Into Thin Air

A Mother Disappears Leaving Behind A Mystery That Would Take Her Daughter 30 Years To Solve

(CBS)  Officially, Jean was classified as a missing person by the Madison, Wis. police department. But Officer Martin noticed something strange about Eugene's behavior following the disappearance of his estranged wife. "He was like a blank sheet of paper. I mean there was nothing on him to read and that bothered me," he remembers.

Martin says he asked Eugene to take a lie detector test, and he agreed. Eugene passed the test, but investigators thought there was something unusual about his demeanor.

Martin says he was unable to get under Eugene's skin. "I thought realistically that by pushing him into a lie detector test that I would get some movement. I got absolutely nothing."

His only other possible suspect, Jean's boyfriend Paul Lee, took and passed his lie detector test and was cleared of any suspicion.

But police were learning some things about the Zapatas' marriage, which added to their suspicions. "Eugene had placed an ad for her in a swingers type magazine," Martin explains.

One day the post office called Jean to complain about x-rated material in a mailbox rented by Eugene. It was the first she'd heard about the mailbox. So she went to look and was horrified by what she found. "She picks it up and is rifling through it, and she sees her own nude picture looking back at her where her husband is pimping her out to anyone who subscribes to that magazine," Peggy says.

Remember, this happened when Jean was still trying to save her marriage. "At one point, when Eugene said he just didn't seem to have any lead in his pencil, but it might help if he could take provocative pictures of her, she let him. Never realizing that years later, these pictures would come back to haunt her," Peggy says.

Jean's divorce attorney, Daphne Webb, learned that the swingers' magazine was only part of the story. "They would go to bars and he'd want her to stand off to one side so that he could pretend that she was a pickup and see if men would try to pick her up. I think most disturbing to her was that he would kind of reach up under her clothes and grope her when the children were present."

Jean not only wanted a divorce, she wanted a restraining order.

Eugene moved out, but he didn't move on. The divorce was bitter, and he seemed obsessed with Jean. "In today’s terms I would say she was describing stalking behavior. He would come to the house on the pretext of seeing the children and he would go through her underwear drawer and her possessions. And she found it very disturbing," Webb says.

The restraining order limited Eugene's visitation rights with the children to 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturdays. That's the only time he was permitted to be at the house.

On the Monday morning that she disappeared, Jean telephoned her attorney at about 8:15 a.m. and left a message. When Webb returned the call about an hour later, it was Eugene who answered. "Which was surprising because he was not supposed to be in the house," Webb points out.

Asked what she said to Eugene, Webb says, "Well, I said, 'I'm returning Jeanette's call.' And, he said, 'Well, I don't know where she is.' Her car is still here.' I think he said her purse was still on the table, and I didn't suspect any foul play… So, I just said, 'Well, I returned her call. Let her know when you see her.'"

Webb told police all that at the time, but there was no physical evidence of foul play.

And after just three weeks, the case went cold. Eugene moved back into the house, and for Linda, it was as if her mother had simply never existed. "It's really odd, but somehow, no one talked about it. No one brought her up. I don't think I used the word 'Mom' until I was in my late teens, early 20s. I don't know why," she says. "Back then it was so taboo. And no one told me not to talk about it, but the three of us kids, I think we all just shut down. For me, there was this enormous uncomfortable elephant in the middle of the room. And no one talked about it."

Two years after Jean disappeared, Eugene married his current wife Joan. Linda now had a stepmother, but she still waited and hoped her own mom would return.

Years and decades passed, and the Zapata children grew up and moved out.

Peggy moved away from Madison, but she never forgot about her best friend.

[MiMiParis16]

Please connect with me, Linda. I recently realized that my father may have murdered my mother and then later abandoned me in a local park at the age of 11 months. After years in foster care, he and his "new wife" and my "new mother" retrieved me, only to abuse me for years. Please read my blog, http://parismusings.blogspot.com. My whole life has been a lie, and I want the truth. MiMi

[virgosal]

This story is so sad. The father did not kill only the mother but he killed his other daughter and son too because those two are dead inside, dead to the truth of what happened. Only Linda is alive and free because she faced the truth and it indeed set her free, unlike her two siblings who go about their ways like zombies. Their anger is misplaced and I feel sorry for them. The father is in a prison of his own and is not really free either and the wife deserves him.

[burnhim]

What a story! Linda, you did what is right. You owed this to your mother. Now she can actually rest in peace. If your family doesn't speak to you, it's their loss. God bless you!

[yukongirl03]

Linda, It''s too bad your family won''t talk to you anymore. Parents sometimes abuse their power with mental pressure etc and so your siblings have closed their minds to what really happened. I hope you have great friends that will give you lots of support. Keep your courage up!

[rona53]

I reaction of step mother and her siblings amaze me. This man admitted killing another human being, and they''re upset with his daughter... How could they possibly be. I''m very proud of her for having the courage to follow her convictions, even if the outcome proved her father guilty.Congratulations

[anne11925]

I can''t believe that poor-excuse-for-a-human being man only received 5 years (& actually 3) for killing his wife and hiding it from his children!

This is more example of how our society has let the criminal get off easy. The poor victim hasn''t been able to live her life the past 30 years while her killer has been free to live his. Is this justice?!!!

[cliffps]

The wheels of justic turn far too slowly. So glad though that the slimey monster is behind bars finally and he wouldn''t be except for the dollar expense of a having to retain an attorney, so typical of those kind. Linda, Peggy, you have my deepest and most sincere condolences and I hope you can now have SOME closure. May Jean''s memory live on forever in our hearts, I know she will in mine.

[hamp04]

people say justice long delayed is justice denied...but justice is done in GOD''S time not ours in the end he will make every thing right

[linfinster]

It''s amazing that her family could treat her like that, but we don''t know everything either. Perhaps she burned some bridges with the siblings while trying to get the answers she needed .. but then again, the article does say they don''t believe her ... so twisted. Best of luck to you Linda!

[spain71]

I cannot believe that Linda''s siblings do not speak with her. Especially, in view of the fact that their father admitted to the murder of their mother. It sounds to me like Linda is the only sane (and moral) person, with a conscience, in that family. Bless her heart. You did the right thing and you can live in Peace.

[stickybeak]

Wow, what a story. I am glad that Linda
finally has the answer to her Mothers disappearance.
It sounds like the siblings and his current wife
want to keep their heads in the sand.
It would be really hard to find out your father had murdered your Mother. I cant even imagine how horrible that would be. I hope they all can find peace now.