Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Narrator: ROBERT WYKEL DISAPPEARED
ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1996.
WHEN A PERSON DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE,
OFTEN, THE MOST CRITICAL INFORMATION
IS HIDDEN IN THEIR ACTIONS AND WORDS
FROM THE DAYS BEFORE THEY VANISHED.
BOB WYKEL'S LAST-KNOWN WHEREABOUTS
MAY HOLD THE CLUES TO WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.
BOB WYKEL TAKES ON LIFE WITH GUSTO.
HE LOVED PEOPLE. HE LOVED TO TALK.
EVERYBODY LIKED HIM THAT EVER MET HIM.
Narrator: HE ENJOYS HUNTING BIG GAME AND DRIVING FLASHY CARS.
Ogdon: HE WOULD WALK RIGHT UP TO YOU
AND OFFER YOU CASH ON THE SPOT FOR YOUR CAR.
HE LIKED TO WHEEL AND DEAL.
Lee: HE ALWAYS LOOKED FOR A '54-TO-'56 T-BIRD.
MY FATHER REALLY LOVED THAT CAR.
ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS THIS CAR, RIGHT?
Narrator: ONE NIGHT, BOB TELLS FRIENDS
HE'S ABOUT TO CLOSE A DEAL ON THE CAR OF HIS DREAMS.
Peters: WHEN HE WAS LAST SEEN,
HE HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON HIM.
HE HAD HIS DIAMOND RING ON.
Narrator: BUT BOB'S DREAM DEAL
IS ABOUT TO TURN INTO A NIGHTMARE.
THEY WENT ON A RIDE, AND HE WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Narrator: BOB WYKEL IS NO ORDINARY 65-YEAR-OLD.
A BIG-GAME HUNTER, FORMER RESTAURANT OWNER,
RETIRED SHEET-METAL WORKER, AND WORLD TRAVELER,
HE'S KNOWN FOR HIS YOUTHFUL SPIRIT AND HIS COLORFUL YARNS.
HE LOVED LIFE. HE LOVED PEOPLE.
HE LOVED TO BARTER. HE LOVED TO TALK.
EVERYBODY LIKED HIM THAT EVER MET HIM.
Ogdon: HE WAS A CHARACTER.
HE WAS VERY FRIENDLY.
STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION WITH ANYBODY.
AND HE WAS JUST A LOT OF FUN TO HAVE AROUND.
I WAS REALLY INTRIGUED BY HIS STORIES
ABOUT SOUTH AMERICA, ARGENTINA, DIFFERENT THINGS HE HAD DONE.
Narrator: BOB'S STORIES
ARE BASED ON HIS REAL-LIFE ADVENTURES.
HE HAS OWNED RESTAURANTS
IN CHICAGO, NEW MEXICO, AND ANCHORAGE, ALASKA,
WHERE HE ALSO WORKED ON THE ALASKA PIPELINE.
HE HAS TRAVELED THE WORLD,
HUNTING BIG GAME FROM RUSSIA TO ARGENTINA.
BOB'S HOME IN WASHINGTON STATE
ALLOWS HIM TO EMBRACE THE GREAT OUTDOORS.
Lee: HE REALLY ENJOYED THE MOUNTAINS.
THE MOUNTAINS WERE A PEACEFUL PLACE FOR HIM.
HE LIKED TO CLIMB AND GO AFTER BIG GAME --
MOUNTAIN GOAT, BEAR, MUSK-OX.
OH, MY GOSH. SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIG GAME.
Narrator: BOB HAS MADE A HAPPY LIFE FOR HIMSELF
IN A SUBURB OF SEATTLE
AFTER MOVING THERE FROM HIS HOME IN CHICAGO.
HIS DAUGHTER REBECCA, HER CHILDREN, AND HIS EX-WIFE
ARE ALL STILL BACK IN THE MIDWEST,
BUT HE REMAINS IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THEM.
HE AND HIS EX-WIFE, JOAN,
ARE TALKING ABOUT GETTING BACK TOGETHER.
Lee: MY MOTHER AND FATHER
WERE STARTING TO TALK AGAIN AND PATCH THINGS UP.
[ LAUGHTER ]
Narrator: BOB KEEPS A REMINDER OF JOAN WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES --
A LARGE DIAMOND RING HE WEARS ON HIS RING FINGER.
Lee: IT MEANT THE WORLD TO HIM.
MY MOM HAD GIVEN HIM THIS RING WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG.
IT WAS HIS EVERYTHING.
HE WORE IT SLEEPING, FISHING, HUNTING, WORKING ON CARS.
YOU NEVER SAW IT OFF OF HIM.
Narrator: IN FEBRUARY OF 1996,
BOB IS LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS GRANDDAUGHTER'S UPCOMING WEDDING
IN JUNE.
HE HAS PROMISED TO MAKE AN ICE SCULPTURE FOR THE EVENT --
A CRAFT HE TAUGHT HIMSELF.
HE ALSO PLANS ON HELPING HIS 19-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON
REFURBISH A CAR THAT SUMMER.
THEY HAVE ALREADY FIXED UP A MUSTANG TOGETHER.
THIS TIME, BOB WANTS TO TACKLE SOMETHING EVEN MORE SPECIAL.
HE HAS HIS EYE OUT FOR A LATE-1950s-MODEL THUNDERBIRD.
Lee: FOR WHATEVER REASON, MY FATHER REALLY LOVED THAT CAR.
IT JUST BROUGHT HIM BACK INTO REMINISCING
OF HIS DAYS OF YOUNG.
HE REALLY WANTED A T-BIRD, AND IT WAS A GOAL.
Narrator: BOB IS PASSIONATE ABOUT CARS --
THE FLASHIER, THE BETTER.
HE TOOLS AROUND SEATTLE
IN A 1989 MERCEDES COUPE HE HAS RESTORED.
HE HAS MADE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS FOR HIMSELF
BUYING VINTAGE AUTOMOBILES, FIXING THEM UP,
AND SELLING THEM AT A PROFIT.
Ogdon: HE REALLY KNEW HIS CARS.
WE WOULD GO TO THE SWAP MEET,
AND BOB WOULD FIND, LIKE, A HUBCAP,
AND HE COULD TELL YOU THE YEAR AND THE MODEL
AND WHERE THAT HUBCAP WENT TO.
HE WAS EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE.
ESPECIALLY OLDER CARS.
Narrator: JOHN OGDON, 31,
IS GENERATIONS YOUNGER THAN BOB WYKEL,
BUT THE TWO BECAME FAST FRIENDS
AFTER JOHN, WHO LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM BOB,
GREW FASCINATED WITH HIS AFFABLE NEIGHBOR'S CONSTANT TINKERING
WITH CLASSIC CARS.
LOOK AT THAT INTERIOR. ISN'T THAT SWEET?
YEAH.
Ogdon: HE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE TWO PROJECTS GOING AT A TIME.
HE WAS A PERFECTIONIST.
HE DID IT ALL HIMSELF.
BOB WAS OUT THERE FROM PRETTY MUCH MORNING TILL NIGHT.
IT'S GREAT. YEAH.
YEAH?
BOB WAS ALWAYS BUYING AND SELLING CARS.
HE WOULD WALK RIGHT UP TO YOU
AND OFFER YOU CASH ON THE SPOT FOR YOUR CAR.
HE LIKED TO WHEEL AND DEAL.
Lee: HE WAS HAPPY.
THE ONLY THING THAT MADE HIM
FEEL MAYBE A LITTLE LONELY ONCE IN A WHILE
WAS HE WAS IN SEATTLE, AND WE WERE ALL IN ILLINOIS.
Narrator: STILL, BOB IS RARELY ALONE.
EACH MORNING, HE JOINS A GROUP OF RETIRED MEN LIKE HIMSELF
AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT,
WHERE THEY SHOOT THE BREEZE
AND BOB TALKS ABOUT HIS LATEST CAR DEALS.
Wykel: YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS EL CAMINO.
THE INTERIOR COULD USE A LITTLE BIT OF REDOING.
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE IN GREAT SHAPE, THOUGH.
BOB ALSO PLAYS POKER EVERY WEEK
AT HIS NEIGHBOR JOHN OGDON'S HOUSE,
WHERE HE'S MADE CLOSE FRIENDS
WITH A YOUNGER SET OF MEN IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
POKER IS NOT BOB'S STRONG SUIT.
OH. ANOTHER RED ONE.
BOB DID NOT WIN AT POKER. [ LAUGHS ]
WE WERE ALWAYS GUARANTEED TO, YOU KNOW,
PRETTY MUCH EITHER BREAK EVEN
OR WIN A LITTLE MONEY WHEN BOB WAS THERE.
I'M IN FOR THAT.
HE WAS GUARANTEED TO DONATE 40 BUCKS A WEEK.
AND IT'S KIND OF HARD TO FIND SOMEBODY
THAT'S WILLING TO LOSE THAT KIND OF MONEY EVERY WEEK.
Narrator: LATELY, BOB'S POKER BUDDIES
HAVE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT A DEAL HE'S WORKING ON.
HOPING IT GOES THROUGH, 'CAUSE I WANT THIS '50.
THREE-QUARTERS LIFE CRISIS?
[ LAUGHTER ]
HE HAS A LINE
ON EXACTLY THE CLASSIC LATE-'50s-MODEL THUNDERBIRD
HE'S BEEN LOOKING FOR.
YEAH.
I GOT THAT RIGHT HERE
AS LONG AS YOU GUYS DON'T TAKE IT ALL.
[ LAUGHTER ]
HE'S EVEN WITHDRAWN $5,000 IN CASH
TO PAY FOR IT.
BOB BELIEVED IN CASH. CASH TALKS.
DIDN'T REALLY BELIEVE IN CREDIT CARDS.
HE HAD A LITTLE MONEY CLIP.
HE WHIPPED THAT CLIP OUT, AND THERE WAS CASH.
THEY ALWAYS TELL YOU
YOU SHOULDN'T CARRY THAT KIND OF MONEY AROUND,
BUT IF THAT OPPORTUNITY WAS THERE,
BOB WANTED TO CAPTURE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
Narrator: BUT BOB HAS BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THE T-BIRD TO THE MEN FOR WEEKS,
AND IT HASN'T MATERIALIZED.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET INSIDE TO LOOK YET.
HE SEEMS EMBARRASSED
THAT HE HAS ALREADY LAID OUT $1,000 TOWARDS THE CAR.
Ogdon: IT WAS A THIRD-PARTY DEAL.
BOB HAD GIVEN A FELLOW SOME MONEY TO BUY THIS CAR.
BOB WAS GETTING KIND OF FRUSTRATED
THAT HE HAD NOT RECEIVED THE CAR.
IF YOU WANTED A DOLLAR OR $20 TO BORROW,
BOB WOULD LOAN IT TO YOU,
BUT NOBODY'S GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BOB.
HE WAS A TOUGH PERSON.
BOB WAS ONE OF THOSE GUYS YOU JUST KNEW YOU DIDN'T CROSS.
Narrator: COMING UP, BOB PLAYS HIS LAST HAND.
HE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THE CAR.
HE TOLD ME HE WAS GONNA GET IT THE NEXT MORNING.
WHEN WE DIDN'T SEE THE CAR, WE DIDN'T SEE BOB,
WE WERE ALL EXTREMELY CONCERNED.
Narrator: 65-YEAR-OLD BOB WYKEL
HAS BEEN TALKING UP A BLUE STREAK AT HIS WEEKLY POKER GAME
ABOUT CLOSING A DEAL ON A 1950s-MODEL THUNDERBIRD.
[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]
ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS THIS CAR, RIGHT?
ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 21, 1996,
HE ANNOUNCES THAT FINALLY,
EVERYTHING HAS FALLEN INTO PLACE,
AND HE CAN PICK UP THE CAR.
OKAY, GUYS.
I'M GOING BIG HERE.
LET'S GO A BUCK.
GOOD MOVE, BOB.
LATE IN THE EVENING, BOB ACTUALLY WINS A HAND.
IT LOOKS LIKE HIS LUCK IS TAKING A TURN FOR THE BETTER.
OKAY, GUYS. I'VE GOT TO GO.
I'M GOING TO GET MY NEW RIDE TOMORROW.
HE CHEERFULLY RISES FROM THE TABLE,
WAVES GOODBYE, AND LEAVES.
HIS FRIENDS ARE HAPPY FOR HIM.
HE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THE CAR.
HE TOLD ME HE WAS GONNA GET IT THE NEXT MORNING.
THAT WAS THE LAST TIME WE SAW BOB.
Narrator: OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS,
JOHN OGDON IS SURPRISED WHEN BOB DOESN'T DROP BY
TO SHOW OFF HIS NEW PURCHASE,
BUT HE ISN'T WORRIED
UNTIL BOB FAILS TO SHOW UP FOR THE NEXT POKER NIGHT.
HE NOTICES HIS FRIEND'S BELOVED MERCEDES
IS MISSING FROM HIS DRIVEWAY.
Ogdon: IT WASN'T UNCOMMON FOR BOB
TO GO ON A DAY TRIP HERE AND THERE TO GET ANOTHER CAR.
HE DIDN'T TELL ME EVERY TIME HE WAS DOING SOMETHING.
BUT WHEN WE DIDN'T SEE THE CAR, WE DIDN'T SEE BOB,
WE WERE ALL EXTREMELY CONCERNED.
WE KNEW BOB WOULDN'T JUST LEAVE WITHOUT TELLING US.
Narrator: JOHN'S CONCERNS DEEPEN
WHEN BOB DOESN'T RESPOND TO ANY OF THE MANY MESSAGES
HE AND OTHER FRIENDS LEAVE ON HIS ANSWERING MACHINE.
I CALLED 911,
AND THEY REFUSED TO TAKE A MISSING-PERSONS REPORT.
AT THAT TIME, BACK IN '96, THEY TOLD ME A PERSON
HAS THE RIGHT TO GO MISSING IF THEY WANT TO.
IT WASN'T LIKE BOB TO JUST TAKE OFF.
WE KNEW HE WAS GONNA PICK UP THIS CAR.
SO WE KIND OF FELT SOMETHING WAS GOING ON.
Narrator: SOON BOB'S MAILBOX IS OVERFLOWING.
ONE ITEM IN PARTICULAR CATCHES JOHN'S EYE --
A NOTICE THAT BOB'S MERCEDES-BENZ
WAS IMPOUNDED A COUPLE OF DAYS EARLIER
AT A NEARBY PARK-AND-RIDE LOT.
Ogdon: IT WAS VERY COMMON FOR BOB
TO GO TO THE PARK-AND-RIDE, CATCH A BUS,
AND THEN DRIVE HIS NEW CAR HOME.
SO FOR BOB TO GO TO THE PARK-AND-RIDE WASN'T UNUSUAL.
WE'RE ONLY FIVE BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE PARK-AND-RIDE.
BUT HIS NICE MERCEDES,
IF HE WAS GOING OUT OF TOWN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
HE WOULD PARK THAT AT MY HOUSE.
Narrator: BOB HAS NOW BEEN MISSING FOR THREE WEEKS,
SO WHEN JOHN LEARNS THAT THE MERCEDES
HAS BEEN AT THE PARK-AND-RIDE FOR JUST A FEW DAYS,
HIS WORRIES GROW EVEN MORE INTENSE.
Ogdon: IT WASN'T THERE THE WHOLE TIME.
SOMEBODY PLANTED THAT CAR THERE.
Narrator: JOHN CALLS THE POLICE AGAIN.
THIS TIME, AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE IMPOUNDED CAR,
THEY AGREE TO TAKE A MISSING-PERSONS REPORT.
WHEN THAT MISSING-PERSONS REPORT WAS FILED,
THE DETECTIVE WENT TO THE RESIDENCE
AND DETERMINED THAT WHOEVER LEFT INTENDED TO COME BACK.
Peters: THERE WERE STILL DISHES IN THE SINK.
HIS BELONGINGS WERE STILL THERE.
Holland: THERE WAS FOOD ON THE COUNTERTOPS.
CLOTHES WERE IN THE CLOSET.
Narrator: THE FORENSICS TEAM
GOES OVER BOB'S IMPOUNDED MERCEDES
LOOKING FOR FINGERPRINTS AND OTHER EVIDENCE,
BUT NOTHING UNUSUAL TURNS UP.
MEANWHILE, HALFWAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN CHICAGO,
BOB WYKEL'S DAUGHTER, REBECCA LEE, AND HER FAMILY
ARE UNAWARE OF THE INVESTIGATION,
BUT THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN FRANTICALLY TRYING TO REACH BOB.
DAD, PICK UP THE PHONE.
BOB HAS NO CELLPHONE, BUT HE USUALLY RESPONDS PROMPTLY
TO MESSAGES ON HIS ANSWERING MACHINE.
WE'RE JUST WORRIED. GIVE ME A CALL, OKAY?
BYE.
THE KIDS WERE CALLING. I WAS CALLING.
MY BROTHER WAS CALLING.
WE COULDN'T GET DAD TO ANSWER, WHICH WAS SO UNUSUAL.
OKAY, NOT HEARING FROM HIM
WHEN YOU LEAVE A MESSAGE ONE DAY IS FINE,
BUT AFTER THE SECOND DAY, IT'S SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
Narrator: BOB'S FAMILY IS ABOUT TO CALL THE POLICE
WHEN JOHN OGDON FINALLY TRACKS THEM DOWN.
HELLO?
HE TELLS THEM HE HAS REPORTED BOB MISSING
AND THAT AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN LAUNCHED.
JOHN. YES.
WHEN BOB'S DAUGHTER REBECCA
HEARS THAT NO ONE HAS SEEN HER FATHER
SINCE THE FEBRUARY 21st POKER GAME
AND THAT HIS CAR HAS BEEN ABANDONED AT THE PARK-AND-RIDE,
SHE FEARS THE WORST.
THAT NIGHT, SHE HAS A NIGHTMARE ABOUT HER FATHER.
I WOKE UP REALLY SHAKEN, PRETTY MUCH CLOSE TO HYSTERICAL.
I HAD A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE DREAM THAT MY FATHER WAS DEAD.
I SAW HIM IN AN OLD-FASHIONED BATHTUB WITH THE CLAW FEET,
AND HE WAS DEAD.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT,
BUT I KNEW DAD WAS IN TROUBLE,
AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HELP.
Narrator: THE NEXT DAY, SHE QUICKLY PACKS
AND BEGINS THE LONG DRIVE FROM CHICAGO TO SEATTLE.
Lee: I HAD TO CONVINCE MYSELF,
"WELL, MAYBE HE GOT BUMPED IN THE HEAD
"AND HE'S WALKING AROUND.
"YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE IN A SOAP OPERA.
CAN'T REMEMBER. HAS AMNESIA."
OR, "MAYBE HE DID FALL AND GET HURT,
AND HE'S IN A HOSPITAL."
Narrator: KNOWING THAT BOB WYKEL
CARRIED LARGE SUMS OF CASH ON HIM,
INVESTIGATORS LOOK FOR A TIP OR A WITNESS TO A ROBBERY GONE BAD.
BOB'S DAUGHTER ALERTS THE MEDIA TO THE MISSING 65-YEAR-OLD MAN.
IF YOU DO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO BOB WYKEL,
PLEASE CALL POLICE OR CRIME STOPPERS.
Narrator: LOCAL TV AND NEWSPAPERS COVER THE STORY.
INVESTIGATORS HOPE SOMEONE WILL COME FORWARD WITH INFORMATION,
BUT THE PRESS GENERATES NO LEADS.
AFTER LEARNING BOB LIKED TO TRAVEL,
INVESTIGATORS BEGIN TO WONDER
IF THERE'S AN INTERNATIONAL ANGLE TO EXPLORE.
MAYBE BOB HAD A TRIP PLANNED HE JUST NEVER TOLD ANYONE ABOUT.
THERE WAS TALK OF HIM GOING TO ARGENTINA.
HE HAD BEEN THERE IN THE PAST.
Lee: MY PARENTS DID A LOT OF TRAVELING
AND REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH ARGENTINA.
THEY WANTED TO TEACH THEIR GRANDCHILDREN
ABOUT ANOTHER CULTURE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY,
SO AT ONE POINT, THEY TOOK THE KIDS TO ARGENTINA.
Narrator: BOB HAS ALSO BEEN ON HUNTING EXPEDITIONS TO ARGENTINA
AND STILL HAS FRIENDS THERE.
BUT THE ANGLE SOON FIZZLES OUT WHEN POLICE FIND NO SIGN
THAT BOB IS TRAVELING AND ALL HIS LUGGAGE STILL IN HIS HOUSE.
Holland: THE PASSPORT RECORDS DO NOT SHOW ANY OVERSEAS TRAVEL,
AND THERE WAS NEVER, EVER ANY INDICATION
THROUGH BANK RECORDS OR ANY OTHER RECORDS THAT WE EXAMINED
THAT HE WENT ANYWHERE.
Narrator: REBECCA IS SURE HER FATHER
WOULDN'T HAVE GONE ON AN EXTENDED TRIP
WITHOUT LETTING SOMEONE KNOW.
STILL, THERE IS ANOTHER POSSIBILITY.
BOB COULD HAVE RUN INTO TROUBLE PURSUING HIS FAVORITE PASTIME.
Lee: MY FATHER BEING A BIG-GAME HUNTER,
IT WAS ALWAYS A WORRY
THAT HE WOULD GO ON A TRIP AND NOT TELL US.
WE DID WORRY.
"WELL, MAYBE HE DID GO SOMEPLACE AND GOT HURT
AND WASN'T COMING BACK."
Narrator: POLICE CAN'T FIND ANY EVIDENCE
THAT BOB HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A HUNTING ACCIDENT.
IN FACT, THEY CAN'T TRACE ANY SIGN OF BOB ANYWHERE.
HIS PASSPORT IS STILL IN HIS APARTMENT.
HIS CREDIT CARDS AND BANK ACCOUNTS HAVEN'T BEEN TOUCHED
SINCE HE MADE HIS LARGE CASH WITHDRAWAL
TO BUY THE THUNDERBIRD.
A MONTH AFTER BOB WYKEL VANISHED,
ALL OF THE OBVIOUS LEADS HAVE TURNED INTO DEAD ENDS.
THERE IS NO APPARENT REASON
WHY BOB WYKEL WOULD CHOOSE TO DISAPPEAR.
Holland: HE WAS VERY ACTIVE. HE WAS HEALTHY.
HE HAD FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HE WAS CLOSE WITH,
AND HE HAD A STRONG SOCIAL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
THAT HE WAS ALSO CLOSE WITH.
Peters: I THINK THERE WERE A LOT OF RED FLAGS
THAT INDICATED THAT HE JUST DIDN'T LEAVE ON HIS OWN.
HELLO?
Narrator: IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE MAN
BOB WAS SUPPOSEDLY MEETING TO BUY THE RARE T-BIRD
KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HIM?
THE PROBLEM IS, NOBODY KNOWS WHO HE IS.
YEAH, I CAN BE AT YOUR PLACE IN...
15 MINUTES.
COMING UP...
THIS GUY CAME EVERY MORNING UNTIL THE DAY BOB DISAPPEARED,
AND THE GUY NEVER SHOWED BACK UP AGAIN.
Narrator: A MONTH AGO, 65-YEAR-OLD ROBERT WYKEL
DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE
FROM HIS HOME IN A SUBURB OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
THE LAST TIME HIS FRIENDS SAW HIM
IS AT THEIR WEEKLY POKER GAME.
BOB WAS UPBEAT AND EXCITED ABOUT BUYING A VINTAGE THUNDERBIRD
THAT HE HAD BEEN COVETING FOR YEARS.
NOW, WEEKS LATER, HIS FRIENDS AND DAUGHTER REBECCA
ARE FEARING THE WORST.
IN THE BEGINNING, YOUR HEART SAYS, "WELL, NOTHING HAPPENED.
DAD MIGHT HAVE FALLEN AND GOTTEN HURT," YOU KNOW.
Narrator: HIS FRIEND JOHN KNOWS BOB PAID $1,000 TO A MAN
TO ARRANGE THE SALE OF THE THUNDERBIRD.
HE ALSO KNOWS BOB WAS FRUSTRATED
BECAUSE THE TRANSACTION WAS MOVING TOO SLOWLY.
HELLO?
BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO THE MAN IS.
ALL RIGHT, SO, THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN TODAY, THEN.
OKAY. SEE YOU THEN.
GOODBYE.
BOB HAD SO MANY DEALS GOING ON.
I HAD NEVER HEARD THE NAME.
Narrator: INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT THAT BOB'S MERCEDES-BENZ,
FOUND IN A PARK-AND-RIDE, WASN'T LEFT THERE BY BOB.
Holland: THIS IS A LOCATION WHERE MR. WYKEL
WOULD NEVER PARK HIS VEHICLE,
ESPECIALLY ONE LIKE THAT
BECAUSE OF THE CHANCE OF IT BEING DAMAGED OR BEING STOLEN.
[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]
Narrator: REBECCA REMEMBERS HER FATHER'S BREAKFAST CLUB
AND GOES TO THE RESTAURANT WHERE THE GROUP MEETS
TO SEE IF ANYONE CAN GIVE HER SOME ANSWERS.
[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATION ]
THERE WAS A GUY THAT WAS HERE, AND HE HAD A CAR THAT --
YEAH, MICHAEL.
BOB'S FRIENDS TELL HER
THAT IN THE WEEKS BEFORE HE WENT MISSING,
BOB WAS BEFRIENDED BY A NEW MAN
WHO INSINUATED HIMSELF INTO THE GROUP OF REGULARS.
MIKE.
HEY, MIKE. NICE TO MEET YOU.
I HEARD YOU TALKING ABOUT CARS.
Lee: THEY PAINTED A PICTURE OF A GUY
THAT WAS TOO YOUNG TO BE WITH THEIR GROUP.
HE WASN'T RETIRED.
IT WAS MORE LIKE A PERSON THAT DIDN'T HAVE A JOB
JUST HANGING OUT.
Ogdon: PROBABLY HEARD BOB
TALKING VEHICLES AND EVERYTHING ELSE
WITH HIS NORMAL GROUP OF FRIENDS AND STARTED UP THE CONVERSATION.
Narrator: THEY REMEMBER THE YOUNGER MAN
APPROACHING BOB ONE MORNING ABOUT A CAR.
YEAH.
HE'S ASKING ONLY 5 GRAND.
5 GRAND FOR THAT?
Man: BOB, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?
Narrator: ACCORDING TO BOB'S PALS,
THE MAN THEY KNOW ONLY AS MIKE
TOLD BOB WYKEL THAT HE HAD A FRIEND
WHO HAD A VINTAGE THUNDERBIRD FOR SALE.
MR. WYKEL SHOWED INTEREST IN THE VEHICLE,
AND FROM THAT POINT, MIKE BECAME A MEMBER OF THEIR SOCIAL CIRCLE.
Narrator: NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW MIKE'S LAST NAME
OR WHERE HE LIVES.
THEY DO KNOW THAT THEY HAVEN'T SEEN HIM LATELY.
IN FACT, HE SEEMS
TO HAVE DISAPPEARED AROUND THE SAME TIME AS BOB.
Lee: ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN AT THE BREAKFAST CLUB
SAID THAT IT WAS REALLY STRANGE THAT MY FATHER WASN'T THERE,
AND WHAT WAS EVEN MORE STRANGE IS THAT MIKE WASN'T THERE.
Narrator: REBECCA'S DIGGING
ALSO LEADS TO ANOTHER IMPORTANT BREAK.
SHE LEARNS THAT HER DAD'S GROUP
HAD BEEN FRIENDLY WITH THE MANAGER AT THE RESTAURANT,
WHO WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE HIS JOB.
THE MEN HAD BOUGHT A GOODBYE CARD FOR THE MANAGER,
AND THEIR NEW FRIEND, MIKE,
HAD SIGNED IT ALONG WITH THE REST OF THEM.
Ogdon: THIS MANAGER HAD KEPT THAT CARD.
Narrator: WHAT'S MORE, BOB'S NEW FRIEND
HAD SIGNED HIS FULL NAME -- MIKE WYNN.
Ogdon: IT WAS A MIRACLE
BECAUSE WE HAD NO NAME TO PUT TO THE STORY UNTIL THEN.
[ TELEPHONE RINGS ]
Narrator: THEN, BEFORE POLICE CAN FIND MIKE WYNN,
HE FINDS REBECCA.
HE MAKES A SURPRISE CALL TO HER HOTEL ROOM,
SAYING BOB'S LANDLADY GAVE HIM HER NUMBER.
HE IS PLEASANT ON THE PHONE.
Lee: TELLING ME, YOU KNOW, HOW HE'S A WONDERFUL FRIEND
OF MY FATHER'S AND HE'S VERY CONCERNED.
HE HAD JUST GOT BACK INTO TOWN AND HEARD WHAT HAPPENED,
AND HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HE COULD DO TO HELP.
Holland: MR. WYNN TOLD HER THAT HER FATHER WAS AWAY, TRAVELING.
HE MENTIONED THE FACT
THAT HE MAY HAVE WENT TO A CAR AUCTION IN CALIFORNIA.
NONE OF HIS CLOSE FRIENDS HAD THAT INFORMATION,
SO IT SEEMED VERY UNUSUAL THAT HE WOULD SAY THESE THINGS.
HOW WELL DID YOU KNOW BOB WYKEL?
Narrator: WHEN AN INVESTIGATOR INTERVIEWS WYNN,
HE TELLS THE DETECTIVE THAT HE LAST SAW BOB WYKEL
AT BREAKFAST ON FEBRUARY 20th.
HE DENIES HE EVER HAD A DEAL TO SELL BOB A CAR.
A BACKGROUND CHECK REVEALS THAT MIKE WYNN
HAS SEVERAL ALIASES AND A SHADY PAST.
Holland: THERE WAS SOME CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN HIS BACKGROUND.
THERE WAS ALLEGATIONS OF DRUG TRAFFICKING
AND VIOLENCE TOWARDS WOMEN.
Peters: WE SPOKE WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND
AND LEARNED THAT HE NEVER WORKED,
BUT HE WOULD TELL HER THAT HE WENT TO WORK EVERY DAY.
THAT AFFORDED HIM THE TIME
TO GO TO THE COFFEE SHOP IN THE MORNING.
HE WAS BASICALLY A CON MAN.
Narrator: IN RETROSPECT, BOB'S FRIENDS
THINK MIKE MAY HAVE TARGETED BOB FROM THE BEGINNING.
Peters: IN COFFEE SHOPS,
PEOPLE OVERHEAR OTHER PEOPLE'S CONVERSATIONS,
AND HE WOULD KNOW THAT HIS INTEREST WAS CARS.
KNOWING BOB, HE'D WHIP OUT HIS MONEY CLIP WITH HUNDREDS IN IT,
AND THE GUY NOTICED IT.
THIS GUY CAME EVERY MORNING UNTIL THE DAY BOB DISAPPEARED,
AND THE GUY NEVER SHOWED BACK UP AGAIN.
Narrator: NOW BOB'S FRIEND IS BACK.
DID HE MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT TAKING A TRIP?
BUT WHERE IS BOB?
COMING UP, A WITNESS
PUTS MIKE WYNN AND BOB WYKEL TOGETHER
TWO DAYS AFTER BOB'S LAST POKER GAME.
THEY WERE DRIVING MR. WYKEL'S MERCEDES-BENZ --
THE SAME MERCEDES THAT WAS RECOVERED AT THE PARK-AND-RIDE.
Narrator: GET MORE "DISAPPEARED" ONLINE AT...
Narrator: BOB WYKEL,
A 65-YEAR-OLD HUNTER AND CLASSIC CAR ENTHUSIAST,
HAS DISAPPEARED FROM HIS HOME OUTSIDE OF SEATTLE.
WITHIN WEEKS, THE POLICE AND HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY
START TO BELIEVE HE IS THE VICTIM OF FOUL PLAY.
THE AUTHORITIES DON'T HAVE ANY EVIDENCE,
BUT THEIR SUSPICIONS FALL ON A 35-YEAR-OLD DRIFTER
KNOWN TO BOB AS MIKE WYNN.
WHEN A DETECTIVE INTERVIEWS WYNN,
HE DENIES TRYING TO SELL BOB A VEHICLE
AND THEN, WHEN CONFRONTED
WITH THE STATEMENTS OF THE BREAKFAST CLUB,
CHANGES HIS STORY.
WE WERE, YOU KNOW,
THROWING AROUND DATES HERE AND THERE,
AND THE GUY JUST COULDN'T GET HIS STUFF TOGETHER.
THE GUY THAT YOU WERE GONNA MEET?
OKAY.
HE SAYS THEY HAD, IN FACT, DISCUSSED A DEAL,
BUT IT FELL APART.
[ TELEPHONE RINGS ]
AFTER POLICE DIG FURTHER, THEY DISCOVER THAT IN BOB'S ABSENCE,
WYNN LEFT MESSAGES ON HIS ANSWERING MACHINE.
WHILE OTHER VOICEMAILS FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY
SOUND WORRIED, WYNN'S ARE UPBEAT.
[ ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS ]
Wynn: YEAH, HEY, IT'S ME. IT'S FRIDAY.
GIVE ME A CALL WHEN YOU GET BACK NEXT WEEK. BYE.
Carlstrom: THE FIRST COUPLE OF MESSAGES
MADE IT SOUND AS IF HE WAS AWARE
THAT MR. WYKEL HAD TAKEN A TRIP.
"I HOPE YOU'RE BACK NEXT WEEK. WE CAN TALK NEXT WEEK."
[ ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS ]
Wynn: OH, HEY. YOU RETURN A MESSAGE.
IT'S ME.
GIVE ME A CALL. BYE.
Carlstrom: THERE WAS A MESSAGE FROM MR. WYNN
ACTING AS IF HE'D HEARD FROM MR. WYKEL.
"OH, YOU FINALLY RETURN A CALL TO ME.
GREAT. CALL ME BACK."
AND THAT STOOD OUT AS VERY ODD
BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE ON THAT MACHINE
WAS SAYING HOW SCARED THEY WERE THAT MR. WYKEL WAS GONE.
PUT IT ON A SUNDAY.
PUT IT ON A SUNDAY?
OKAY.
LET'S PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR RIGHT NOW. SUNDAY.
Narrator: WYNN IS REPEATEDLY ASKED
TO COME IN FOR A LIE-DETECTOR TEST.
HE ALWAYS AGREES, BUT HE NEVER SHOWS UP.
HE EVEN SAID ONE TIME THAT HE HAD A DENTIST APPOINTMENT.
WELL, THE DETECTIVE SAT OUTSIDE THAT DENTIST OFFICE
AND EVENTUALLY MADE CONTACT WITH THE DENTIST,
AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE MIKE WYNN AS A PATIENT.
Narrator: DETECTIVES ARE CONVINCED THE ELUSIVE MIKE WYNN
IS PIVOTAL TO THE CASE, BUT HE IS VERY UNCOOPERATIVE.
Peters: HE CREATES THINGS AS YOU INTERVIEW HIM,
AND HE CAN'T KEEP TRACK OF HIS STORIES.
BASICALLY, MIKE WYNN IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR.
Narrator: THE INVESTIGATION IS AT A STANDSTILL,
WHEN THERE IS A CRITICAL BREAK IN THE CASE.
POLICE FIND OUT THAT ON FEBRUARY 20th,
TWO LONG-DISTANCE CALLS WERE MADE FROM BOB'S HOME PHONE
TO A RUN-DOWN R.V. CAMPGROUND IN THE TACOMA AREA.
THE CAMPGROUND IS OWNED BY RELATIVES OF MIKE WYNN,
AND HIS SISTER ROBYN HELPS MANAGE THE PROPERTY.
SHE SAYS THAT ON THE AFTERNOON OF FEBRUARY 23rd,
HER BROTHER MIKE CAME TO VISIT HER
AND INTRODUCED HER TO HIS COMPANION, BOB WYKEL.
Robyn: HOW YOU DOING?
THIS IS ROBYN.
HI, ROBYN. NICE TO MEET YOU.
HI, BOB. HOW ARE YOU?
Holland: THEY WERE DRIVING MR. WYKEL'S MERCEDES-BENZ --
THE SAME MERCEDES THAT WAS RECOVERED AT THE PARK-AND-RIDE.
Narrator: WYNN TOLD HIS SISTER THE TWO WERE STOPPING BY
TO KILL SOME TIME
WHILE WAITING TO SEE A VEHICLE FOR SALE NEARBY.
A CLEARLY FRUSTRATED BOB MADE A PHONE CALL.
Wykel: STILL NO ANSWER.
WHAT'S THE DEAL HERE?
I MEAN, I PUT UP 1,000 BUCKS, YOU KNOW.
LET'S HANG OUT FOR A FEW MINUTES.
HEAD BACK
OR FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, OKAY?
HE'S SELLING THIS CHEAP. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
HE'S HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS. I DON'T KNOW.
[ SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY ]
I WANT THIS CAR BAD, BUT I'M TIRED OF WAITING.
I UNDERSTAND THAT.
THE LAST-KNOWN TIME MR. WYKEL WAS EVER SEEN ALIVE
WAS BY ROBYN AND ALSO SOME CO-WORKERS
THAT WORKED ON THE PREMISES.
NOBODY EVER SAW HIM AGAIN.
MOST LIKELY, THERE WAS NEVER A CAR.
Narrator: MIKE WYNN HAD NEVER DIVULGED TO DETECTIVES
THAT HE AND BOB VISITED THE CAMPGROUND TOGETHER
OR HAD EVEN SEEN EACH OTHER AFTER FEBRUARY 20th.
INVESTIGATORS ARE NOW MORE ANXIOUS THAN EVER
TO TALK TO MIKE WYNN.
BUT ON APRIL 11th,
WYNN WAS BROUGHT IN ON A WARRANT FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION
AND LAWYERED UP.
HE WON'T TALK TO DETECTIVES.
MONTHS LATER, HE SKIPS TOWN.
Peters: MIKE WYNN LEFT THE AREA
TO AVOID ANY FOLLOW-UP CONTACTS WITH DETECTIVES
DURING THE LATE-1996 TIME PERIOD.
Narrator: IF MIKE WYNN IS GUILTY OF ANYTHING,
HE IS BEYOND THE INVESTIGATION'S REACH, AT LEAST FOR NOW.
TO KNOW THAT YOUR FATHER HAS PROBABLY MET WITH FOUL PLAY
AND THEN TO KNOW WHO PROBABLY DID IT,
BUT WE CAN'T DO A DARN THING, IS THE HARDEST TO DEAL WITH.
I WANTED THIS GUY TO BE PUNISHED.
I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO HURT SOMEONE ELSE.
Narrator: SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE CASE GOES COLD.
Lee: OH, MAN. THAT HURT SO BAD.
THAT WAS A TREMENDOUS LETDOWN.
THEY GAVE UP ON MY FATHER.
HOW COULD YOU GIVE UP ON MY FATHER?
Narrator: IN 1999, THREE YEARS AFTER BOB WYKEL WENT MISSING,
KING COUNTY MAJOR CRIMES DETECTIVE JON HOLLAND
IS ASSIGNED TO GIVE THE COLD CASE ANOTHER LOOK.
Lee: HE MADE UP A NEW FLYER.
HE PUT MIKE WYNN'S FACE
ALONG WITH MY FATHER'S FACE ON THIS FLYER WITH THE CAR,
AND HE GOT A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE AND ASSERTIVE ABOUT,
"YOU KNOW, HEY, WE THINK THIS IS FOUL PLAY.
YOU KNOW, CALL US IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING."
Narrator: SOON DETECTIVE SUE PETERS JOINS HOLLAND.
SHE HAD ASSISTED ON BOB'S CASE IN THE BEGINNING
AND KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH HIS FAMILY.
Lee: SHE KIND OF CARRIED THE TORCH, IN A SENSE,
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE CASE WENT COLD,
I WOULD CONTACT SUE PETERS AND ASK IF THEY HEARD ANYTHING.
I DON'T THINK IN MY DETECTIVE'S MIND OR HEART
THAT IT EVER WENT COLD.
Narrator: TOGETHER, THE TWO SEASONED DETECTIVES
ARE DETERMINED TO BRING JUSTICE TO BOB AND HIS FAMILY.
WHEN THEY LEARN MIKE WYNN IS NOW LIVING IN TEXAS,
THEY DECIDE TO CONTACT MIKE'S SISTER ROBYN AGAIN,
HOPING THAT SHE MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING -- ANYTHING --
NEW TO OFFER.
AND SHE DOES.
Holland: ROBYN HAD BEEN AT A FAMILY REUNION IN TEXAS
WITHIN THE PAST YEAR OR SO.
MIKE WAS AT THE FAMILY REUNION.
AND MIKE HAD BEEN IN POSSESSION OF A DIAMOND
THAT HAD BEEN PUT INTO A PENDANT FOR A NECKLACE.
SHE THOUGHT THAT WAS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL.
HE HAD THIS BIG DIAMOND.
HE FLASHES IT AROUND A LOT.
Peters: WE WERE QUITE INTERESTED IN THAT
BECAUSE MR. WYKEL HAD A VERY LARGE DIAMOND
THAT HE WORE IN HIS GOLD RING.
Holland: ALARMS DEFINITELY WENT OFF.
THIS IS A MAN THAT WAS UNEMPLOYED.
WHY WOULD HE BE IN POSSESSION OF A DIAMOND?
Peters: WE PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER
THAT MOST LIKELY, IT WAS MR. WYKEL'S DIAMOND.
Narrator: THEY KNOW BOB WYKEL
WOULD NEVER GIVE UP HIS FAVORITE RING WITHOUT A FIGHT.
AND WHEN THEY INTERVIEW MIKE'S EX-GIRLFRIEND,
THEIR SUSPICIONS GROW FURTHER.
SHE TELLS THEM MIKE GAVE HER A DIAMOND IN A PENDANT
FOR HER BIRTHDAY IN LATE FEBRUARY OF 1996,
JUST DAYS AFTER BOB WYKEL DISAPPEARED.
A DIAMOND THAT WAS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS --
YOU KNOW, LOOKING -- AS MY FATHER'S DIAMOND IN HIS RING.
HE GAVE IT TO ME AS A GIFT,
AND THEN, WHEN WE BROKE UP, HE TOOK IT BACK.
GIVE ME MY DIAMOND.
YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU CAN TAKE IT.
THERE IT IS.
GOODBYE.
Narrator: BUT BEFORE POLICE CAN PROVE
THAT MIKE WYNN IS IN POSSESSION OF BOB'S DIAMOND,
THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND HIM, ALONG WITH THE STONE.
COMING UP, A DIAMOND IS FOREVER.
Peters: WE HAVE MR. WYKEL'S MERCEDES AT A PARK-AND-RIDE,
AND MR. WYNN IS NOW TELLING US HE RECOVERED A DIAMOND
AS HE WAS WALKING IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE PARK-AND-RIDE.
Narrator: IN 1999, KING COUNTY DETECTIVES
LEARN THAT MIKE WYNN IS LIVING IN TEXAS
AND THAT HE HAS BEEN SEEN WITH A LARGE DIAMOND IN HIS POSSESSION.
INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT THE DIAMOND
ACTUALLY BELONGS TO BOB WYKEL, WHO DISAPPEARED THREE YEARS AGO.
IT WAS AN UNUSUAL DIAMOND.
MY MOTHER COMMONLY CALLED IT AN OLD EUROPEAN CUT.
Narrator: THE DETECTIVES LEARN FROM HIS SISTER ROBYN
THAT MIKE WYNN HAS SINCE SOLD THE DIAMOND FOR $2,000
TO AN AUNT IN TEXAS.
THEY PERSUADE THE AUNT TO GIVE THEM THE DIAMOND.
THEY BRING IT TO AN EXPERT FOR ANALYSIS.
SURE ENOUGH, THE GEMOLOGIST
DETERMINES THAT THE DIAMOND WYNN SOLD TO HIS AUNT
WAS ALSO OF A RARE EUROPEAN CUT.
REBECCA, BOB WYKEL'S DAUGHTER,
REPORTS THAT HER FATHER'S DIAMOND
WAS CHIPPED FROM YEARS OF WEAR.
SO IS MR. WYNN'S.
THE DIAMOND WAS IN ROUGH SHAPE.
IT WAS BEAT UP PRETTY GOOD --
VERY CONSISTENT WITH SOMEBODY
THAT WORKED A LOT WITH THEIR HANDS AROUND A LOT OF METAL
OR, IN BOB WYKEL'S CASE, HIS VEHICLES.
Narrator: THE TRICK NOW IS TO TRY TO CONNECT THE DOTS
BY HAVING REBECCA GET A DRAWING MADE
BASED ON HER DESCRIPTION OF HER FATHER'S RING.
IF THE RENDERING MATCHES WYNN'S DIAMOND,
INVESTIGATORS WILL KNOW THEY'RE ONTO SOMETHING.
Holland: WHEN SHE WENT TO THE ARTIST, THE SIZE OF THE SKETCH,
BASED ON HER SPECIFICATIONS,
ENDED UP THE EXACT DIAMETER OF THE DIAMOND ITSELF.
WE WERE CERTAIN THAT THAT DIAMOND WAS BOB WYKEL'S DIAMOND.
Lee: IT REALLY BROUGHT A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER.
WE KNEW DAD HAD DISAPPEARED.
WE KNEW THAT THE DIAMOND ENDED UP IN MR. WYNN'S HANDS
AND THAT HE WAS USING IT AS A PAWN TO HELP SURVIVE.
Narrator: DETECTIVES HOLLAND AND PETERS
TRAVEL TO TEXAS TO INTERVIEW MIKE WYNN ABOUT THE DIAMOND.
HE HAS A READY EXPLANATION.
HE TELLS THEM HE FOUND IT ONE DAY ON THE GROUND
AT THE SAME PARK-AND-RIDE WHERE BOB WYKEL'S CAR WAS ABANDONED.
I BENT OVER.
I PICKED IT UP.
I PUT IT IN MY POCKET.
THAT WAS REALLY A HUGE RED FLAG IN THE CASE.
NOW WE HAVE MR. WYKEL'S MERCEDES AT A PARK-AND-RIDE,
AND MR. WYNN IS NOW TELLING US
THAT HE'S PRETTY MUCH THE LUCKIEST GUY.
HE RECOVERED A DIAMOND AS HE WAS WALKING
IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE PARK-AND-RIDE.
WE ACTUALLY FOUND BOB'S DNA ON THAT DIAMOND.
Narrator: WHEN THE DETECTIVES TELL HIM A RUSE --
THAT THEY HAVE FOUND BOB'S DNA ON THE STONE --
HE HAS AN EXPLANATION FOR THAT, TOO.
Peters: "WELL, OF COURSE IT HAD MR. WYKEL'S DNA ON IT.
"I SHOWED IT TO HIM BEFORE HE DISAPPEARED.
I SHOWED HIM I FOUND A LOOSE DIAMOND."
AND THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AT ALL
BECAUSE HE NEVER TOLD THE ORIGINAL DETECTIVE
ANY OF THAT INFORMATION.
Narrator: THE MORE PEOPLE
DETECTIVES HOLLAND AND PETERS TALK TO,
THE MORE IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT CONNING PEOPLE
WAS A COMMON PRACTICE OF MIKE WYNN.
THEY ARE SURE BOB WYKEL FELL VICTIM TO WYNN'S CHARM
AND THE LURE OF THE T-BIRD HE HAD ALWAYS WANTED.
Peters: WHEN HE WAS LAST SEEN THAT DAY,
HE HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON HIM.
HE HAD HIS DIAMOND RING ON.
THEY WENT ON A RIDE, AND HE WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN.
Narrator: BUT INVESTIGATORS KEEP RETURNING TO THE SAME PROBLEM
THAT HAS HINDERED THE CASE FROM THE START.
THEY DON'T HAVE A BODY.
THE AREA AROUND THE CAMPGROUND WHERE BOB WAS LAST SEEN
IS SEARCHED SEVERAL TIMES BUT TURNS UP NOTHING.
WASHINGTON STATE'S DAMP CLIMATE, EXPANSIVE FORESTS, AND WATERWAYS
OFFER COUNTLESS PLACES TO DISPOSE OF A BODY.
THE NATURAL BEAUTY THAT BOB WYKEL LOVED
IS ALSO A GODSEND TO A MURDERER.
PROSECUTORS DECIDE THAT WITHOUT A BODY OR PHYSICAL EVIDENCE,
THEY CAN'T BRING A CASE AGAINST WYNN.
A HOMICIDE CASE WITHOUT A BODY IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
YOU NOT ONLY HAVE TO PROVE WHO COMMITTED A ***,
BUT YOU HAVE TO PROVE THE PERSON IS DEAD.
Lee: IT'S FRUSTRATING.
WE ALL KNOW THAT MIKE KILLED MY FATHER.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S MY DAD'S DIAMOND.
WE ALL KNOW A LOT OF THINGS,
BUT WITHOUT PROOF, YOU CAN'T GO ANYWHERE.
Narrator: SEVEN YEARS AFTER HE DISAPPEARED,
BOB WYKEL IS LEGALLY DECLARED DEAD.
THOUGH THE CASE IS COLD,
INVESTIGATORS JON HOLLAND AND SUE PETERS
CONTINUE TO PURSUE IT.
OVER THE YEARS, I WENT TO TEXAS THREE TIMES FOR MR. WYNN.
DURING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, THE STORIES WOULD CHANGE,
AND THE FACTS OF HIS INTERACTIONS WITH MR. WYKEL
WOULD ALWAYS CHANGE.
Peters: WE WROTE EVERY SINGLE LIE DOWN,
AND WE HAVE PAGES OF INCONSISTENCIES.
Carlstrom: THEY SPENT YEARS GOING BACK
AND TRYING TO TRACK DOWN PEOPLE AND TALK TO PEOPLE,
GET STATEMENTS FROM PEOPLE.
Narrator: 13 YEARS SINCE BOB WYKEL WENT MISSING,
AUTHORITIES THINK THEY FINALLY HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE
TO CHARGE MIKE WYNN.
THEY RECONSTRUCT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
THAT THEY BELIEVE LED TO BOB WYKEL'S ***.
THEY KNOW THAT BOB HAD PAID $1,000 DOWN PAYMENT TO MIKE WYNN
FOR A THUNDERBIRD HE WANTED TO BUY.
WE KNOW THAT MR. WYNN STALLED FOR A LONG TIME,
TELLING MR. WYKEL HE COULDN'T GET HIM TO THE CAR...
HELLO?
YEAH, MIKE.
...UNTIL FINALLY, ON FEBRUARY 23rd, HE AGAIN LIED TO HIM
AND SAID, "HEY, I'M GONNA TAKE YOU TO THE CAR."
SO, THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN TODAY, THEN.
OKAY. SEE YOU THEN.
Narrator: THEY HAVE WITNESSES WHO SAW BOB WITH MIKE WYNN
AT THE CAMPGROUND MANAGED BY WYNN'S SISTER
ON THE AFTERNOON OF FEBRUARY 23, 1996.
Carlstrom: WE BELIEVE THAT SOMETIME ON THAT DAY,
IT BECAME EVIDENT TO MR. WYKEL THAT THERE WAS NO CAR
AND THAT MR. WYNN WAS NOT GONNA RETURN HIS $1,000,
AND SOME KIND OF CONFRONTATION ENSUED.
Wykel: WHY DON'T WE JUST GO TO HIS HOUSE?
JUST PULL OVER UP HERE.
OKAY.
I BELIEVE THAT HE WAS TRYING TO PULL ONE OVER ON BOB,
AND BOB WASN'T GONNA TAKE IT.
I DON'T WANT TO GO OVER HERE.
I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS.
I WANT MY MONEY BACK.
BOB WAS A TOUGH PERSON.
YOU WEREN'T GONNA TAKE MONEY FROM HIM
WITHOUT HIM GOING FISTICUFFS.
HE WOULD RATHER DIE A PROUD MAN THAN BE RIPPED OFF.
I WANT MY MONEY BACK!
YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET YOUR MONEY, OLD MAN.
THERE WAS A FIGHT, AND MR. WYNN KILLED MR. WYKEL.
YOU AIN'T GETTING MY MONEY. I'M OUT OF HERE.
I'M FINISHED WITH YOU.
AFTER DISPOSING OF MR. WYKEL,
HE DROVE THAT VEHICLE BACK TO THE PARK-AND-RIDE.
HE WAS IN POSSESSION OF THE DIAMOND.
HE WAS IN POSSESSION OF THE CASH, AS WELL.
Narrator: THEN WHEN POLICE GOT TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT,
MIKE WYNN FLED THE STATE.
THE TURNING POINT IN THE CASE COMES WHEN AUTHORITIES LEARN
THAT WYNN IMPLICATED HIMSELF IN BOB'S ***
TO A FRIEND IN TEXAS.
Carlstrom: HIS FRIEND TOLD POLICE MR. WYNN HAD LAUGHED
AND SAID, "THEY DON'T HAVE A BODY.
"THEY DON'T HAVE A WEAPON. NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN LOOKING IN THE RIGHT BALLPARK FOR THE BODY."
OBVIOUSLY, THAT WAS KEY EVIDENCE, AS WELL,
BECAUSE IT SHOWED THAT MR. WYNN CLEARLY KNEW WHERE THE BODY WAS.
Narrator: ALTHOUGH BOB'S REMAINS HAVE NEVER BEEN FOUND,
PROSECUTORS NOW BELIEVE
THEY HAVE ENOUGH CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
TO BRING THE CASE TO TRIAL.
[ POLICE RADIO CHATTER ]
ON FEBRUARY 4, 2009, MIKE WYNN IS ARRESTED IN TEXAS
ON A CHARGE OF FIRST-DEGREE ***
AND EXTRADITED TO SEATTLE.
Lee: ONCE MIKE WYNN GOT ARRESTED,
THERE WAS DEFINITELY A SIGH OF, "WOW. FINALLY, AN ARREST."
Narrator: 15 YEARS AFTER BOB WYKEL
DROVE OUT TO BUY HIS DREAM CAR AND NEVER CAME HOME...
ALL RISE. SUPERIOR COURT IS NOW IN SESSION.
...A JURY FINDS MIKE WYNN GUILTY OF *** IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
AT HIS SENTENCING HEARING IN MAY,
HE CONTINUES TO CLAIM HE IS INNOCENT.
I'M NOT GONNA BEG FORGIVENESS FOR SOMETHING I DID NOT DO.
I WILL IMPOSE 240 MONTHS IN PRISON.
HE RECEIVES A SENTENCE OF 20 YEARS IN PRISON.
FOR BOB'S LOVED ONES,
EVEN A LONG-AWAITED CONVICTION OFFERS NO PEACE.
BUT IT DOES BRING A SENSE OF SATISFACTION.
IT'S HARD TO REPLACE A FRIEND, YOU KNOW.
IT DOESN'T BRING BOB BACK, BUT WE KNOW SOMEBODY
JUST DIDN'T GET AWAY WITH SOMETHING.
Narrator: BOB'S BUDDIES STILL CELEBRATE HIM
AT THEIR WEEKLY POKER GAMES.
HERE'S TO BOB.
Man #2: BOB.
Lee: MY FATHER FINALLY GOT THE JUSTICE HE DESERVED
AND THE RESPECT HE DESERVED.
THEY JUST CAN'T FIND HIM. THAT'S ALL.
Narrator: FOR REBECCA, WHO FOUGHT SO HARD FOR SO MANY YEARS
TO BRING HER FATHER'S KILLER TO JUSTICE,
THE VERDICT IS A RELIEF,
ALTHOUGH SHE STILL DOESN'T KNOW WHERE HER FATHER'S BODY IS.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'LL NEVER FIND MY FATHER'S REMAINS.
WE'VE NEVER HAD A FUNERAL.
WE'VE NEVER HAD A WAKE.
WE'VE NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY GOODBYE.
HE REMAINS IN MY HEART.
HE REMAINS IN MY MIND.
THOSE ARE WHERE HIS REMAINS ARE.