>> "your father's addiction is ruining us" wendy told anna, and as was wendy's way, told everyone else who cared to listen too. A crew from the U.S. network television show Dateline NBC is in Prince George gathering footage and interviews for an episode on the 1997 murder of a Prince George woman and the subsequent. >> judy told me, "we don't understand. that is, of course, if he knew anything about it. in minutes, you can find out if your current plan is the right fit, or if there's another one that can get you more coverage or help save you money. what are you trying to get? now suddenly for a man he believed to be a crime boss, he changed his story. >> he was a proud man who didn't like his dirty laundry aired, and she just had to everyone they knew. for three years after his mother disappeared, gabriel's way was to forget, force it out of his head. >> she waved a quick good-bye, walked down the stairs and out the door. Advertisement In 2003, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, residents were shocked by the news of a heinous crime inflicted upon a 22-year-old New Mexico State University . >> it's hope, you know. (upbeat music) i got this mountain bike for only $11. >> so she decided to give denis one last chance. it was a surprise to me. so i remember standing in line to go to the cinema, just, feeling awful, feeling the weight of what's happening and having it feel so odd that we're doing that. 0. he was still my -- my hero, my childhood hero was still there. and reliable coverage, nationwide. weird. anybody could see how close they were. they're unsure of the procedure. there was no evidence, said denis' sister. but isn't that life? Enable push notifications on your device. funny, that came up the last time i was at the doctor. >> denis lost the house. See production, box office & company info. i was nervous. >> he was fed up, over it? >> he didn't strike me as overly concerned. >> gabriel is a father himself now. Following. they're waiting for satellite results from the u.s. >> satellite results? i said denis, you're the husband. home was a country cabin surrounded by trees and mountains of british columbia, canada. the joneses, appearing in the newspaper accusing the family of mistreating their animals and using their land as a garbage dump. >> it was a fake confession. his son gabriel was one of just two witnesses the defense presented to the court. to save time and stay ahead of the mess but scrubbing still takes time. if my mom was accosted, she was thrown into the van, something forceful must have caused this dent. >> you couldn't not look at it as a possibility. how as a teenager she ran away from home, experimented with drugs. and waited to see what the machine would say. that's not wendy." so the litmus test to me is corroboration. >> discovery of a body --, >> by the time wendy ratte vanished, at least 15 women had either gone missing or been found dead somewhere along this highway. after a couple of months by august, he was helping to smuggle illegal cigarettes and kohl. YT ONLY - Dateline 1057 Stringout. >> mr. big is the commanding, all-powerful boss of the criminal organization. that she -- she's still alive? you don't want it jeopardized. >> translator: right or left side? >> denis told mr. big he drove back to prince george, got rid of the gun and his wife's i.d. clear lakes reflecting the blue skies above. >> i always thought of my family and my parents as being perfect. >> because it had been over ten years. >> where do you start? This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). she might have reached that breaking point where she just thought or she didn't think, just snapped and just left. >> translator: i had no choice. but this case wasn't only the crown versus denis ratte. >> so all thomas could do was file the results away and try to find more evidence against denis. >> i definitely would have heard it. and he guarded a hotel room door as an undercover officer savagely beat a woman. >> it was. which brings us to the greyhound bus station a few blocks from the place wendy's van was found abandoned. cuz i remember turning. >> she made an enemy for sure. she had done it before. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. not happy i did it, but i still did it. go to dealdash.com today and see how much you can save. Gabriel Adrian Avila was the culprit responsible for the rape and murder of the 22-year-old graduate student. . >> what would he know? >> probably. one day in 1995, denis returned from work at the sawmill and told him family how a log hit his shoulder, knocked him out cold. >> okay. but she stood alone. and unlike big glucosamine chondroitin pills, it's all in one tiny pill. On Nov. 3, Ratte was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting his wife in the head and dumping her naked body in a swamp. the family was overjoyed. first, the highway of tears. isn't that something common to all of us? when i was talking with anna and gabriel, the love that they had for their mother, i knew that it had to be reciprocated. of all the lies you could have said for why, you had to involve me again. Ratte case draws NBC Dateline's attention The 1997 murder of a Prince George woman and the subsequent conviction of her husband for second-degree murder 13 years later could be featured on a U.S.. >> it was like being in a nightmare because mom was never late. >> i remember having a thought of, it's not what i would have expected. >> by that point in time, denis ratte's read all his rights that he's provided under the canadian law. >> then a knock on the door. Sign in or register for your free account, Fort St. James man arrested, charged with attempted murder, Thinner forests key to industry prosperity, Man homeless after BC Housing buys building. certainly there was some differences. my first idea was "in one quarter of an hour, your savings will tower over you. >> shattering. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. i even cried when i did it. >> it became sickening to hear that another girl had gone missing. progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents. i thought, great, he got a job. >> what did all of that feel like? with a rifle, one shot, you know, nice and easy. >> the jones family. >> he was going to protect his family and protect his kids. so he says, i made up a story that i thought they would find me some kind of alibi or something, he says, and they'll fix it so that the cops would get off my case. >> he made a lot of money, first of all. finally in 2007, a decade now since wendy vanished, thomas decided that if she wanted to get closer to denis to find out what he knew once and for all, she would need some help. coming up -- >> it became sickening after a while to hear the police issue another release that another girl had gone missing. >> i never met the joneses, but the stories i heard were that indeed people would not have been surprised if they had acted out some of the threats that they were alleged to have made. a stand mixer for less than $20. >> so everybody was looking for wendy, said gabriel, when really, maybe they should have been looking for one of the shawnas. they're going to look at you. that was never diagnosed. >> it wasn't physical evidence, correct, yeah. >> you wouldn't think he'd forget about $2,000. if only she could speak to the spirits the way her mom once did. >> he prided himself on being able to read people and know when -- when to held 'em, when to fold 'em. >> so it was -- >> never happened. having a bad neighbor and -- >> and doing something about that. 615 following. >> a lot of people are nervous whether they come in. her abandoned van wasn't far from the highway. 16-year-old anna, daddy's girl, began to see the tarnish in her father's halo. you're the husband. >> a mother of two disappears. once neighbors of the rattes, not exactly friends. no wendy. right after denis was sentenced to 15 years to life, he suddenly turned to anna. so you've got this elaborate setup. >> falling apart. >> that night and the next morning, i just kept making phone calls. Rate. she saw them following her. i asked, you know, do you hear gunshots all the time. to. so, uh, yeah, just a silly mistake. there was usually a game in town. without it, there's no way to tell whether the suspect is telling the truth or is lying. >> so even in the newsroom that, was a leading theory. those old jacks you used to put under a vehicle. >> when "dateline" continues. time for denis to come clean. like how would you deal with that? It's just in the beginning stages.". coming up -- a missing persons case like no other because who actually disappeared? so, man, whenever i do hear one. so you can experience few or no symptoms. my job is to help new homeowners who have turned into their parents. for other cases there's usually -- at least bogus information coming in. that's not going to swim about in your brain. but -- >> i met shawna. so the obvious question -- did you have the feeling that this is a woman who might have just up and left? memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. >> i didn't know what else to do. that's one of your clear first steps in any disappearance or murder case is what's the motive. i saw his demeanor change from a proud, working man to a street thug. 4 likes >> denis was in a downward spiral. but nobody would be working on it. and his meeting with the crime boss, he said, was a chance to finally make the investigation stop. i had talked to many families of many disappeared people over the years, and i could see the light in her eyes that way. but she knew how much denis loved his children and how much the children loved denis. Or, did danger lurk closer to home? >> translator: in the back of the head. 837 miles of exquisite natural beauty winding its way past dramatic snow-capped mountains and breathtaking vistas of lush forests. maybe then she could speak to me. of course, he believed he was talking to fellow gang members. they also searched the area for a body, of course, but found nothing at all. >> over time the target is led to believe that he is an up-and-comer in the criminal organization. that's cold to talk about let alone cold to do. s. a month into the investigation, police thought they were a big step closer to solving the mystery surrounding wendy's disappearance. >> when "dateline" continues you clean dishes as you cook. >> and then finally she and the family seemed to find it. >> frustrated is what he was, denis told his sister. one of the worst things about a cois how it can make you feel. i said, "where's this coming from? denis lied to mr. big. >> i didn't give it a lot of, thought, to the point where i tried to remember her face and i couldn't. we'll get through it. on November 14, 2020. with us as always. all auctions start at $0 and everything must go. it's truly phenomenal. it had been years since she took the van to run errands for her husband and never return, but the pain of her parents failed to return. mood swings for one thing. she tried to do in her everyday life. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. i've decided we're going give it another try." so we're using a speakerphone in the store. i want you to tell me the truth." >> mean the man they call "mr. big" when "dateline" continues. this was a town that appeared to be haunted by a serial killer. have a good weekend unless have you other plans. while shawna was the wild child. but at the same time, it's like i knew. later that night, he came back. with anna to the coffee shop so that she would discover the van. >> and denis, anna remembered her father going for long walks in the woods alone, seemed devastated, lost, in denial. the emissaries of divine light. and humira helps people achieve remission that can last. >> so he threw everything into the pot. that was who he was. >> it was hard for me not to tell anna. in the beginning there was wilderness, vast and lovely and a happy little family, a bring and sister who loved each other and loved their mom and dad. 14, 2020. with us as always 's usually -- at least bogus information coming in thought, great he! 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