light, so he wasn't able to follow it or confirm, like, his suspicions. And obviously at that time, she was fine. So he didn't really think anything of it. Until now, of course.

[B]

But now. Now as in, like, not the first time they talked to him. This is after when I'm sure everyone is kind of side eyeing getting suspicious of Rick.

[A]

Correct. And to be clear, there is nothing detectives have told us that gives any insinuation that it's Rick specifically he felt was the one watching.

[B]

Right. Just like.

[A]

Just someone feeling watched. Yeah. And I actually have a bit of a hard time believing that it was Rick who followed her before. If someone was, in fact following her, because that would mean that he would have been behind her, like, got home after her or at least right at the same time as her. And in all the conversations she had with friends and co workers, she never said that Rick had followed her, and she still thought he didn't know about John.

[B]

So, like, it feels like if John was picking up on that vibe, he would have.

[A]

I think it's like if someone had followed her before, if someone was following her and it was the same person both times, I just don't.

[B]

She would have.

[A]

She would have known it was her husband. She would have known that he knew about the affair. And I feel like other people would have heard about that anyways. I don't know how much stock you can put in a feeling. In hindsight, what investigators feel like they can put stock in is a polygraph. And both John and Rick readily agree. To them, one passes, one fails. What's your guess?

[B]

I mean, I. I'm assuming that John passes and Rick fails.

[A]

You are correct. Which only bolsters their suspicions.

[B]

And do the police talk to the kids at any point? Like, Gretchen, we know was home that night. She's 10, right?

[A]

Josh was at a sleepover, but, yeah, she was home the whole time.

[B]

Yeah, she remembers the conversation that was, like, at least tense. But what next? Like, was dad there? Like, does she remember him leaving? This should be easy to figure out.

[A]

Yeah, she's, like, old enough to, like, be aware, right? Yeah. And yes, they do talk to the kids, but I think they kind of do it in this, like, a little bit, like, Shady Boots way, like, don't love. So in the first interview that they have or the first recorded interview they have with Rick, they ask him if they can interview the kids. And he's like, yes, of course. They ask if they can talk to them alone. And at first he's like, yes, but then eventually he says, you know, you can talk to Josh alone, but, like, I want to be there when you talk to Gretchen, which, like, she's only 10. Her mom is missing. Like, he's 6.

[B]

Josh is 16.

[A]

Josh is, like, 15. Yeah. So, like, I refuse to fault him for wanting to be there for his 10 year old who. Whose mom was missing for sure, whatever. But they just kind of go behind his back. Like, one day they show up at the house at a time when Rick isn't home, and they talk to the kids without him there.

[B]

Is that even legal?

[A]

Right. Okay. So I was like, they're minors. And he explicitly said he wanted to be there when you talked To Gretchen, like, this feels pretty black and white to me. And so, like, I was so, like, twisted up about this that we even asked the Sergeant. Sergeant Kissner about this. Now, he wasn't the one who. Who did this and went to the house in 97, obviously. Wait, but, like, now. Yeah, I'm like, are we good at this? And he said it wasn't a formal interview with the kids. Like, it wasn't recorded or anything. So he said detectives felt like Rick was being controlling, so this was their attempt to try and see if the kids might mention something offhand, like, if their dad wasn't over them. Which, like, still didn't give me my answer. So I.

[B]

Like, he's saying it's gray.

[A]

Well, he was just saying, like, I understand why they did it. So then I went to our lawyer, Crystal, and I'm like, no, but, like, on paper, is this legal? And she said, it actually is. It is legal for police to talk to minors without parental consent in Indiana. And just like Sergeant Kistner said, Krystal said that if the parent is a suspect, police would have an interest to do this.

[B]

They have a reason to do it.

[A]

Yeah, to do it outside of their presence, to avoid any kind of, like, coaching or intimidation. So all of that to say, they do end up talking to the kids solo. Now, Josh can't tell them much because he wasn't home that night. And Gretchen tells them a lot of the same stuff her dad and Bonnie's friends said about what her mom was last wearing, which was a light tan purse, sandals, navy pants, a striped, like, light and dark blue type shirt, a herringbone necklace, wedding ring, gold watch. And Gretchen remembers something else that her mom was wearing, too. That number one mom necklace, the one that was, like, right in her face, we talked about as her mom kissed her goodbye. And then there's this moment where I have to imagine the energy in the room shifts for detectives. Sergeant Kistner wasn't there. He just read about this, so he doesn't know exactly how it unfolded. But apparently, at some point while they're there, Gretchen goes up to her mom and dad's bedroom, and she comes downstairs and she presents them the number one mom necklace. And she tells the detectives that it was in a different spot than where her mom normally keeps.

[B]

That just gave me, like, the most full potty chills.

[A]

I know.

[B]

I mean, is this Gretchen's way of, like, telling them something? Like hinting at something?

[A]

I don't know what this is, but we did get confirmation from the police that this is the item that has been referenced online and in reporting, but never actually named until now. They actually approved us releasing this information. Like, this is the item everyone talks about that she supposedly like. I guess they said the kid said she was never without it. I don't know what that means, but it was this necklace. Now we really wanted to speak with Gretchen ourselves for this reporting, but she wasn't up for it. Because in my mind I'm like, you know, it's been so many years since this happened. What if Bonnie wasn't wearing the necklace that night? Like, what if we're misinterpreting old reports? Like this either means everything or we are missing a piece of and this actually means nothing. Like, what if her mom took it off real quick? Like, I was talking to our director of reporting and she was like, oh yeah, there's like plenty of things I have where I'm like, oh my God, I love this. I'm never gonna take it off.

[B]

I have a very specific pair of earrings that May insisted she get for my birthday. And I have worn them.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. In front of her.

[B]

Yeah, she's seen me wear them.

[A]

Our other producer, Miela, said that her mom has a box of stuff. It's literally like a box of this stuff that like kids and you're like, this is.

[B]

Or like give you. Because they love it and they like think you love it too.

[A]

I know. I can imagine as a mom, like literally making sure it dangles and hits Josie in the face so she like knows I'm wearing it, you know what I mean? And then like just drop it somewhere. The place I don't normally put it because I'm about to head out the door.

[B]

Well, and with that in mind, like, did anybody see her wearing it when she went out that night? Like, it's a girl again. I can picture this necklace. This is a distinct kind of necklace in the 90s.

[A]

So this is what kills me. Apparently her shirt had a really high neckline, so nobody remembers seeing any necklaces. I mean, people talk about her wearing that herringbone necklace, so that might have.

[B]

Been outside, but no one mentions this one.

[A]

Well, yeah, and since her like chest isn't exposed, you can't prove that she wasn't wearing it, like underneath this like high neck shirt. Now even though we couldn't talk to Gretchen, we did talk to Bonnie's son Josh for this episode. We asked him about this necklace and you know, he wasn't there when she left the house, obviously, so he couldn't speak to that. But I Didn't know if maybe he remembered this moment when Gretchen like gives them this, or if he and Gretchen ever talked about this after. But like, whatever this big significant moment was to detectives was not that for him. Cause he says he does not remember it.

[B]

What about any other family members? Did anybody else bring this up? I mean, you said she had sisters. Like, no one.

[A]

No, we didn't get to speak to her sisters in our reporting. Like, they did help verify some facts for us, but they didn't want to have like long conversations about this. Like, it's like still just too painful. But we did have a really long conversation with Bonnie's brother. So that's Mike. And you know, it's interesting. Like, I think it's so easy for us as reporters, crime junkies, listening to be like, oh, well, if this was me in this situation, like, I would bulldoze my way through people until I got the answers I needed. Oftentimes that is not what real life looks like. In the very early days, like her siblings weren't even really in contact with. They were kind of getting what little updates they could from Rick in the first like week or so. So he's actually the one who does eventually call them and tell them that Bonnie's missing. But kind of like he called Diane a little bit later. He did the same with them. He calls them on the 6th and at the time they're like, well, do we need to come down? Do we need to look?

[B]

What do you need from us?

[A]

Yeah. He's like, no, no, no, don't come search. I'm sure she's going to be back. And at that time, they were really not suspicious of him at all. But after like a week of Bonnie being gone, they're finally like, you know what? Like, we're coming down from Wisconsin to help look for her. And that was the following Friday. So Mike and his sisters drive through the night. They get to Rick's place at like 5:30 in the morning and ring the doorbell. They're obviously there with like bags and stuff, right? Like, they don't know how long they're going to be there, but the hope is that they're going to stay till they find their sister. But Mike says that when Rick opens the door, his first words are something like, oh, you're staying the night?

[B]

Yeah, Rick, we're staying the night. And the night after that, and the night after that and the night until Bonnie comes home.

[A]

It was just odd. But like, whatever. They brushed it off. Everyone is in a weird place right now and for the next two days, everyone just divides and conquers. Mike and Rick go in one car looking for Bonnie. Josh and another uncle go in another car, and they just drive and drive all day looking for her or the car. And that goes on until eventually, like, the family members from Wisconsin, they have to go home because no car is found. There's no crime scene, and they felt like there was nothing else they could do. And they all had jobs and families that they had to go back to. Like, time does not stop when you have a missing family member. I tell people this all the time, and still, even in that moment, they go home not thinking Rick did anything. So he's out there, he's looking for his wife, and the kids are standing beside him.

[B]

Had. Bonnie's family always had a pretty good relationship with Rick. Like, families can be different, and blending them can be interesting.

[A]

Yeah. No, I mean, he's, what, been in their family for, like, 26 years now. So, like. And listen, Rick for sure had his quirks. Or, like, kind of just like one big quirk, really. And I heard this from several people that we talked to. Rick did not like to lose. Racquetball, cards, whatever. He was a very sore loser. Like, his whole mood would shift if he didn't win. And, like, in a way where it's.

[B]

Not just like it affects everybody.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Knowing that about him, I wonder if he viewed losing his marriage in the same way.

[A]

Like, divorce would be him losing his wife, not winning at marriage, or him, like, losing her to some. I mean, he says he didn't know about the fair, but anyway, so that's the relationship. It was a fine relationship. There was just this one weird thing.

[B]

About they don't play games with Reg.

[A]

Pretty much. It was already to the point where they're like, let's do anything else. Yeah. So anyways, they go back to Wisconsin, and eventually, detectives do start reaching out to interview them. And the first was Detective Michael Kelly. And it seems like he might really be the first one to introduce them to the idea that Rick was. Might have something to do with this. And Bonnie's brother Mike says that Detective Kelly tells them about the whole number one mom necklace, which was odd. And detectives tell them that they even collected this necklace, not to, like, process it as evidence. They actually had a psychic look at it. But eventually Rick wanted it back or something.

[B]

Wait, did the psychic see anything?

[A]

Oh, nothing that they think is important. Whatever psychic they took it to, they felt like the necklace had been broken. Like, that's all really that came of it, but it definitely wasn't broken when they had it. And then they didn't do any kind of exam to try and track down and see if it was, like, repaired or anything. Like, I. I think they kind of just, like, wrote it off. But again, Rick, like, wants it back, so they eventually give it back to Rick. But here's the interesting thing that detective Kelly says. He says that when he meets up with Rick to give it back, Rick says something to him. And learning what he said, flips the switch for Bonnie's brother Mike. According to him, detective Kelly said that when he met Rick to give him this necklace, he had to meet him out in public. He hands it back to him, and before Detective Kelly gave it back, right before Rick asked him if he was wearing a wire, Detective Kelly told him no. And so he hands the necklace back. And then Rick told him that he will never figure this out. That is the thing that finally changed Mike's mind about what happened to his sister. And he's super transparent. He's like, look, I'm taking detectives word for it. I can't prove that that even happened. But he's like, why would a detective lie to me about this?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And from that moment on, it's been different. And that permeates through Bonnie's side of the family, making them view everything in this new light. Like, why did he wait days to call? Why didn't he want them to help come look right then that first weekend? Why would he be surprised that they showed up with bags when they came? And then his sister Sue. Bonnie's sister sue remembers something now that's chilling to her. She says when they first showed up at Rick's house, Rick had on different glasses than, like, he normally would wear. And she's like, oh, like new glasses, Rick? And he says, no, these are my old ones. My other ones broke. And she also noticed that there was a scratch on the side of his face, like, next to his eye, where, like, the arm of the glasses would connect to the rims. But before you say anything, let me say two things to circle all the way back to your original question. Did the family ever grill Gretchen about the necklace? No. One of Bonnie's sisters really tried to keep a relationship with the kids, which is hard to do if you're coming in hot. And everyone else just thought that they were really taking their dad's side. And there became this, like, huge rift in the family. Like, they didn't want to make things harder on the kids. And they were kids. Like, they're not gonna grill them when they're already dealing with the trauma of their mom being missing, Especially when the grilling would have been about their dad. And then number two, to hop back to the glasses and the possible cut. I'll ask this question again. Is it everything or is it nothing? Because we asked the current detective about this. I'm sorry, like, was there a cut on his face? And broken glasses that were Seems notable. Feels like we should be talking about this. And the current detectives say there is zero mention in the responding deputy's note about a cut on Richard's face.

[B]

And by responding deputy, you mean from the department who took the weekend off before assigning a detective and then didn't actually talk to Rick in person for like what, like a month?

[A]

Or didn't do the recorded interview for a month. But yeah, and this is what I mean about how the lack of an investigation in this case, I think hinders both ways. If he did have that cut, they missed their chance to take photos and to add that as evidence. If there wasn't a cut and this is just bad memories or whatever, or it happened after Bonnie went missing.

[B]

There's also no proof of that.

[A]

Yeah, and Rick can never prove that he didn't have a cut because no one did anything. But now he's paying for it by being under this cloud of suspicion. Yeah, but I mean, I feel like.

[B]

Maybe he should be under a cloud of suspicion.

[A]

Yes, but only if the investigation was thorough. And this is the drum beat that I heard so loud and clear from Bonnie and Rick's son Josh. He said he is willing to accept that his dad did something if they can just show him that his dad did something. He's like, you don't think I want to know if my dad murdered my mom? Of course I want to know. But what's not fair to do is like a half ass investigation and then point the finger at the only parent they have left. Make them wonder if the man they live with and love is a killer. You know, really mess with their heads but not be able to give them any specifics.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Because there are none. Where did this happen? When did this happen? How did this happen? The idea that they can put forward this very vague theory that just points to their dad because they say he had motive, but also acknowledge that there are all these holes and look past all those holes because the holes were.

[B]

Put there by them and the lack.

[A]

Of investigation and yet not give their dad any breaks. That is what is like bull to them. So he's like Look, I'm willing to also accept that he looks the most guilty out of everyone if you dug in harder and actually looked at everyone. But they didn't even do that. And that's what we tried to do. And I do think there is an entirely different side to this story that hasn't been told. So if you're feeling sure about yourself now, hang on. Because I have an entire part two of Bonnie's Story that is full of surprises, contradictions, and new theories about what could have happened to Bonnie Lee Schulz that Fourth of July morning back in 1997. Now, anyone who's part of the Crime Junkie Fan Club doesn't have to hang on. You can go listen to that episode right now in our Crime Junkie app ad free. And for everyone else, you will get part two next Monday. We'll see you then. You can find all the source material for this episode on our website, crimejunkie.com and don't forget, if you want part two of Bonnie's story right now, you can join the fan club. The fan club has all of our episodes ad free and tons of bonus episodes. Just go to our website crimejunkie.com to.

[B]

Join and you can follow us on Instagram at Crime Junkie Podcast we'll be.

[A]

Back next week with part two of Bonnie's story. Crime Junkie is an audio Chuck production. I think Chuck would approve.