In 1968, a family man named Douglas Grenstead went hunting and disappeared. Fifty years later, his wife and children discovered the shocking truth. This story takes place 63 years ago, when Douglas left home and disappeared without a trace.
For many years, his family mourned him, unaware of what really happened. It was only decades later that they learned the shocking truth. Now, the faithful wife and daughters must bear the burden of their husband and father’s sins and live with it for the rest of their lives.
In 1968, Douglas Grenstead, a successful businessman and owner of a lucrative ritual agency, kissed his wife Barbara, hugged his daughters, and went into the woods to hunt. His family let him go without worry, as he was a skilled hunter who often spent days hunting in the woods. However, several weeks passed without his return, causing Barbara to become nervous. It was rare for him to be late, and after waiting for a few more days, she contacted the police.
The townspeople knew Douglas as a respectable family man who was well-versed in the wilderness, so it was clear that something was wrong. The whole town rallied together, with hundreds of volunteers, police, rescue workers, and even the FBI and National Guard, searching for Douglas for a month. Despite their efforts, only a few leads were discovered, such as his cap, tent, hunting permits, sleeping bag, and car. However, there was no sign of Douglas or his death. The decision was made to end the search, but Barbara continued to search for her beloved husband, hiring private detectives and holding onto hope for years.
Without her husband’s return, Barbara was forced to sell the business and move closer to her parents with her daughters. They created a new life together, but Barbara never forgot Douglas. Years later, in 1975, the authorities officially declared Douglas dead, and the family started receiving survivor’s pension and compensation from the government. Barbara never remarried, holding onto hope that Douglas was still alive. She, along with her daughters, wondered what happened to him and couldn’t accept his death.
In a twist of events, a man named Richard Morley appeared at the Social Security office to report a lost identity card. It was later discovered that Richard Morley had assumed Douglas’s identity after his disappearance, even continuing to earn money and pay taxes. When Morley’s wife retired and realized they were receiving no benefits, she reported the issue, leading to the exposure of the identity theft. Richard Morley, also known as Douglas Grenstead, had died months earlier from pneumonia. This revelation stunned Barbara and her daughters. They learned that Douglas had not died on his hunting trip but had instead abandoned them to start a new life with his mistress. The mistress had even been involved in the search for Douglas.
The news devastated Barbara, who had remained faithful to Douglas throughout the years. To add insult to injury, Social Security demanded a refund of the payments they had made. However, a judge ruled in their favor, allowing Barbara to pay off the debt gradually. Unfortunately, after Barbara’s death in 2018, the ruling was overturned, and the debt may now be settled through the sale of their property and home.
The story highlights the impact on Douglas’s family and the real Richard Morley due to Douglas’s deception. It raises the question of how well we truly know the people we love. Life can be confusing, and sometimes the person we thought we knew turns out to be someone entirely different.