A WIFE AND MOTHER DISAPPEARS, LEAVING BEHIND A MYSTERY THAT WOULD HAUNT FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR 30 YEARS
"48 HOURS MYSTERY" ON SATURDAY, OCT. 18
As the wife of promising engineer Eugene Zapata and mother to three children, Jean Zapata was not your typical stay-at-home mom. Strong and independent, she was a trailblazer, one of the few female flight instructors of her day. But in 1976 she vanished from her Madison, Wis. home leaving behind friends, family and a mystery that would take 30 years to resolve.
After just three weeks, the initial investigation into her disappearance went cold. The Zapatas’ youngest daughter Linda, who was 11 years old at the time, grew up thinking her mother had abandoned them. Linda remained haunted until she received a visit from local authorities 28 years later. Thanks to the persistence of Jean’s lifelong friend Peggy Weekly, the case had been reopened. And with the help of Madison detective Marianne Flynn Statz, these women were united in their quest for answers, one that would involve sexually explicit photos, hidden documents, a safety deposit box and a secret that would tear the family apart.
Richard Schlesinger reports on 48 HOURS MYSTERY: "Into Thin Air," Saturday, Oct. 18 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. This broadcast is produced by Brian Leonard and Daria Hirsch. Nancy Kramer is the senior producer and Al Briganti is the executive editor. Susan Zirinsky is the executive producer.
Editors' Note: Click Here to watch a preview of the broadcast. CBS News 48 HOURS MYSTERY broadcasts are now available on iTunes.com.
"48 HOURS MYSTERY" ON SATURDAY, OCT. 18
As the wife of promising engineer Eugene Zapata and mother to three children, Jean Zapata was not your typical stay-at-home mom. Strong and independent, she was a trailblazer, one of the few female flight instructors of her day. But in 1976 she vanished from her Madison, Wis. home leaving behind friends, family and a mystery that would take 30 years to resolve.
After just three weeks, the initial investigation into her disappearance went cold. The Zapatas’ youngest daughter Linda, who was 11 years old at the time, grew up thinking her mother had abandoned them. Linda remained haunted until she received a visit from local authorities 28 years later. Thanks to the persistence of Jean’s lifelong friend Peggy Weekly, the case had been reopened. And with the help of Madison detective Marianne Flynn Statz, these women were united in their quest for answers, one that would involve sexually explicit photos, hidden documents, a safety deposit box and a secret that would tear the family apart.
Richard Schlesinger reports on 48 HOURS MYSTERY: "Into Thin Air," Saturday, Oct. 18 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. This broadcast is produced by Brian Leonard and Daria Hirsch. Nancy Kramer is the senior producer and Al Briganti is the executive editor. Susan Zirinsky is the executive producer.
Editors' Note: Click Here to watch a preview of the broadcast. CBS News 48 HOURS MYSTERY broadcasts are now available on iTunes.com.
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