Gary and Sally had a troubled marriage. He was abusive, and she left him, taking their daughter Kimberly, and filing for divorce in 1982. Sally got a job and settled into a new life, but she acted strangely at work, often isolating herself.

On the day she disappeared, Sally took Kimberly to daycare, but never returned. Gary was in Oklahoma City around that time. He rented a car, bought a gun, and tried several times to rent a plane before finally taking one on the day Sally vanished.

During his flight, Gary stopped for gas several times. A witness saw a large bundle in his plane. He also called Kimberly’s daycare to say Sally wouldn’t pick her up. When he returned the rental car, the trunk mat was missing.

Gary then moved Sally’s furniture, claimed she’d moved to Florida, and picked up Kimberly from daycare using a fake letter from Sally. He gave a similar fake resignation letter to her workplace.

Gary’s mother found incriminating evidence in his suitcase: the murder weapon, Sally’s belongings, and letters forged in Sally’s name. Police found blood matching Sally’s profile in the car and plane, linking Gary to the crime. Although his defense claimed Sally left on her own, Gary was found guilty and imprisoned. The prosecution believed he killed Sally, disposed of her body at sea, and then staged her disappearance.