Summary
Overview
This episode examines the 1997 disappearance of Bonnie Lee Schultz, who vanished after telling her husband Rick she wanted a divorce. While surface details suggest a straightforward case of domestic violence, hosts Ashley Flowers and Britt dig deeper to reveal a more complex story with multiple theories, inadequate police investigation, and lingering questions about what really happened that Fourth of July weekend.
Bonnie's Unhappy Marriage and Decision to Divorce
After 26 years of marriage to her high school boyfriend Rick, Bonnie Lee Schultz had grown increasingly dissatisfied with her life. Working at RGIS doing inventory audits gave her independence and perspective, revealing how controlling and unappreciative Rick had become. Her mother's death in 1995 accelerated her desire for change, and by spring 1997, she was openly expressing her unhappiness and planning to leave.
- Bonnie married young and followed Rick's job for 26 years, raising two kids while feeling increasingly disconnected from her husband
- She got a job at RGIS for independence, but Rick still expected her to maintain all household duties
- At Easter 1997, Bonnie publicly fought with Rick for the first time, pointing out he didn't do things for her that other husbands did
- Two weeks before disappearing, Bonnie told friend Diane she was planning to have an affair and needed someone who made her feel appreciated
" I'm about to have an affair and I really don't want to do that to Rick. But, you know, I need somebody that makes me feel appreciated and loved. And I don't feel that anymore with him. "
" 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. "
The Affair with John Guy and Final Conversation
Bonnie had been having an affair with John Guy, a coworker at RGIS, for about two months. John made it clear he wouldn't date a married woman, forcing Bonnie to choose. On July 3, 1997, she sat on the front porch with Rick and definitively told him she wanted a divorce. Despite the difficult conversation, she still planned to return that night and take their daughter to see fireworks the next day.
- Bonnie was having an affair with John Guy from RGIS, who told her he wouldn't date a married woman
- On July 3, 1997, Bonnie told Rick in no uncertain terms that she wanted a divorce
- At 8:30 PM, Bonnie kissed her 10-year-old daughter Gretchen goodbye, her 'number one mom' necklace swinging in Gretchen's face
- Bonnie left the house in her blue 1990 Mercury Sable, planning to watch fireworks and return to take Gretchen to a movie the next day
" For probably the first time in 26 years, Bonnie was going to choose herself. "
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