"That Tuesday night, the 45-year-old mother left everything behind in her Woodland home: her purse, her credit cards, her car. The rings that she never took off were sitting on the bathroom counter. Every time she'd left in the past, her husband had pursued her. But this time, Carl Wulff didn't bother. "He didn't even get in his car and drive down to the end of the road," Dolores' brother later testified in court."
"As Carl's job prospects faltered, he retreated deeper into alcoholism and, according to Dolores' family, began to blame his wife for his failings. By 1979, the couple had four children - Carl Jr., Anna Marie, Tom and Paul - who ranged in age from middle school to early 20s. And although Dolores was loath to break up the family, she was seriously considering divorce."
Dolores Wulff fled an abusive marriage and left her Woodland home on July 31, 1979, leaving her purse, credit cards, car and wedding rings behind. Her husband, Carl Wulff, did not pursue her that night, and family members noted his unusual inaction. The disappearance prompted extensive family efforts to find her, persistent legal battles, and a public harassment campaign that affected the Sacramento suburb. Carl's history included unstable employment, alcoholism, and blaming Dolores for his failures. The couple had four children whose lives were disrupted. The case unfolded over decades, producing multiple court cases and sustained community attention.
Read at SFGATE
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