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- [00:00]
A
Did you know we have a newsletter for the Unforgotten? It's totally free and you can sign up@unforgottenpod.com we're also on Facebook and Instagram and those are great ways to stay in touch. But the newsletter is cool because it's an email that we send straight to your inbox every time we have a new episode. You get to go behind the scenes with the series creators. We also share photos and case files when we have them if you want. We also have a premium version of the newsletter. It's pretty cool because it lets you listen early and ad free. So I hope you'll head on over to unforgottenpod.com and sign up for our newsletter today. Whether you sign up for the free version or the premium version, you're the reason that the Unforgotten is able to shine a light on these unsolved crimes and other cases of injustice that are so important to a lot of people. We just thank you for listening and we thank you for your support. Again, that's unforgottenpod.com, hey, I'm Wes Ferguson, executive producer of the Unforgotten. Every season of the Unforgotten is a deep dive into an unresolved case, like a murder or a lot of murders or some miscarriage of justice. These are stories that matter to us, and with your support, we shine a light on them. Here's a sneak peek at season two, unnatural Causes. Just in case you missed it, think.
- [01:17]
B
About a loved one you've lost, maybe a grandmother or your father or a beloved aunt. You believe the end was peaceful and painless. You've planned the funeral, made sure the estate was settled. You've moved belongings into storage or sold them or said final goodbyes on the curb. Now imagine you get a call as much as two years later, police want you to come to the station. They say what you were told about the death was wrong. They want to add your loved one's name to a list of murder victims. That's the terrible reality that at least two dozen families are facing today. My name is Charlie Scudder. I'm a journalist who's been covering this case for five years. Together, we'll do what the police, medical examiners, senior living facilities, and more either failed or refused to do. String together evidence that points to systemic flaws in how we care for our older loved ones. You'll hear about a man who used the cracks in that system to become the worst serial killer in Dallas history. This is unnatural causes Season two of the Unforgotten. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:31]
C
On July 17, 2021, almost exactly 42 years after Dolores Wolf disappeared from her home, more than 200 people gathered on a hot summer morning at the TL Ranch in Esparto, California. The ranch is about 10 miles west of the old Wolf House on Hillcrest Drive in Woodland. It's surrounded by golden fields that butt up against the KP foothills, isolated but beautiful. There are several buildings on the property, a grassy area for groups to eat and drink, and lush, sprawling trees, including one in the center of an open area. Under that tree, family and friends came together for an event many thought would never take place, the Dolores Wolf Celebration of life. The COVID 19 pandemic and some scheduling issues delayed the celebration, which had been anticipated since shortly after Dolores remains were identified. A smaller gathering had happened the day before at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Woodland, where Dolores was buried. Dolores brother Slick, wearing a ball cap and hunched over at 83, put a rose inside of a hole where Dolores urn would be placed in front of the headstone of their parents, Frank and Mary, as the Vince Gill song Go Rest High on that Mountain played in the background. Go rest high.
- [04:07]
D
On that mountain.
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C
The service brought finality for the family. Here's Dolores's son, Tom.
- [04:17]
D
I think for me, the most prominent part of that was we were at the cemetery and my cousin came driving up and we were just all getting together and so I went over. She said, hey, come here. And so I went over there and she handed me my mother's ashes. At that point I knew it was over.
- [04:42]
C
Everyone then reconvened at the ranch the next day. Almost all of the people you've heard from in this podcast were there Dolores, four kids, Carly, Anna, Tom and Paul, along with their spouses and most of her grandchildren. Slick was there and so was his ex wife, Janet, and their children Matt Jr. David and Elizabeth. Cousins like Tony Rocha and Debbie Baker, the self described foot soldiers who had tirelessly searched for Dolores weren't going to miss this day. Friends and neighbors attended the larger celebration of life, including Darrell Ehrsman, Paul's childhood buddy from a few houses over on Hillcrest. Kenny Hart, the Benicia detective who had made the identification, was there alongside his future wife, Beth. Kyle and I were on hand as well. Displayed prominently was a sign that read In Loving Memory of Dolores Wolf, with family members posing around a black and white image of Dolores, who had a big smile, a white dress and dark gloves. Matt Rocha Jr. A natural with the mic served as master of ceremonies.
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D
First and foremost, in honor of my tia. We're not going to start this for.
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C
An hour.
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D
Because growing up, you never.
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C
Got anywhere on time. Matt told stories, some of which you've heard in this podcast, of his wild and wonderful childhood with the Wolf siblings and his favorite memories of Dolores. There was plenty of laughter, but then his tone grew sentimental.
- [06:23]
D
The driving character of this woman, of her four children, and how kind and sweet and generous and how successful they are in life because of the basis that their mother raised them with and.
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C
How loving and caring she was. I'm Adam Rittenberg.
- [06:51]
D
And I'm Kyle Bonagara from Free Range Productions. This is The Unforgotten Season 3 Finding Dolores Wolf Episode 9 Coming Home.
- [07:10]
C
Several people followed Matt Rocha to share some words about Dolores. One of the first was Anna, who stood beside Matt under the tree. Anna had returned to the area that she distanced herself from as a young woman, where she didn't believe she truly fit. There was a time Anna was convinced that Dolores ran away from home to start fresh on the belief her mother didn't approve of her lifestyle. That's how Anna coped with the trauma. Her relationship with her hometown, with her father, with her family, and ultimately with the truth had evolved over the years. But now, standing with her family and surrounded by memories of her mother, it felt like a full circle moment, a chance to reconnect with her past.
- [08:02]
E
I just came back into this and just saw unbelievable amounts of love that this community has had for my mom and my family and I just didn't really get it. When everything was crazy, I just thought, you know, we're an embarrassment. It's that gossip world. And I just kind of ran. But I just am seeing such amazing love and acts of love from friends and family that I just want to thank you all for being so strong and just beautiful for us and our family. And it just blows my mind.
- [08:41]
C
Anna went on to describe the family dynamic, how her brothers were sports obsessed, and how Dolores would attend all of their games and 4H events. She said how Dolores supported her in her own dreams to pursue the arts, even though she was, quote, the different one. Anna also acknowledged her Uncle Slick, who watched from one of the benches.
- [09:04]
E
And my precious Uncle Matthew is my godfather and he has done everything to help with our family. He would always tell us about how him and my mama were just the best, best, best of friends. And they made a promise to each other at an early age that if anything happened to one or the other of their kids, they would take care of him. And he has done it forever. And to this day.
- [09:30]
C
Anna went on to describe Dolores connection to the Portuguese culture and community, including her work with the Woodland Cabrillo club. She went through Dolores time as a secretary to the principal at Woodland high school and how everyone loved her, from the faculty to the football players, the cheerleaders to the troublemakers. Anna closed by thanking everyone.
- [09:53]
E
God bless you and thank you and hallelujah. She is in heaven and has been there for a whole long time partying and raising up the storm with her great fabulous cousins. I just know that she would be so happy to know that you were all here for her and for us. And I thank you and I love you.
- [10:15]
C
Several speakers followed Anna to the mic. Matt's brother David called Dolores, quote, the most ideal aunt you could ask for, adding that she showed unconditional love to her family. Darrell got up there and described his recurring dream about Dolores. One of the final people to address the gathering was Kenny Hart. He had grown very close to some Wolf family members since the identification of Dolores remains nine months earlier. But interestingly enough, Anna initially took issue with him speaking at this event.
- [10:49]
E
Paul or Tom were telling me on the phone, you know, we're gonna have Kenny talk at the memorial service. And I'm like, what? No, this is a celebration of her life. I don't want some pompous old detective to stand up there and just totally mess up her life celebration and, you know, get all this, whatever, go for credit.
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C
Then she met Kenny at the smaller gathering the night before the larger celebration, and everything changed.
- [11:23]
E
I see his demeanor and his face and it was like 10 seconds and I just, I just totally melted. I just knew like immediately that he was just a wonderful, perfect little gift from God, you know, and he, he was so humble and quiet. And so then I was like all behind it.
- [11:46]
C
At the celebration of life, Kenny wore a blue green button down, short sleeved shirt and gray shorts. He was admittedly nervous and told the crowd that public speaking isn't his thing.
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F
In about a 27 year career, I've never had something like this happen. I've worked a lot of cases that never attached myself to a family.
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C
He then detailed his own involvement in the case from the very first phone call almost exactly a year earlier. Kenny started with the DOE network, reaching out to him about the Patty Toliver case in Modesto. He talked about Dennis Adams, the detective who responded to the original discovery of a body in the San Francisco bay, and how he had reached out to Adams in 2020, only to find out that he had died that very, very same day. Kenny explained how he and his future wife Beth spent Friday nights on their couch going through binders of reports about the unidentified remains, trying to find a match.
- [12:48]
F
I kept getting drawn back to Dolores so much that I took a picture of Dolores and I stuck it on my wall right next to my desk. So my day started out saying hi to my teens, getting my coffee, and talking to Dolores.
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C
He described his first conversation with Paul, who needed to supply the DNA required for a match, and how he was hesitant to set any expectations despite the confidence he felt.
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F
When I made that phone call, I was staring at Dolores picture and I was without 100% knowing it was her.
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C
October 20, 2020, was the day that word finally came down from the Department of Justice that the remains were Deloris. Then came the flurry of notifications. Kenny's hectic getaway to Wyoming with Beth as getting out, and how they toasted Dolores while sitting at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. At that time, Kenny didn't know many of Dolores family members and loved ones, but he soon became part of their world, connecting through Facebook, texts and calls. Anna became one of Kenny's closest friends. She attended Kenny and Beth's wedding in 2022. On the day before the wedding, Anna. Kenny showed Anna his office where he had gone through all the files around Dolores case. He also took her down to the area where her mother's remains were discovered and brought some flowers that she could cast into the water.
- [14:15]
E
It was like God was just calling on him. This was one of his jobs in life.
- [14:21]
C
If you remember from episode seven, this was also a job that had taken Kenny down a separate path. Dolores remains had been buried with a skull for the past 37 years, and following her positive ID, Kenny continued working to identify it. The investigation would not be as linear, but on March 21, 2023, two and a half years after Dolores case was solved, Kenny positively identified the skull as Tommy Ross Smith. Tommy was a professional singer who appeared on the Lawrence Welk Show, a national talk show on ABC in the late 1950s.
- [15:02]
E
More than you know More than you know man of my heart I love you so.
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C
Tommy is believed to have died from suicide in 1980. Her family was appreciative of Kenny's identification, but it was nothing like the bond he shared with those closest to Dolores. Darrell Erisman, the friend who grew up a few houses down from the Wolf family, also attended Kenny's wedding and couldn't believe It. When he was placed at one of the main tables at the reception, Kenny introduced Darryl to the benicia police chief and to several of the other homicide detectives in the department. Daryl then turned to Kenny.
- [15:52]
G
I got emotional then, and I said, I don't want to make it just personal, but you don't know how many people's lives you've affected. You don't put to peace. I said, this guy right here. And the police chief just said, stop. And he looked to the other detectives, and they're all homicide. And there's some cockiness in law enforcement, mind you. The police chiefs looked at the homicide detectives and said, why is it, fellas, that I put Kenny hart on the case? They said we called him the bulldog. And all the mother detectives said, we.
- [16:20]
A
Would have never found her.
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G
We would have never found her. The police chief said, he's the man for that.
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A
And look what he did.
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C
Kenny was the right man for this job, but he never thought a case would impact him like Dolores wolfs. As he concluded his remarks at the celebration of life event, the emotions began to flow.
- [16:40]
F
We were so honored that you invited us into her life and yours. And again, we have no idea the hurt that you've all felt for the last 42 years now. So over the last year, I've been lucky enough to see how she was loved and how the community embraced her and cherished her by so many people. She did leave you with a gift of love, friendship, and a smile that cannot be replicated. And of course, I didn't write it down, but honestly, I guess an excuse to be late. So in closing, I want to say she. She's. She's also touched two outsiders very much so. Each 20th of October, we will remember. Welcome home.
- [17:38]
C
As Kyle and I watched Dolores loved ones interact after the ceremony, we were struck by the scene. We had never been to an event like this, and neither had they. So many people connected to Dolores, life and her case were in the same place, likely for the only time. Unfortunately, not everyone could make it that day. Ron heileman, the yolo county detective who had put so much time into bringing Carl wolf to justice, was unable to attend. He had several health problems and passed away in June 2024 at the age of 78. Although Ron couldn't make it to the celebration of life, his son Kevin, who knows the wolves and remains very close with Darrell eresman, was there in esparto. Kevin told me that when Ron learned of the identification, it, quote, took his breath away. And that his father's involvement in this case was a big part of his life and a frustrating part of his life. Kenny Hart saw that when he met Heileman in Woodland to go over the details. Two veteran sleuths from slightly different time periods, but with a similar drive to find answers.
- [18:54]
F
He was so vested in that case. I could see it in his eyes. His whole heart was in that case. We all have those cases where we really wished we could have solved, and they stick with you.
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C
Matthew Slick Rocha did not address the group at his sister's celebration of life, but his presence was undeniable. After the break, you'll hear from Kyle on what bringing Dolores home meant to Slick and how Anna has continued to process her mother's identification in the years since.
- [19:30]
A
Lately, a lot of people have started realizing how much unnecessary chemicals are all around them every day. When I started looking around the chemicals in my own home, I realized that my laundry detergent was one of the worst offenders. Did you know that traditional laundry detergent can leave harsh chemical residue on your clothes?
- [19:49]
H
Yeah.
- [19:49]
A
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- [20:23]
D
Right now.
- [20:23]
A
You can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off plus four free gifts@earthbreeze.com unforgotten that's earthbreeze.com unforgotten for 40% off plus four free gifts. Hey, I'm Wes Ferguson, executive producer of the Unforgotten. Every season of the Unforgotten is a deep dive into an unresolved case, like a murder or a lot of murders or some miscarriage of justice. These are stories that matter to us, and with your support, we shine a light on them. Here's a quick sneak peek at season one, the Labor Day Ghost. Just in case you missed it, this is the story of a young mom named Shelly Salter Watkins. Her mysterious death in Corsicana, Texas, and why the quest to deliver justice for Shelley has gone so horribly wrong for so long.
- [21:16]
E
She does not go away. She haunts all of the people involved. They regard it as a cold case, but in Fact, it's still hot. They do intimidate me, for sure. Don't ruffle too many feathers. You need to be careful there. But also, 30 years later, I'm getting fricking tired now of, oh, no. We're still hoping and praying that we get some sort of closure. Don't we want to find out who killed Shelley?
- [21:48]
A
This is the unforgotten. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.
- [21:57]
D
The final chapter of any life is a time for reflection of memories, regrets, and the search for meaning. Dolores final chapter, was drawn out for decades, which kept her family from grieving in a traditional way. Her disappearance cast a shadow that lingered in quiet moments, popping up in unexpected ways and at random times. For Anna, that's exactly what happened. In the months after her mother's remains were identified, she found herself revisiting something her father said long ago, a moment she hadn't thought about in decades.
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E
My dad was kind of drunk. I mean, this is when we were living in Sacramento and I was still trying to be in a connection with him.
- [22:47]
D
During a dinner at his house, Anna asked her father about her mother.
- [22:52]
E
And he said something about water. And then he just kind of, like, said nothing. And then he was just kind of zoned out and he only said water. And then he was weird. So I didn't think anything about it.
- [23:04]
D
The water reference was strange, but without any additional context, Anna didn't give it much thought. Not for another 40 years. When Kenny Hart told Anna how her mother was found in the San Francisco Bay near Benicia, those details triggered something inside her.
- [23:24]
E
That's when it was like, for me, that was my final verification. That's what he was talking about. He was starting to confess and he stopped himself, you know.
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C
Right.
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E
But that really was. That really, to me, that was like, oh, that's it. That was it. He was starting to say it. To me. That was a big light bulb going on the water.
- [23:44]
D
Confirmation added to Anna's understanding of what happened, but it also brought a level of guilt. She couldn't help but wonder that if she processed that conversation with her father differently, somehow, she might have been able to help again. She bottled those thoughts up, only telling her brothers about the memory in 2025, more than four years after Dolores was ID'd, here's her brother Paul.
- [24:11]
G
We told her, like, what's that? That's not going to tell us anything, you know, water. Well, she can be anywhere. I think it helped her mentally a lot, like telling us and us not really being mad at her for not explaining something back 40 years ago, the.
- [24:27]
D
Pain of losing their mother prematurely will never fully go away. But for Anna, sharing this memory was another helpful step, A way to deal with everything that happened. The story of Dolores disappearance can never fully be understood. Even with the answers that have come, there will always be more questions, more quiet moments of reflection. The process will never really end. For Matthew Slick Rocha, his sister's identification came just in time. By the time Adam and I visited him in Woodland in 2020, Slick was in declining health. He was still living on his own, and every Wednesday, he would meet Debbie Baker and a small group of extended family members for lunch. Debbie said Dolores came up every week. But for Slick, living on his own became more difficult in the years that followed. By the end of 2022, Slick's son David, noticed a sharper decline.
- [25:36]
H
I talked to my father pretty much every day. I started seeing more or hearing more in his voice, confusion. He called me and leave a message in the middle of the night. And he's trying to find the 49er game on TV at 1:30 in the morning. So I noticed that at the end of December, it wasn't a lot, but I started noticing things like that. So by the time we got to February, I could tell that there was some serious issues.
- [26:06]
D
After a fall left Slick hospitalized and then a short stay in an assisted living facility, David moved his father into his home in Ventura, a coastal town in southern California, in March of 2023. That's where Slick would spend the final seven weeks of his life. Father and son both sensed that the end was near, so it gave them time to reflect on the things that mattered most.
- [26:32]
H
He just liked to sit out in our backyard or on the front porch and talk.
- [26:38]
D
The conversations were wide ranging, but often wound their way to Slick's sister.
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H
Bringing up Dolores was always something he did. I think he always felt that tight relationship that he had with her and talking about her was something that I think always made him happy.
- [26:57]
D
For years, David said that conversations about Dolores were often painful for his father. But after her identification, the tone shifted.
- [27:08]
H
I think definitely he had a lot of peace, the fact that they found her. So I think instead of maybe a lot of the negative conversations that we'd have as far as Carl Wolf or her disappearance, I think they turned back into more of the good times that they finally had an answer to what happened or, you know, knew where she ended up. I still think there's questions how she got there, But I think they turned more positive after they found her. It was more about him telling Me stories about when they were kids and how she was almost like a second mother to him.
- [27:46]
D
Slick never wavered in his belief that Carl Wolf had killed his sister. He didn't need the identification of her remains for confirmation of Carl's guilt. But knowing his final resting place would be next to hers provided him a layer of closure he never thought he would get. Here's Slick's other son, Matt Jr.
- [28:08]
H
I think it meant a lot to him. I think the fact that there's a.
- [28:12]
D
Place that she's able to rest next to the parents, and now he's there also.
- [28:18]
H
I think if he would have passed away without knowing, he would probably like him a lot more. He wasn't bothered by it like I was bothered by it.
- [28:27]
G
He was just happy. I mean, we knew it happened.
- [28:29]
D
There was comfort in the idea that he would soon be with his sister again.
- [28:34]
H
My father always talked about life after death and being able to be reunited with his sister and his father and mother and brothers. The connection he had with Dolores and just reminiscing a lot about life and growing up and, you know, things that me and Paul and Matthew and Tom would do. And, you know, he talked about that a lot. And, you know, he would ask stuff like, you know, was he a good father?
- [29:03]
D
They also revisited Slick's time in the military, a period which had complicated Slick's religious beliefs. But that was also something he was at peace with.
- [29:13]
H
In the end, he definitely believed he would go to heaven. I think he was at peace with himself. He liked to tell me all the time, right up to the end, we would be sitting outside and go, you know what, son? He goes, you don't have to worry about anything you've done. You're a good kid, and you're gonna go to heaven. I'm like, oh, thanks, dad. I'm glad you told me that. I think he'd come at peace with what he did. You know, he liked to talk about a lot, and it would come up all the time. At the end, I believe he didn't have any doubts that he would go there.
- [29:48]
D
About two weeks before Slick died, Paul visited his uncle for a final time.
- [29:55]
G
What I saw was a man that was slowly leaving this earth and that his life was clearly complete. It was one of those feelings, you know, looking at him and talking to him, that there wasn't much left to say. He didn't have a lot to say. You could tell he was mentally kind of checking in and out. It's pretty much he ran to life full to the very end. And basically the hourglass just slowly ran out. And that's what it felt like.
- [30:19]
D
Paul had the chance to share a few more laughs and some precious time with the man who stepped in as a father and protector for him. When he was 12 years old, he.
- [30:30]
G
Was an anomaly in every which way, whether it was a physical, whether it was his ability to navigate life and to manage a very stressful his sister getting, being murdered and taking in his kids and raising a family and keeping everything afloat. I mean, just you put it all together and the pieces that he had to go through, it's. I have just nothing but respect, you know, and if I was idolize a human, he's the person I would idolize.
- [30:59]
D
After Paul's visit, Slick was mostly confined to a bed.
- [31:03]
H
He just kind of sat up in bed and he was kind of pointing, pointing up in the air, and he goes, they want me to come, they want me to come. And I said, dad, then you need to go. And then he would kind of lay back down and breathe heavy, and then he'd sit up and he'd point up to the sky and say, they want me, they want me. And I said, well, then you need to go, dad.
- [31:23]
D
This went on for a couple days.
- [31:26]
H
The last day, he was just kind of laid in bed, and I could hear his breathing get a lot more labored.
- [31:34]
D
David left the room for a moment, and when he did, his wife watched Slick's breathing become even more difficult.
- [31:41]
H
She was just telling him, hold on till David gets back. And then I came back in and was sitting by his bed, and he took a big deep breath and then exhaled.
- [31:55]
D
Several hours later, Dave the undertakers came to collect Slick's body. David carried his father onto a stretcher and covered him with an American flag. David cherished those last weeks they spent together.
- [32:10]
H
I didn't want him dying by himself. I didn't want to lay him on the floor somewhere. He deserved more than that.
- [32:21]
G
He deserved more to not be forgotten.
- [32:27]
D
Matthew Slick Rocha, the man who made a life serving as a protector to so many people around him, died on April 30, 2023. He was 85 years old.
- [32:56]
C
After the celebration of life For Dolores in July 2021, Paul Wolf started making the drive back home to San Luis Obispo with his wife Sherry, and their sons Max and Sam. But he made a stop in Benicia, heading down East 5th street until it dead ended at the shores of the San Francisco Bay. The area includes a shipping services company and a small public park. But Paul and his Family walked over to a marshy area that overlooked a stretch of the bay just to the west of the Benicia bridge. Kenny Hart had taken Paul to this spot before, and Paul had collected a piece of driftwood that he still has at his home. But returning to the same place, yards from the spot where Dolores remains were found in September 1979, and being there with his family impacted Paul in new ways.
- [33:53]
G
I felt more emotions than I ever thought I would.
- [33:56]
C
Kyle and I spoke with Paul the very next day.
- [34:00]
G
Got pretty emotional for me, just thinking about my kids and my wife. Never had a chance to meet her. What a great person she was and how much I think I ended up missing. Although there was a huge relief, Like I didn't realize I had something kind of carrying in my soul through this whole process. Kind of thought I had dealt with it all in my life and those types of things, But I felt really good about it afterwards. A very solemn, peaceful feel I had for the last few days, ever since it happened. And I. I guess there was something more there that I didn't realize I had, you know, emotionally and just in my soul.
- [34:34]
C
We hadn't seen this side of Paul before. Kyle and I had interviewed him several times already, going through the most painful details of his family's trauma, but he never showed a lot of emotion. Unlike others we spoke to about Dolores, the disappearance and what followed. Paul described the burial in woodland before only about 60 people, and how a hole was dug atop his grandfather's grave where the urn carrying Dolores ashes was placed.
- [35:05]
G
We all took a flower and got to lay it, you know, on top of the graveside. That was a hell of a realization. Just like, good God, I felt kind of blessed, like, why we get to do this? We never thought that we would do this, but yet just the finality of it now, like I said, I didn't think I would feel what I feel now. And that's been, I guess, a blessing, you know, I'm glad I didn't realize I had some pent up emotions and things in my soul.
- [35:34]
C
As Paul and his family made the drive home that day, his wife Sherry became upset that Dolores never got the chance to meet her grandchildren and live a full life. Paul understood Sherry's feelings, but he had reached a different place. After burying his mother and then celebrating her for hours with loved ones, There.
- [35:54]
G
Was a very full heart, an extreme relief over my body, of satisfaction of what just transpired over the last 48 hours.
- [36:06]
C
Then Paul said something unexpected. He talked about his father, Carl, who had not Been mentioned during the ceremony at Dolores event. No one visited his grave back in Minnesota or celebrated his life. But the sendoff for Dolores made Paul also reflect on Carl.
- [36:26]
G
My dad was like, not a bad guy. A lot of people told me that he was a good guy and they liked him. But what it showed me was that how over five to seven year period, you can become bad still. It's not like you're born bad or you're born good. Life is ever evolving. And just because I may be good today doesn't mean I couldn't turn for the worst tomorrow and move forward. And I. I look back and I thought about my dad. I think a couple things. Became alcoholic, number one, became greedy, became jealous. All those things came into play to spiral his life. Going one direction. And on the other side, my mom was going the other where she was gaining friends, respect, doing more things in the community, becoming a more popular person. Therefore, my dad was doing the opposite. I thought about those things like, God, why did he have to go that way? Why do things have to spiral like that?
- [37:26]
D
I think it's definitely on this. It's right here. Rocha.
- [37:28]
C
Rocha. Oh, there we go. The two roaches next to each other. It's March of 2025, and Kyle and I are in Woodland, walking the grounds of the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. We had spent several hours with Darryl touring the area and now wanted to retrace the spots where Dolores Wolf's remains were either found or placed in reverse order. We had been to the cemetery before in December 2020, after interviewing Slick at his home. Now, Slick and Dolores were buried beside one another right in front of their.
- [38:05]
D
Parents, beloved mother and sister, Dolores Rocha Wolf. 1933, 1979. The Heart of the family.
- [38:17]
C
Yeah.
- [38:18]
H
And then Slick with the.
- [38:20]
C
That's the kid next to it in the flower pot. I love it.
- [38:26]
D
U.S. army.
- [38:28]
C
They were finally together after all of these years, which is what Slick wanted as soon as he learned about Dolores. Identification. Here's his son, David.
- [38:38]
H
It mattered probably more than anything. I think he talked about that a lot even while he was here. You know, he wanted to be buried with his parents. He wanted to be buried by his sister. And we had the thing for my aunt. He even talked about it when we were there being buried. I want to be buried right next to her.
- [38:57]
C
Looking at Slick's headstone, we were reminded of how he hadn't actually served in the military that long, Especially given all that he did. I keep coming back to how young he was when he was in Vietnam. And how sophisticated and dangerous the things that he was asked to do. Obviously a lot of guys go into the military when they're, you know, 18, 19, 20, but like, they're low level. They're not necessarily tabbed to do that type of work at that age.
- [39:25]
D
He's literally getting dropped out of the sky in a foreign country and asked to go assassinate enemy leaders.
- [39:33]
C
We walked around the same area of the cemetery and saw others connected to the Rochas. Barbara Baker, mother of Debbie and Mary Thomas, who worked maybe harder than anyone to find Dolores, but died three months before the identification. They even had a spot ready for Debbie on a headstone.
- [39:54]
D
It's fascinating to me that they had this, that in the end everyone gets put in the same.
- [39:58]
C
In the same spot. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [40:00]
D
And this is kind of like what I was talking about with Tom the other day. It's like, you know, some people can take it or leave it with some things, but there is something complete about having this, that they're all here in the same spot that the takers and.
- [40:15]
C
The Sousas and the roaches. From Woodland, we made the 54 mile drive to Vallejo and Skyview Memorial Lawn. It lines some hills facing south not far from the Benicia Bridge. This is the cemetery where Dolores unidentified remains sat for decades. Classified as Jane Doe 16. The cemetery was set up like most, with headstones and flowers and other gifts placed around the grave sites. But one of Skyview's employees told us there were several unmarked areas where Jane and John does were placed. We initially struggled a bit to locate the spot where Dolores was buried. But we knew a guy who could help. Hi, this is Kenny. I can't take your call right now.
- [41:06]
B
But if you leave me name or.
- [41:07]
C
Number, I will call you as soon as I can. Thanks.
- [41:11]
D
Hey, Kenny, it's Kyle Bonagar. I'm out here at Skyview, the cemetery out in Vallejo. I'm here with Adam too and was wondering if you. You might be able to guide us in the right direction for where the actual plot was for Dolores.
- [41:25]
C
Kenny came through and sent us a photo. The spot was near one of the roads inside the cemetery, near two trees.
- [41:33]
D
Just the fact that she was here for 40 years, it is sad that.
- [41:38]
C
There'S nothing on the ground. You never would have known like the people that are coming to celebrate the other people around here.
- [41:45]
D
Yeah.
- [41:46]
C
Had no idea what happened.
- [41:48]
D
I think about Paul driving through Vallejo for whatever, recruiting for football or whatever the case may be on Highway 80. Here we are not even a mile from the Freeway. It's just a bizarre dynamic to think about that. And in the grand scheme of things, too. She wasn't moved that far, right? No, she was here. All the answers were here. For four decades.
- [42:13]
C
I can understand the family's anger. It wasn't like she was taken across the country or out of the country. Our final stop took us only about 10 minutes away from Skyview at the end of East 5th street in Benicia. Although Kyle had been there before, I'd never seen it. There was barely any wind that afternoon and the water was calm. An ideal early spring day.
- [42:39]
G
Yeah.
- [42:39]
D
So it was. Her body was found somewhere out here. So when the boaters found her, they.
- [42:45]
C
Were between the bridges.
- [42:47]
D
Yeah. So it's between the Bernicia Bridge and the Carquineas Bridge. They actually called the Coast Guard. There is some irony in that. Both of these places, the cemetery where her body was discovered, feel very peaceful.
- [43:05]
C
Yeah. This is an incredibly peaceful place, at least today. Yeah. Finding Dolores Wolf has always been about more than just the search for a missing woman. It's about the aftermath of loss, about how families navigate what's Left Behind. For 41 years, Dolores story was a void. Questions left hanging, truths held back. Now her story is about strength and unwavering remembrance. It's the story of a family that refused to let her memory disappear when she did. And she's also a reminder that even when answers come late, the bonds of family endure, carrying forward the memories that matter most. All across the country, there are missing people whose names have been forgotten, People who can still be identified and bring closure to families who deserve it. Thanks to people like Kenny Hart and their hard work and commitment to these cold cases, some calm can come to families who have been waiting far too long.
- [44:09]
G
People always use the phrase closure. I think until you're really in it. In a situation like this, you don't really realize what it is. And to experience it, we really do have it. And I think we're all definitely at peace now. It feels like we're all on the same page for the first time. Everything's out there. Everything's understood. It's completely finalized. It just feels good. And I never would say that, but it does. It feels good. And you never, I guess, truly know it until you feel it.
- [44:43]
C
In the end. This is what the Unforgotten is all about. Not just finding the missing, but. But refusing to let their stories fade away. Thank you for joining us on this journey. The Unforgotten is a free range production. Season 3 Finding Dolores Wolf is written and hosted by Kyle Bonagura and me, Adam Rittenberg. The story is edited and produced by Wes Ferguson, the executive producer at Free Range. Audio editing by Aislin Gaddis Audio production and sound design by Austin Sisler with Eastside Studios in Austin, Texas. Special thanks to ESPN.