Summary
Overview
In this two-part episode, Crime Junkie investigates the 1997 disappearance of Bonnie Schultz, who vanished after leaving a birthday party at a bar in Indianapolis. While police have long suspected her husband Rick, the hosts explore alternative theories and present evidence suggesting the investigation may have overlooked other possibilities. Through interviews with Bonnie's son Josh, review of police transcripts, and even consultation with a medium, the episode challenges the prevailing narrative and reveals significant investigative missteps.
The Investigation's Narrow Focus on Rick
Police zeroed in on Rick Schultz as their primary suspect from the beginning, but their investigation appears to have significant gaps. They never properly searched his home in the crucial early years, only doing so in 2000 when he was preparing to sell. Despite their suspicions, investigators failed to obtain Rick's cell phone records and couldn't produce Bonnie's records to verify their claims about phone activity. The investigation seemed more focused on confirming Rick's guilt than exploring other possibilities.
- Police only searched Rick's house in 2000 when he was selling it, not in the immediate aftermath of Bonnie's disappearance
- No forensic testing was done in the garage, despite theories that something could have happened there
- Police claimed Rick didn't call Bonnie's cell phone, but never obtained his cell phone records to verify
- Police couldn't produce Bonnie's actual cell phone records, only relying on verbal confirmation from the provider
" They never searched his house in those early years. They only searched it in 2000 when Rick was getting the house ready to sell. "
Rick's 2007 Interview: A Decade of Questions
After ten years of virtual silence from investigators, Detective Catherine Byron traveled to Michigan to interview Rick in 2007. The interview reveals a man frustrated by the lack of communication from police and consistent in his account of events. Rick describes trying to locate Bonnie through her coworkers, calling her cell phone repeatedly, and his confusion about what could have happened to make both her and her car disappear without a trace.
- Rick hadn't been interviewed by police in approximately 10 years when Detective Byron contacted him
- Rick called Bonnie's cell phone provider daily for weeks after her disappearance to check for activity
- Rick expressed frustration at being treated as a suspect while also being a victim who received no updates
- Police told Rick they had done everything they could and were just waiting for something to happen
" I understood, or I still understand, I guess that I'm a suspect, but I've always thought, you know, I'm a victim too. And nobody was telling me anything. "
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