Into Thin Air

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

(CBS)  After three decades, two investigations and one trial, Eugene is about to break his silence and tell a chilling story.

"I felt he had gotten away with it for 30 years. But I don't like a guy to get away with a crime for 30 minutes," Kaiser says.

The prosecutor was ready to go back to court to try Eugene again. And that's when Eugene suddenly announced he was willing to plead guilty.

Eugene was ready to finally answer the 30-year-old question: what happened to his wife? But he'd only give that answer if prosecutors would reduce the charge from murder to reckless homicide.

The district attorney thought that Eugene's daughter Linda should be the one to decide whether they should accept his plea, or start all over again in court. "I said, 'The only thing I want is for him to admit he did it. Tell us what happened to her. How he did it. And above all, I needed to see it come out of his mouth.' I needed to see him say, 'I killed her,'" Linda says.

The deal was done. Eugene, who had lied to all his children, broke his silence, and told his story to Statz.

Eugene told Statz that he had gone over to the house, and that shortly thereafter, an argument broke out. It turned violent in the kitchen, he said, when he grabbed a paperweight and hit Jean in the back of the head.

Statz says Jean lay on the ground still alive; the detective says Eugene then strangled her. "He told me that he didn't have an actual memory of his hands on her throat. But he had a memory of his hands and his forearms hurting a lot. He got a cord, like a tent cord, and wrapped that around her neck to make sure that she was dead."

According to Eugene’s statement, he cleaned up the kitchen and began a grisly 30 year odyssey with Jean’s body, burying it, exhuming it, and re-burying it. He claims his wife was never in the crawlspace. He says for 25 years, she was buried in a vacant lot he bought right after the murder. Then he says he moved her to the storage locker, where she stayed until April 2005, when Eugene heard the case had been reopened. Then he says he came back here, cut her body into pieces and took her to the landfill.

Linda asked that her father's entire confession be videotaped. The defense agreed, on the condition that she would be the only person to see it, and then it would be locked away forever.

Asked what it was like seeing that confession, Linda says, "I just still felt sick to my stomach. I felt so sad. But it was also very therapeutic. I felt like I was there for my mom again. The truth is comin' out. This is what happened. And it was big, almost a relief."

Eugene Zapata returned to court once more, this time to face his sentence and to face his daughter. Linda directly speaks to her father,” Dad, although I don’t condone what you did to mom, I do forgive you and I love you.”

Zapata said nothing. He was sentenced to five years for reckless homicide - all the judge could give him. And under the sentencing laws of 1976, when the crime was committed, Eugene will have to be released after only three years in prison.

Kaiser says justice was done. "Because we know what happened. In this case, on these facts, that was justice."

In that written statement he sent to sent 48 Hours, Eugene says the real reason he took the plea was to avoid the expense and embarrassment of a second trial. In fact, in spite of his plea his wife and two other children continue to believe he's innocent. But Linda however believes the truth is finally out.

"I have a huge weight off my shoulders. Huge," she says. "You know it's such a corny line but the truth, you know, the truth will set you free. It's true. At least for me."

Linda now knows her mother didn't abandon her and she could begin mourning. On April 12 2008, she held a memorial service in the same church where Jean had once been a member.

The police and prosecutor who worked so hard to make sure Jean was not forgotten, also gathered to honor the memory of a woman they never knew.

"You know, there's sadness, but I just had a smile on my face a lot of the time during the service, 'cause she deserved this. I think she's up there just saying, you know, "What took you guys so long? Okay, finally we got this.” And.-- just knowing that she's at peace now," Linda says.

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Linda has been cut off from her immediate family. Her father, brother and sister no longer speak to her.

[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.