The Unforgotten – Season 3: Finding Dolores Wulff
Episode 5: "Catch and Release"
Date: September 1, 2025
Hosts: Adam Rittenberg and Kyle Bonagoura (Free Range Productions)
Overview
Episode 5 delves into the pivotal years following the disappearance of Dolores Wulff, a missing mother from Woodland, California. This installment follows her family’s battle to obtain justice, the mounting frustration with local authorities, a dramatic civil lawsuit, and the long-awaited arrest and release of chief suspect Carl Wulff. The episode explores legal obstacles—including the absence of Dolores’s body, a parade of improbable “sightings,” and controversial prosecutorial decisions—which ultimately allowed Carl to walk free. Deep personal reflections from family members, investigators, prosecutors, and defense attorneys shed light on a system ill-equipped for bodiless homicides and the long-term devastation wrought on those left behind.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Years of Family Despair and Inaction by Authorities
- Persistent Inaction: The family waited six years for progress before Carl Wolf was finally arrested—years filled with heartbreak, growing anger, and frequent promises from District Attorney Rick Gilbert that action was imminent.
"It was every two weeks, oh, we're going to arrest him in two weeks..." – Debbie Baker [01:01]
- Prosecutorial Hesitancy: DA Rick Gilbert confided his belief in Carl's guilt, but doubted conviction was possible without a body, fearing a failed prosecution due to reasonable doubt.
"We believe this guy did it. We don't think we can prove it...we think we're better off holding off..." – Rick Gilbert [02:23]
2. The Civil Suit as Leverage
- When the DA declined to file criminal charges, Dolores's family filed a $3 million wrongful death lawsuit against Carl on behalf of Paul Wolf, Dolores's youngest son.
- Purpose: The suit was a strategic move, intended to keep public attention and put pressure on authorities.
"The goal was to keep the case in the public eye and urge Gilbert and Yolo county to take action." – Adam Rittenberg [05:06]
3. A Family at Odds: Anna's Turmoil and Loyalty
- Anna's Shifting Perspective: Initially, Anna pointed the blame at her father. Over time, her relationship with him became complicated; she maintained contact, partly hoping Carl would confess to her, and partly convincing herself her mother had just run away.
"She must just have ran away because she couldn't handle the life I was living." – Anna [07:37]
- Impact on Siblings: Anna's loyalty to Carl further fractured the already devastated family.
"I felt that she was going to say something to the old man." – Carly [09:41]
4. Bringing in the State Attorney General
- Turning Point: Frustrated with Yolo authorities, the family lobbied the California Attorney General, which triggered the DA to finally present the case to a grand jury.
"We went to the attorney general statewide in Sacramento and they said, oh, we'll take the case." – Dolores's brother, Slick [10:51]
5. Carl's Arrest and the Wire Attempt
- Arrest: On March 8, 1985, Carl Wolf surrendered on a murder warrant.
- Paul's Undercover Effort: Paul Wolf, now a young adult, was wired and tasked to get his father to confess, but Carl remained silent.
"You're questioning what he's done to your mother...hoping he would just spill his guts." – Paul [13:10]
6. Defense Tactics: High-Profile Lawyers and “Sightings"
- Anna Hires Tony Serra: Anna tapped her social network (and a psychic) to connect Carl with star defense attorney Tony Serra.
“He was a powerhouse in any courtroom…if you need somebody to go in there and just, pardon my language, beat the crap out of everybody, he's a good choice.” – Rick Gilbert [17:31]
- Sightings: Carl’s defense presented testimony and dubious reports from several people—including a family “friend” (unknown to family), a bus passenger, and even a law enforcement officer—claiming to have seen Dolores alive.
“I was concentrating on these vitamins I was looking at.” – Manuel Lemos [Court testimony summarized, c. 22:00–24:00]
“If somebody is making sightings, obviously it makes it very difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she's dead.” – Sally Soliday, Carl's attorney [23:53]
7. Media’s Role and Public Perception
- Hosts discuss how the media’s eager reporting of every supposed "sighting" muddied public understanding and deeply hurt the Wulff family, allowing the defense room to argue for doubt and distraction.
"It's just got to be almost re-traumatizing them and stirring up even more emotions..." – Adam Rittenberg [27:13]
8. Prosecution Falters, Case Dismissed
- Delay and Self Sabotage: The DA’s office, under Charles Van Court, continued to express doubts of winning the case, both privately and in open court.
"He told the court…'I felt like the case would take a substantial expenditure of time and resources, and there was a possibility of a conviction, but it wasn’t likely.'" [29:58]
- Key Witnesses: Family members testified about threats and odd behavior from Carl, but the case was mired by procedural missteps, unreliable witnesses (including a family member who lied about tracking dogs), and a judge's eventual ruling.
- Legal Result: In December 1985, Judge Donald Balding dismissed the murder charge, citing violation of Carl’s right to a speedy trial due to prosecutorial delay—not because of the evidence.
"The prosecution says a bodiless homicide case requires patience and diligence. Diligence was simply not exercised, and at some point, patience must give way to decision.” – Judge Balding [40:45 summarized]
9. Aftermath and Ongoing Trauma
- The Wulff family, left with no justice, tried to move on, further fractured and disillusioned by the system.
"I've done everything that I could possibly do to find Dolores...I just have to accept it. There's nothing more I can do." – Janet [41:18]
- Carl’s Lawsuit: Carl retaliated with a $200 million lawsuit against 37 people and officials, alleging harassment and deprivation of his rights. The lawsuit collapsed, but added to the devastation.
“He doesn't have proof that anyone harassed him. You have to have proof, right? Just like we had to have proof that he killed Dolores.” – Mary Thomas [41:55]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Prosecutorial Pressure and Doubt:
“You're looking at not only dealing with this, this family's loss, but you're also considering we're letting somebody who we think murdered somebody remain in the community. Is that the right thing to do? That's tough to live with.” – Rick Gilbert [03:54]
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On the Power of Reasonable Doubt:
“If you think he probably did it...the criterion is not probability. The criterion is beyond a reasonable doubt into a moral certainty.” – Tony Serra (excerpt of closing argument in another case) [16:19]
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On Suffering and Survival:
“You do whatever you can to survive, you know, emotionally and mentally...What's easier to handle, right?" – Anna [09:04]
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On the Media’s Ethical Responsibility:
“You shouldn't probably report every reported sighting when a woman is missing and these aren’t confirmed. But then again, they’re also showing up in the court records...So it's hard to put ourselves in the shoes of the people back then, but it certainly complicates this story in a way that didn’t do Delores family any favors.” – Kyle Bonagoura [26:02]
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On Reliving Trauma through the Legal Process:
“I was so upset. I couldn't stand it. I just got up and went out to get in my car and leave...I have to trust that Carl will pay in one way or another.” – Janet [41:09]
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On the Hollow Victory of Dismissal:
“All this ridiculous pressure is over, but it's been a trauma. I'll never be the same again.” – Carl Wolf [40:55 paraphrased]
Timeline & Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:04–03:09 – Family’s six-year wait and DA Gilbert’s doubts
- 04:20–06:16 – Filing of civil suit, detective Heileman's persistence
- 07:09–09:04 – Anna’s shifting beliefs, family divisions
- 10:41–11:41 – Family forces DA’s hand with state AG intervention; Carl’s arrest
- 12:47–13:38 – Paul’s attempt to get confession from Carl in jail
- 15:09–18:23 – Anna hires Tony Serra for defense; details on Serra’s style
- 19:50–20:23 – Carl’s brother helps post bail
- 22:00–23:53 – Defense introduces dubious sightings in court
- 27:58–28:38 – Even a sheriff’s deputy claims to have seen Dolores
- 29:58–30:43 – Vancourt explains prosecuting hesitance in court
- 31:25–32:19 – Family testifies to Carl’s history of threats; tape of prank call played
- 34:18–36:11 – New evidence: Carl's late-night call to another woman, cracks in alibi
- 37:02–38:19 – Anna faces conflicting loyalties and misrepresented statements
- 40:45–41:09 – Judge Balding dismisses the case due to delay
- 41:55–end – Aftermath: family struggles, Carl's lawsuit, unresolved heartbreak
Conclusion
"Catch and Release" is a gripping, emotionally charged chapter chronicling both the human cost of unresolved disappearances and the frailties of American justice when faced with bodiless homicides. With intimate voices, legal intrigue, and searing family dynamics, this episode lays bare the frustration, trauma, and lingering hope of those determined to find the truth—even as the system falters around them.
Next Episode Tease:
Carl Wolf moves back to Minnesota, and the saga continues. Stay tuned for further revelations and fallout.