On the day Doreen disappeared, Stephen took an unusually long lunch break – 70 minutes instead of his usual 20-30. He claimed to have gone home, eaten lunch with Doreen, and returned to work, only to find her gone when he came home at 4:00 pm.

Doreen left behind many personal belongings: her car, toothbrush, hair curlers, cats, and $50,000 in joint bank accounts. She also missed a planned phone call to her mother. Stephen said she took a suitcase and $600 in cash, but this didn’t seem consistent with her leaving. There were no signs of a struggle. He waited two days to report her missing.

Stephen suspected Doreen was having an affair and had hired private investigators to follow her, though there’s no proof of infidelity. Police believe Stephen killed Doreen, but her mother disagrees, describing Stephen as kind and supportive.

Two anonymous letters, later traced to Stephen’s mother’s typewriter, were sent to police. One letter confessed to strangling Doreen and dumping her body in a pond; the other accused Doreen of having affairs. Stephen stopped cooperating with the investigation after being confronted.

Nine years later, in 1999, Stephen killed his girlfriend, injured her boyfriend, and then committed suicide. His suicide note mentioned guilt about Doreen’s disappearance but offered no details. Although never charged, investigators believe Stephen was responsible for Doreen’s death.