Bonnie Lee Schultz: Strangers and Secrets in a Mom’s Last Night Out | Forensic Files

Hi, crime junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. >> And I'm Brett. 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 might just find the thing that I've 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 [music] this case on its surface seems like one
that you might have heard before. A tragic tale as 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 he is oh so
guilty of a crime they just 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? So, 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 [music] the grave? What if it's because nobody ever looked for
the 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 Schultz? In the summer of 1997, Bonnie Lee Schulz found herself [music] 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.
[music] 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. [music] So, she got a job at
a company called RGis or sometimes called Regis, [music] 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 [music] 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. >> [music] >> Now, I have no idea how many conversations she and Rick had in the
privacy of their own home about her [music] unhappiness or the unique challenges of their relationship, but
they never discussed marital [music] 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 subject and pretend
like they didn't see what just happened. Well, and I wonder how much of that was
brought on by her mom 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 it would make you like really take stock of things. 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 cuz 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 mean
actually Rick does say that this kind of was like playing a parting. >> 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 cuz
after that fight in Wisconsin things don't go back to status quo when they get back to Indianapolis 2 weeks before
she went missing Bonnie called one of her closest friends Diane Dando the two actually lived pretty close to each
other and so the two would actually 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 late when she called, [music] like 900 p.m. 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 back. I mean, they hung out like with the
couple, like her and her husband altogether. They played cards all the time. She had no idea.
>> But you never really know. >> 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 [music] 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 going to start
looking for apartments, though she had no idea how she was going to 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 clue. Like, what about one of your
sisters? Can you ask [music] them?" And Bonnie was like, "No, no, no, no. I don't 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." M >> and there was possibly more than one, but I know for sure that Bonnie began
confiding in a woman named Anita Cardone. Just to pause for a second, can we go back to the affair comment real
quick? Like was there someone specific she was talking about or was she just like I am 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.
>> In this conversation with Diane, she doesn't name anyone specific. 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 Dian's assumptions were spoton. The man's name was John Guy, and he worked
at Regis with Bonnie and Anita. Now, I don't know how her relationship with Jon started or exactly when, [music]
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 cuz 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'd 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 3rd, 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 going to 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 want to like get across is that whatever was happening
between her and Rick, [music] 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. With it being 97, I can
like close my eyes and see this end. >> 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 Hulahans's restaurant where she met Anita and other co-workers, cuz 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 that's not how that works,
>> right? 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 from the house
to this bar that Phyllis worked at called the Timeout Lounge. 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. Some cases fade from headlines. Some
never made it there to begin with. I'm Ashley Flowers and [music] on my podcast, The Deck, I tell you the
stories of cold cases featured on playing cards distributed in prisons designed to spark new leads and bring
long overdue justice. Because these stories deserve to be heard, and the loved ones of these victims still
deserve answers. Are you ready to be dealt in? Listen to the deck now, wherever you get your podcasts.
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. Now, 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 left the bar at around 2 or 2:30 in the morning. And
Phyllis said that she called it quits not [music] 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 [music]
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. [laughter]
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 5 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. And 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 [music] 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. [music] Josh gets back from the sleepover that he was at by the afternoon, but Bonnie is still not
[music] there. So, at 5:10 p.m., Rick reports her missing. A deputy from the Marian County Sheriff's Department goes
to their house to take the report on the 4th. [music] 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 going to 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. >> He doesn't mention that he had just
reported her missing. >> Not to them. No. >> Wait, do the kids at this point realize
that she's missing? Like they would have seen the deputy show up. >> 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. >> Yeah.
>> 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 3:00 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 7:00 p.m. when she gets that call, and she said she answered the phone, and
Rick's voice is kind of shaky, and he's just like, "Um, I'm just calling to tell
you that um Bonnie's [music] missing." Is Is this the first call she's getting about Bonnie?
>> Yeah. So he didn't call her at all before to see if Diane had seen her, knew where she was.
>> 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. >> 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. >> It gave Diane a bad feeling, too. And she said instantly she thought quote,
"You son of a you killed her. You did [music] 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 at?" Right? 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. >> Shocker. >> Yeah. She said 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 and which like totally knocks her off her axis cuz 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 3:00 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. >> Which is like wild. >> Yeah. And like I don't know, maybe
fasttrack the missing person. 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. Nobody's going to find her car or anything until after the holiday. Every
place is closed until Monday. So, it's going to be a few days before anybody even finds her car or sees her, you
know, somewhere like behind a doctor's office. >> That feels like a weirdly specific
example. >> Diane says she just looked at him like, "What the hell, man? Like, what what
does that mean?" >> Yeah. >> 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 [snorts] 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.
>> Yeah. >> 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 [music] has come back yet. Glad that's the first course of action. 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. >> 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? >> No. And this is really frustrating for
those looking back on the case because there's a 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 [music] being assigned the case,
the Marian County detective is just making calls, getting statements from the people who were last with Bonnie,
like Anita, [music] 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 Jon was there with them, and Bonnie and Jon 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 says she didn't even tell him where else they went that night. She just told him that she and Bonnie left
the party at 3:00 a.m. But the truth, she tells investigators, is that when she left at around 2:00 2:30 a.m.,
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 Jon 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 3:30 a.m. 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.
So that means as of like 4 in the morning, she's still planning on being home that day.
>> She's planning. 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 [music] homes. Now, they didn't live near one another, but they did both need to travel west [music] to
get to their homes. So, he says Bonnie was following his car for part of the drive. And as they turn south [music]
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 has to turn [music] off to get to
his house. >> So at the light he went into the left turn lane. Bonnie pulled up next to him
and 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 that we
actually got a transcript of. Our records request from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police
Department was >> You want to guess? Oh, yeah. Denied. >> [laughter] >> 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 this [music] 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 call him
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. >> What is your name, sir?
>> Richard E. Schultz. What is your age? >> 46. And do you know why you're down here
this morning? >> Uh, questioning relating to the disappearance of my wife. >> All right, sir. When was the last time
you saw Mrs. Schultz? at approximately 8:30 p.m. 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 uh 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 3rd, 1997 prior to leaving?
>> She did not [clears throat] 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 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. uh 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. Uh, 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 alter church. I had been the treasurer of the
church. I've been a coach for Little League. I 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. Um, in the whole month or two that lead up to the time of her
leaving, I was trying 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-act type of situation rather
than again apparent to me building up over time. uh 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 um by me and the kids and uh 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 1st 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 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's 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 before a
divorce. >> 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. >> Everyone's sitting awkwardly watching it
happen. >> So, the idea that like since May she has been saying she feels unappreciated by
her family. Like that tracks. >> That makes sense. Easter spring, May's right after
>> 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. >> It was an intense conversation. >> Yeah. 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, >> right? >> So, let's just jump back into the interview. >> Has Mrs. Schultz ever left like this
before? >> Never. >> Has she ever threatened to leave before? >> No. >> Have you ever been physically violent
towards her? 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 3-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 uh
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 3 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 co-workers address or phone numbers prior to her
disappearance? I I did not. >> 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 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. And Anita
isn't offering that up. She is still covering for Bonnie, >> right? He's just asking specifically
like about Bonnie. Not even like who they were, >> where they were, which is where they
were. >> Where they were. When was the last time you saw her, >> which is what makes this next part of
the interview stand out to detectives. >> What time does Bonnie leave? July 3rd,
1997. 8:30, maybe 8:40 p.m. >> 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. Um, her daughter called me back
later that same afternoon indicating that she had gotten a number off of caller ID type list. I don't have that
feature so I don't know how it works. Um, 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. Uh, 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 7:00 area on 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 3. And I need you to
speak up. You got quiet on me. Oh, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting the name of the place. Um the the timeout lounge name
just [clears throat] gets me every time I bring it up >> here. This 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 Kner 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. Kner 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 3:00 a.m. Full stop. So then, >> so how would Rick know about the timeout
lounge? Hisner 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. >> So Anita told you that they had left the Timeout Lounge around 3:00 in the
morning. That's correct. Okay. left about 3:00 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 I drove over there going east on 86th Street to
Allisonville. I found the place. Came back through Broadripple 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 5:00. Josh and I got up and went to try to retrace those same steps and we went
>> How do you know to go through Broadripple? 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 Broadripple. Yeah. Why?
I mean, if you're looking for how she would go home, I would think that you would cover all of your bases. Uhuh.
>> 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 many as
possible. 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 um 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. >> 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? I mean,
he's saying he's checking all the routes, right? >> 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 >> like a million times. It turns into Broadripple Avenue which has like this
strip of restaurants, bars where like all the college kids go. At least where the college kids used to go. I don't
know it's cool anymore but it's like 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 [music] seen that.
>> But like if that's your reasoning I'm pretty sure the same can be said for that area.
>> Second. Yeah. 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, there were only a couple of
options of how that could have happened. One, Anita misremembered 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, Rick followed Bonnie
that night. And it wasn't just the fact that he knew her route home that made them [music] think that. It's actually
something Jon ends up telling them later on. Sergeant Knisser 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 them about another instance [music] 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 that time she was fine. So he didn't really think anything of it until
now, of course. But 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 correct of Rick. >> Correct. And to be clear, there is
nothing detectives have told us that gives any insinuation that it's Rick specifically [music]
he felt was the one watching, >> right? Just like 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. So, like I I think it's like if someone
had followed her before if if someone was following her and it was the same person both times. I just don't think
>> she would like she would have she would have known it was her husband and he and
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? >> I mean, I I'm assuming that John passes and Rick fails. >> You are correct. Which only bolsters
their suspicions. >> And do the police talk to the kids at any point? Like Gretchen we know was
home that night? She's 10, >> right? Josh was at a sleepover, but yeah, she was home the whole time.
>> 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. >> Yeah. She's like old enough to like be
aware, right? 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 what? 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 six. Josh [music] is 16. 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 is 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. >> Is that even legal?
>> Right. Okay. So I was like, um, 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 Ker about this. Now he wasn't the one who who did this and
went to the house in '97 obviously now. >> Yeah. I'm like, are we good with 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 >> like he's saying it's gray. >> Well, 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."
[music] And just like Sergeant Kner said, Crystal said that if the parent is a suspect, police would have an interest
to do this reason to do it. >> 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 like a light tan purse, sandals, navy pants,
a striped like light and dark blue type shirt, a herring bone 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 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 Kner wasn't there. He just read about this in old reports, 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 it. >> That just gave me like the most full
body chills. [music] I know. >> I mean, is this Gretchen's way of like telling them something? Like hinting at
something? I don't know what this is, but we did get confirmation from [music] 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 the kid said she was never without this
necklace. Now, we really wanted to speak with Gretchen ourselves for this reporting, but she wasn't up for it. Cuz
in my mind, I'm like, you know, you know, it's been so many years since this happened. What if Bonnie wasn't wearing
the necklace [music] that night? Like what if we are misinterpreting old reports? Like this either means
everything. >> Mhm. >> Or we are missing a piece 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. She's like there's
like plenty of things I have where I'm like oh my god I love this. I'm never going to take it [laughter] off. I have
a very specific pair of earrings that May insisted she get for my birthday and I have worn them.
>> Exactly. In front of her. >> She seen me wear them. >> Our other producer Ma said that her mom
has a box of stuff that's literally like a box of this stuff that like kids make
and you're like this is >> or like give you because they love it and they like think you will love it
too. >> 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. >> Well, and with that in mind, like did
anybody see her wearing it when she went out that night? Like it's a again I can
picture this necklace. This is a distinct kind of necklace in the '9s. So, this is this is what kills me.
Apparently, her shirt had a high neckline, so no one remembers seeing this. And like I think if she was
wearing necklaces, it would be outside of her shirt. People talk about a herring bone necklace she was wearing,
>> but like I think the fact that it just her chest wasn't exposed, you can't prove she wasn't wearing it and it
wasn't like under the turtleneck. 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 like 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 cuz he says he does not remember it. >> What about any other family members? Did
anybody else bring this up? I mean you said she had sisters like no one? 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 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, if this was me in a situation, like I would bulldoze
my way through people until I got the answers I needed." Mhm. >> Often times that is not what real life
looks like. In the very early days, like her siblings weren't even really in contact with police. They were kind of
getting what little updates they could from Rick in the first like [music] 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? We need to look from us. Yeah. He's like, "No, no, no. Don't come search. I'm 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." >> Yeah, Rick, we're staying the night and
the night after that and the night after that and the night until Bonnie comes home.
>> 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 in 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. Had Bonnie's
family always had a pretty good relationship with Rick. Like families could be different and blending them can
be interesting. >> 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. Raet ball, 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 not just like >> it affects everybody. >> Yes.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Knowing that about him, I wonder if he viewed losing his marriage in the
same way. [music] Like divorce would be >> him losing his wife, >> him not winning at marriage or him like
losing her to some. I mean, he says he didn't know about the fair, but yeah, I don't know. But anyway, so so that's
that's all that we like that's [music] the relationship. It it was a fine relationship. They just there was just
this one weird thing about him. >> Play games with Regg >> pretty much. It was sort of 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 [music] 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 might have something
to do [music] with this. And Bonnie's brother, Mike, says that detective Kelly tells them about the whole number one
mom necklace, which was odd, but even they are like, like, okay, you maybe should, who knows? Yeah. 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. >> Wait, did the psychic see anything?
>> Oh, uh, nothing important. Like, well, 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 but again, Rick 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, like 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 [music] 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 detective's word for it. >> I can't prove that that even happened, but he's like, why would a detective lie
to me about this?" >> Yeah. >> 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 going to 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. Like I'm sorry, like was there a cut on
his face and broken glasses? That >> 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. 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
>> 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. >> There's also no proof of that.
>> Yeah. And Rick can never prove that he didn't have a cut because no one did anything, but now he is paying for it by
being under this cloud of suspicion. Yeah, but I mean I feel like maybe he should be under a cloud of suspicion.
>> 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 halfass 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, right?
>> Because there are 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 put there by them >> and the lack 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 [music] to this story that hasn't been
told. So, if you're feeling sure about yourself now, hang on because I've got an entire part two of Bonnie's story
that is full of surprises, contradictions, and new theories about what could have happened to Bonnie
[music] Lee Schultz 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. >> [music] >> You can listen to that episode right now
in our Crime Junkie app adree. And for everyone else, you will get part two next week. So, we'll see you then. You
can find all the source material for this episode on our website, crimejunkie.com.
And if you want to listen to part two of Bonnie story right now, make sure to join the fan club. You'll get part twos
early. You'll get all of our episodes adree [music] and tons of bonus neverbeforreleased episodes. You can
join on our website, crimejunkkey.com, >> and you can follow us on Instagram, crimejunkodcast. We'll see you next week
for part two of the story.

On the night of July 3, 1997, Bonnie Lee Schultz, a 45-year-old mother of two, walked out of her home in Indianapolis, Indiana, and drove away in her blue 1990 Mercury Saber. She told her husband, Richard “Rick” Schultz, she was going to watch fireworks with coworkers and promised she’d be home to take her daughter to a movie the next day. She never came back.

In the hours before she vanished, Bonnie had made a life-altering decision. After 26 years of marriage, she told Rick she wanted a divorce. Friends say she felt unappreciated, isolated, and ready to finally choose herself. That same night, she spent time with coworkers at Houlihan’s, a house party, and later the Time Out Lounge where she was last seen just before dawn. When Bonnie failed to return home, the initial response was slow. A holiday weekend passed before a detective was assigned. No crime scene was identified. Her car was never found. And early assumptions shaped the direction of the case for decades to come.

As investigators began retracing Bonnie’s final movements, from Allisonville Road to 62nd Street, and the last place she was seen near, questions mounted. Why did potential evidence go unexplored in the critical early days?

In Part 1 of this investigation, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat peel back the layers of a disappearance that has haunted Indianapolis for nearly 30 years. This is a case often framed as “obvious,” yet never solved. As suspicion hardened around one person, other possibilities quietly faded into the background. And one small, unsettling detail, a necklace Bonnie’s daughter remembered her wearing, may change how everything is understood. This is not the story you think you know.

Listen to part 2 now in the Crime Junkie Fan Club: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/fanclub/ If you have any information about Bonnie’s disappearance or her missing vehicle, please contact Det. Nicholas Hubbs at Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-6160 or email us at tips@audiochuck.com.

-------- Key Episode Moments: 0:00 - 1:26 - Case Intro 1:27 - 3:06 - Marriage Struggles 3:07 - 5:05 - Bonnie Wants a Divorce 5:06 - 7:19 - Affair with John Geib 7:20 - 10:21 - Last Night at Timeout Lounge 10:22 - 13:18 - Last Sighting: 62nd Street 13:19 - 14:55 - Rick Reports Bonnie Missing 14:56 - 17:12 - Family Suspicion Begins 17:13 - 20:07 - Rick’s Statements Questioned 20:08 - 23:30 - Police Interview: Divorce & Motive 23:31 - 27:05 - Timeout Lounge Slip-Up? 27:06 - 30:18 - Polygraph Results 30:19 - 33:24 - Children Interviewed 33:25 - 36:07 - The “Number #1 Mom” Necklace 36:08 - 39:12 - Did Rick Know the Route Home? 39:13 - 42:00 - John’s Suspicion: Someone Watching 42:01 - 45:52 - Broken Glasses & Scratch Allegation 45:53 - 59:59 - Theory #1: Rick Schultz 1:00:00 - 1:01:22 - Outro

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About Ashley Flowers Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.

Follow Ashley: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ASHLEYFLOWERS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ash_flowers TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyflowerscrimejunkie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyflowers.af/

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Brief Summary

Bonnie Lee Schultz vanished in 1997 after seeking a divorce, leading to suspicions about her husband Rick's involvement.

Key points

A Tragic Tale Unfolds. A woman wants a divorce, goes missing, and her husband becomes the prime suspect.
Bonnie's Struggles. Bonnie feels unappreciated in her marriage and considers an affair.
The Night of Disappearance. Bonnie goes missing after a night out, leaving her family in turmoil.
Diane Confronts Rick. Diane visits Rick to discuss Bonnie's disappearance, but leaves feeling unsettled.
Detective Assigned to Case. Finally, Bonnie's case is assigned to a detective, prompting more investigation.
Anita's Confession. Anita reveals to investigators that Bonnie was having an affair with Jon.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

What if it's because nobody ever looked for the answers in the right place?

1:04WatchJan 12, 2026

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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