MISSING: Bonnie Lee Schultz Part 1
Before dawn on July 4, 1997, Bonnie Lee Schultz was driving home after a late night out with friends. She was never seen again. For nearly 30 years, Indianapolis investigators suspected her husband’s involvement in her disappearance, but with no sign of Bonnie or her car, the case went cold. Could detectives have overlooked an unidentified predator who targeted her?
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Bonnie Lee Schultz
Credit: Schultz Family Photo
Bonnie Lee Schultz
Courtesy: Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
The Schultz family. From left to right: Richard, Bonnie, Josh, and Gretchen.
Credit: Schultz Family Photo
Bonnie with her children, Josh and Gretchen
Courtesy: Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
Bonnie and her son, Josh
Courtesy: Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
The Schultz residence
Courtesy: Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
An example photo of Bonnie’s car model, a 1990 Mercury Sable
Courtesy: Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
Time Out Lounge
Courtesy: Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
Sergeant Daniel Kistner
Credit: Audiochuck Staff
Timeline:
Evening
Bonnie tells Rick she wants a divorce.
About 8:30 p.m.
Bonnie kisses her daughter, Gretchen, goodbye and leaves to meet coworkers at Houlihan’s.
Night
The group attends a house party and later goes to the Time Out Lounge.
About 2 to 2:30 a.m.
Anita leaves the Time Out Lounge; Bonnie stays with John.
About 3:30 a.m.
Bonnie and John talk in the bar’s parking lot.
About 4:45 a.m.
John last sees Bonnie as they drive off to their homes.
5:10 p.m.
Rick reports Bonnie missing to the Marion County Sheriff’s Department.
Rick contacts Bonnie’s coworkers. Anita tells him she has not heard from Bonnie, then calls John, who also says he has not heard from her since leaving the bar.
About 7 p.m.
Rick calls Bonnie’s friend Diane, who visits him at the house and leaves alarmed by his comments.
A detective is assigned the case, and interviews begin.
About 5:30 a.m.
Bonnie’s siblings arrive in Indianapolis after driving overnight from Wisconsin.
Detectives conduct Rick’s first in-person, recorded interview since Bonnie’s disappearance.
The Schultz Residence
The approximate location of the home Bonnie and her husband, Rick, share with their two children.
Time Out Lounge
The bar where Bonnie, John, Anita, and other coworkers gather after watching fireworks.
Broad Ripple Avenue & Compton Street
The intersection where John says he turns left toward his home and Bonnie continues straight on 62nd Street.
Houlihan’s Restaurant
The restaurant where Bonnie meets Anita and other coworkers the night she tells Rick she wants a divorce.
Interstate 465
The major highway Rick did not take when looking for Bonnie.
Additional Information:
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
If you have any information about Bonnie’s disappearance or her missing vehicle, contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-6160 or email us at [email protected].
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Courteney Stuart
- Chaos Divers: 25 Years Without a Trace – A Mother’s Disappearance (Bonnie Lee Schultz) Pt. 1 & Unsolved Cold Case|| Woman Missing 25 Years Searching Bodies Of Water Around Last Known Location. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fKxnxuWPGw & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWO7shqtYKo
- The Noblesville Ledger (Noblesville, IN): Family waits for mom to come home by Josh Duke. Published July 30, 1997. Accessed October 9, 2025 via newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/354057225
- The Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, IN): Mystery shrouds woman’s disappearance by Julie N. Lynem. Published August 3, 1997.
- The Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, IN): Man scours trail of wife who’s missing by John Masson. Published November 2, 1997.
- WTHR (Indianapolis, IN): Missing mother. Published May 3, 2007. Updated April 15, 2016. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/missing-mom/531-73d2d00b-7038-481f-9095-02d44c8a7b2a
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