Some cheating spouse case history

Section VII

Case Histories: Real Searches From My Files

During our years as investigators we've conducted a number of missing person searches. The following cases are but a sampling. We've tried to use cases that illustrate a variety of techniques and levels of difficulty. Very few cases are unsolvable in spite of how they look at first sight.

We'll examine these cases with our checklist in mind and the idea of always thinking of where to look next. See if you can apply your own ideas and techniques as you read about these actual cases. The identities are not revealed to protect the privacy of individuals involved.

CASE # 1 Cheating Spouse The client presented himself to my office with the story that his wife of four years had gone to spend the weekend with a girlfriend and had not returned at the appointed time.

My client was asked how long his wife had been gone and if the girlfriend had been contacted. Answering that he had indeed called the girlfriend and was told that his wife said she was taking some time for herself and that she would call in a few days, he decided to simply wait until she called. That was ten days ago, she still had not called and he was very worried. Of course my first idea was that she probably was not alone and might not call or come home.

Using my checklist to develop leads, I got parent's names and numbers as well as siblings and close friends. The follow up calls and interviews convinced me that they knew nothing of the whereabouts of our missing wife. Exactly two weeks to the day, a collect phone call came to my client and he heard from his wayward wife. She told him that she was fine and just taking some time to recharge her batteries. She was alone, had not found someone else and that she would be home in two more weeks.

Our client wasn't placated and wanted me to do something, so I did. Once I got the phone number where the collect call was placed, from the local phone company, I used a reverse or crisscross directory to locate the address of that telephone. Located at a motel in New Orleans the client sent us there to see about the next step.

Locating the motel in New Orleans I accessed the credit card and auto tag information of the person registered under my client's wife's name. The credit card was hers, the car was not. Enlisting a local private investigator which I found in the yellow pages, to run the Louisiana vehicle license tag, I found the man's name, date of birth and home

address. Using the telephone directory I got the gentleman's phone number for future use and then drove to stakeout his house.

Seeing the car at the house parked next to another car and a woman who was not my clients wife in the yard. I decided I didn't want to wait for hours to find where the runaway wife might be stashed if she was even in this city. So I found a payphone close by and called the number. I asked for the owner of the vehicle by name, it was himself who answered and I simply told him that the husband was on to him and was on his way as we spoke.

Leaving him hanging on the phone, I hurried back to place the house under surveillance and observed our man get in his car and head down the street. I followed him to another motel not more than five miles from this guy's house. He got out of his car and knocked on the motel room door. The door opened and guess who was there? You got it, our missing wife.

Snapping a couple of quick photos. I called my client, gave him the report and asked what he wanted to do. Answering that he wanted them confronted so they would know they couldn't get away with it. Following orders I did just what was asked and then I headed back to my office. The husband filed for divorce and the wayward wife got nothing except what she deserved. Empty motel rooms.