big." so denis did what he always did when times were rough. >> when "dateline" continues. anywhere, police radar was squarely pointed at her husband, denis, which was no surprise to seasoned prince george reporter frank peebles. it was brother against sister on the witness stand. >> who are these people? and don't forget, we offer a full 90 day money back guarantee on your first bid pack purchase. Her remains were never found, and the case remained unsolved for more than a decade,. "I want to know everything," she said, "So we can put my mom to rest.". >> uh-huh. >> okay. pretty scary, i think. >> they feel they have transcended the conflict intention of their former lives. >> oh, yeah. Snapped Georgina Misener. >> just at a loss. i was on the ground. >> the jones family. Wendy Ratte, a free-spirited mother of two, was missing. denis took a job at a local lumber mill. finally, i was tired of this file shuffle. it i did it, and it paid off. >> and i hear this story and think for crying out loud, she's done it again. he said, "i have gone through my story. but even when i was there. >> you look at the full circumstances of it. which left wendy's husband, denis. so please be honest. >> with various files, you get a lot of people saying, oh, i saw this person. and we decided an undercover operation may be the best to move this forward. >> translator: you have killed your friend? Dateline Latest Episodes NEW S31 E19 | 02/26/23 The Window NEW S28 E29 | 02/24/23 Before Daylight S31 E18 | 02/17/23 Footprints in the Snow S31 E17 | 02/10/23 Who Killed Mindy Morgenstern? >> yes, because it was specifically asked did wendy have money on her. >> nor did her quest seem to be over. >> so you were able to dispense with that one pretty quickly? wendy had been getting unemployment insurance. this was one of those people who was not going to let this go. the police. he went to vancouver, registered for college, tried to go on with life. >> gabriel was not there for the guilty verdict. healthmarkets designed its fitscore forever technology to do all the work for you. >> correct. not the sort of thing they were inclined to take lying down. >> why don't you want to see something, some kind of evidence to back up what you've seen on tape? It'd take an elaborate, undercover mission to finally crack this case. coming up -- >> it became sickening after a while to hear the police issue another release that another girl had gone missing. On Aug. 18, 1997, Wendy Ann Twiss Ratte, 44 at the time, was reported missing and the family's van was found parked at a supermarket, now Value Village. on tough messes, the spray-activated suds cut through grease on contact, without water. if you're honest, things will be great. >> were denis' two confessions evidence enough? gabriel was at work when the call came. and she was not a person i'd ever met, and we knew she was not well and needed care. >> why lie? biden now has 306 electoral votes to trump's 232. and word of biden's victory came as auditors in georgia began the laborious task of counting nearly 5 million ballots by hand. heart monitors that let your doctor watch over you, just like you watch over your best friend. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. >> but as reporter frank peebles dug into the story, he found another so far unsubstantiated theory making the rounds around town. >> translator: we're going to talk to each other, and we're going to work out these problems. >> and this is "dateline." >> he prided himself on being able to read people and know when -- when to held 'em, when to fold 'em. she took the kids and went to visit her old friend, lois. >> he says, i'm earning some money. >> and angry. Gabriel Ratt is on Facebook. >> you couldn't not look at it as a possibility. that obviously wendy loved her children very much, and i kept hearing that over and over. and it makes it difficult. >> i know my father. these people almost murdered me. 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. anna thought the confession finally proved it. she was the brains of the operation. >> all leading up to a sit-down with a man they called "mr. one of 800 unsolved cases on the unit's books. what it took for her to forgive him hurt him deeply. >> this is anna siefert who at the time was anna ratte. he said "see, told me not to do it. and i saw the look in his eye. 0. >> when "dateline" continues. didn't try to lie? >> it was quite a shock that somebody who is apparently normal, everyday, almost a stereotype in that sense could disappear without a trace. coming up -- a missing persons case like no other because who actually disappeared? she was a completely different person. september 27, 2008. a hotel room in winnipeg. with humira, remission is possible. >> when "dateline" continues these are real people, not actors, who've got their eczema under control. this shy, rustic french canadian laborer, denis ratte, who fancied himself a gambler, and wendy, the sweet, wild girl who strayed so far from her middle class roots in the connecticut suburbs. wendy, remember, was said to have a split personality, and denis claimed on the day he killed her, he knew wendy's alter ego shanna was going to sexually assault anna, and, of course, he couldn't let that happen. >> shortly after wendy disappeared, anna was looking through her papers searching for clues and found an application for a teacher's job in california. >> he was going to protect his family and protect his kids. i always considered him about as close as a hero as i girl could get. there was a time in her life when she did -- i don't know if you want to call it disappear, but she lost contact with her family. People always want answers, they don't like to live with mysteries, and in this case you have someone who was on a quest, who was very uncomfortable living with these big question marks and pursued it. they told him they needed to make sure there was no evidence left. >> eerie. coming up -- the investigation is transformed when detectives run up against a fresh and frustrating piece of evidence. >> the jones family matriarch sent a scathing letter to the "prince george citizen," bad-mouthing wendy and her family. it took everything for me to do it. time for mr. big. call the number on your screen, or visit healthmarkets.com. when we use it to improve things, then that change can last within us. there are auctions going on right now, so what are you waiting for? if you lie, there could be very devastating consequences. they're going distrust you, but don't take a lie detector test. we couldn't find her. >> they're described as right out of hollywood. >> okay -- >> in this video, she organized a peace project that taught student, including her own son, about conflict resolution and respect. Izhar Harpaz, a producer for Dateline NBC, was in Prince George on Thursday to get a look at the sites and scenes related to the disappearance of Wendy Ann Twiss Ratte. >> when "dateline" continues. >> just disappeared from her life. yeah. >> could this beloved teacher have had multiple personalities? >> it was a pretty sizable dent. they said they needed to see him right away. >> there hasn't been a happy ending for anybody -- >> no. >> at first for almost an hour, denis seemed to be in denial. separating rumor from fact, that's another matter altogether as detective judy thomas discovered. >> translator: no. you live it. Or, did danger lurk closer to home? and also past the sights of unsolved mysteries -- >> you say there are six active investigations -- cbc news -- >> more missing women on the highway of tears. after trying other medications. KAYZO Gabriel Ratte KAYZO - DIPLO AND FRIENDS MIX. how as a teenager she ran away from home, experimented with drugs. >> was wendy just the latest of a long list of women who had disappeared or had been found dead along this stretch of road? in fact, police were actively investigating her father. Facebook gives people the power to. and unlike big glucosamine chondroitin pills, it's all in one tiny pill. 3. i'm craig melvin. >> then one day after a month of rumors and unsubstantiated theories followed one after the other, there was a break. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. >> it wasn't physical evidence, correct, yeah. >> i saw that glint in his eye where he felt proud of himself again. four months after wendy. Or, did danger lurk closer to home? here's what's happening. after a couple of months by august, he was helping to smuggle illegal cigarettes and kohl. >> it struck me odd right at the beginning. When a world-renowned snake breeder is found dead, first responders originally think that his missing anaconda could be to blame; as the frantic hunt for a missing snake begins, the investigation soon reveals a tragic family saga and a sinister betrayal; S30, Ep18. >> i definitely would have heard it. the sweet free spirit of prince george, british columbia, had vanished from her life as slick as a magic acted. >> i just kept making phone calls, and no one had seen her, no one knew what i was talking about. but when i spoke to the woman, she actually said no, i wouldn't be able to say that at all. The case had languished for years but in 2008, Denis, her husband, became the subject of an elaborate undercover operation, known as a "Mr. Big" sting, in which police officers posing as high-level criminals to gain the suspect's trust. >> the truth? you know, i think no loved one really wants to believe that someone they know and care about could be responsible for somebody's murder. >> you certainly develop an idea of who that person could be. call today or go online to understandhf.com for a free hf handbook. but "dateline nbc" reviewed an rcmp summary of the mission. >> i remember her saying that she felt -- she felt at home there. a jury was about to decide. so, man, whenever i do hear one. >> but denis' sister dion said that what she observed in saskatchewan when anna and gabriel were still young weren't just mood swings but something far more complicated than that. >> i bet. i saw him with girlfriends that he had to pay for. "It's a tragic story but it's really interesting to explore both the mystery of how her mother disappeared and then looking at the emotional and human drama of the daughter's quest to find justice for her mother and then discovering the ultimate betrayal," he said. and forcibly took her and put her in the hospital. but the results were inconclusive. . and they're described as right out of hollywood. they said they had never heard of her. >> we love each other very much. the family could certainly use the cash, and denis figured he was pretty good. we sold an ipad worth $505 for less than $24. the highway of tears. she wasn't responding in the way my mother usually does. she didn't understand that her. -okay. -you smell like fish. >> upon our review, we came to the same conclusion as judy did, that denis ratte was the suspect in his wife's disappearance. healthmarkets is the number one ranked health insurance agency in america. it was hard. >> translator: so essentially, your son is asking you to tell the truth. >> no, he didn't. all told her the same thing -- wendy was first and foremost a, mother. weird. Join Facebook to connect with Gabriel Ratte and others you may know. by nightfall, there was still no sign of wendy. my first idea was "in one quarter of an hour, your savings will tower over you. they took a while to find the place. >> 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. >> translator: i took a bumper jack, right? >> straight out? they seem -- seemed real at the time. >> wait, did wendy suffer from multiple personality disorder? took a lie detector test to prove it. word was a serial killer was on the loose. >> i met shawna. one of the ways i do that is to get them out of the home. >> that's what i needed. >> translator: it was fast? i couldn't imagine how it would feel to be the one investigated. she wanted to have a good time. (upbeat music) i got this mountain bike for only $11. i was heaving. She waved a quick goodbye at the door, walk down the stairs and out the door. his confession was false. he changed so much. dealdash.com offers hundreds of auctions every day. understanding how to talk to your doctor about treatment options is key. >> it's not unusual for us to over that kind of time frame because of animal activity and things of that nature not to find either any remains or very few remains. but i had to make it clear that someone has to defend mom. we flagged bank accounts, credit cards, social insurance numbers. he hadn't been back in 11 years. >> gabriel is a father himself now. 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 . she even called herself that in a letter she wrote her parents when she was just 23. >> cory keenan, a criminologist at vancouver's simon frazer university, has studied these operations and written a book about them. >> when i heard that mum had to change bank accounts into her name, she had to protect the family's income, that was the first waver i had with my father's character. Keith Morrison reports. progressive is always here for you with round-the-clock service. you're the husband. so if there's an ounce of -- of me not believing him, it's there. she was bragging about how much money she made, and she said "i'm not wendy anymore." >> and you know how people are they talk. >> and it was on one of those smoke-filled nights, sometime around february 1997, six months before wendy disappeared when hunched around the poker table, in the company of high roller, denis found himself staring at a hand that spelled salvation, with $25,000 in chips sitting on the table. boomer naturals, you and your family deserve the best. but nobody would be working on it. that phone call was happiness with a lot of relief in it. i'm having a big lunch and then just a snack for dinner. i thought, great, he got a job. >> you know, i don't want to speak badly about my sister. but instead of anger he was surprised to encounter skepticism. >> then three months into the operation, the sting was primed. but then police showed him the video. >> the next day, denis and the kids filed a report with the rcmp, the royal canadian mounted police. >> an undercover operation? >> i remember her transforming into this character. >> but when anna kept pushing, her dad snapped back, said that he was conducting his own investigation. >> he shot wendy, denis told mr. big, that morning at their house in prince george. Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Documentary News Parents guide Add content advisory Details Language English Production company NBC News See more company credits at IMDbPro Technical specs Runtime in a story as unlikely and romantic as anna and gabriel had ever heard. but in the beginning? >> okay? that's a piece of the tarp. this was a town that appeared to be haunted by a serial killer. not so much as a bone. but nonetheless, that's what i had. he liked being the man of the house. that's what he had done. >> denis' defense lawyer hammered undercover detectives about the lack of physical evidence and pointed out lies denis had told mr. big and his gang. the main person that they alluded to wasn't even in the area. there's resources that can inform us, and that spark can make a difference. to find out what happened, an elite group of detectives launched an elaborate mission. [ chuckles ] no one looks ridiculous, bob. he had found a newfound family that respected him, that thought he was intelligent. that's when she became convinced. >> but there was something anna didn't know. and after four weeks, the end to the 13-year-old mystery was finally at hand. investigator thomas decided no. >> it had been a heavy burden to carry that with him all those years, said denis. gabriel noticed that the old self-assured denis was back. when i was talking with anna and gabriel, the love that they had for their mother, i knew that it had to be reciprocated. >> wendy, an art teacher by trade, taught her kids to help others, to speak up and be heard like her. we find new ways of speaking, so you're never out of touch. >> they always promised me it wasn't. to save time and stay ahead of the mess but scrubbing still takes time. >> translator: in the face. i want you to tell me the truth." it looks like your blood pressure's a little high. i didn't know -- this is like three years' buildup of just holding it in. i guess he sort of could because he was winning quite a bit. yeah. >> it was. it continuously scans the market to compare your plan against any new options year after year, so you don't have to stress about picking your health insurance plan. In court she described the devastation of "losing" both her parents. >> it became sickening to hear that another girl had gone missing. >> translator: in the back of the head. what became your focus? >> it was just the natural assumption that someone of that style, that democrat graphic demographic wouldn't go missing unless it was to someone she knew closely. s. a month into the investigation, police thought they were a big step closer to solving the mystery surrounding wendy's disappearance. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. >> wendy wanted her children to have the emotional stability she couldn't seem to manage even in her solid middle-class upbringing. >> it struck me there as going -- >> why didn't he tell me that the first time? with serious security. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. there was usually a game in town. the honest truth. i'm going to tell you honestly what happened. when it came time for him to leave, she said "take me with you." the final states to be called in the 2020 election. could it have maybe been some kind of a sign of a struggle? now there's dawn powerwash dish spray. i didn't want to leave a mark, right? this is her little brother, gabriel. >> and he admitted it. mood swings for one thing. she might have reached that breaking point where she just thought or she didn't think, just snapped and just left. support that. >> in the performance? -sorry. go to dealdash.com today and see how much you can save. but we were both so lost that we couldn't -- we couldn't be there for each other anymore. On tour View all. but we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. >> all i remember is the glint in his eye when he told me he was working again and how proud he looked. but isn't that life? he has blue hair. that is, of course, if he knew anything about it. his audition, he believed, for membership, for trust, for help from mr. big. wendy or a second personality some say lurked inside? and also past the sights of unsolved a stand mixer for less than $20. It'd take an elabor Wendy Ratte, a free-spirited mother of two, was missing. >> denis was in a downward spiral. >> prince george detective judy thomas was leading the police inquiry into wendy's disappearance. >> was her mom alive? switch to progressive and you can save hundreds. have a good weekend unless have you other plans. for all those years he told her, the police just wouldn't leave him alone. so the obvious question -- did you have the feeling that this is a woman who might have just up and left? >> frustrated is what he was, denis told his sister. >> you hear right, truthful. >> translator: no, i never said it. how her parents sent her to a psychiatric hospital back in connecticut. >> he was fed up, over it? >> a canadian news magazine show profiled the group and found it had several branches in the u.s. >> i helped police look into that and gave them every information i could. >> very hard. >> that's true, but isn't the truth more important? 2022. they created from scratch a fake criminal organization complete with detectives posing as, crooks. it happened in a drama class. the goal -- to lure denis ratte into their midst and gain his trust so as to find out what he really knew about his wife's disappearance. of those, i just -- my heart fills with optimism. no wendy. i still love her even. how did he seem going in? healthmarkets has options from both on and off the government exchange. >> they're still my family. we can't let that go. denis ratte caught by an elaborate undercover sting, a confessor to murder, sat in jail while outside his two children, anna and gabriel, battled over whether he belonged there. i finished her off with that. until the day in late 2007 when anna met reporter frank peebles at a downtown cafe. >> in fact, the mr. big undercover technique has been repeatedly upheld by canada's supreme court. >> i'm going, wait a minute. he didn't want to lose that. she was always so gentle with them, soft spoken. Sign Up for Free. we have a bond as brother and sister that was very strong as children, and it will always be there. >> but still, why would her own kids think it possible she'd abandon her own family without so much as goodbye? not only on never finding his wife again about on himself. for other cases there's usually -- at least bogus information coming in. >> yeah. inside everything looked normal, so anna drove the van home. >> the polygraph operator rereads his charts. wendy found work off and on as a substitute teacher at the local high school. when we understand what's possible, we won't settle for less. >> shattering. Ways i do hear one find new ways of speaking, so anna drove the home. Me not believing him, that 's true, but do n't want to see him right away actually no. Here for you with round-the-clock service word was a town that appeared to be haunted by serial! 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