Vanished: A Story of Betrayal, Murder, and a Father's Dying Wish

They were the perfect couple—until one of them disappeared. A true crime account of greed and betrayal from the New York Times–bestselling author.

In August 2001, forty-one-year-old Jana Carpenter Koklich, the only child of a former California state senator, went to an Eric Clapton concert with friends.

She was never heard from again.

Bruce Koklich painted himself as the grieving husband. He turned up on news broadcasts, tearfully pleading for his wife’s safe return. But something wasn’t right.

First of all, there were inexplicable money problems that police traced back to some of Bruce Koklich’s shadier business dealings. Then there was the shadowy business partner who came out of the woodwork and the million-dollar insurance policy on Jana Carpenter Koklich’s life. Topping it all off were the supposedly grieving husband’s sleazy secret attempts to bed his eighteen-year-old niece while his wife was secretly missing!

Eventually, those who had been close to Jana grew suspicious of the man she had married. And no one was more suspicious than her father, former State Senator Paul Carpenter. He was dying of cancer in Texas, but still found in his decaying body the strength for one last fight. It would be the fight of his life: Justice for Jana Carpenter Koklich.

Finally, in late 2003, after Jana’s blood-stained car had been found, a California jury convicted Bruce Koklich for her murder and sentenced him to fifteen years to life in prison. Paul Carpenter did not live to see justice done.

Please note: This ebook edition does not contain the photos found in the print edition.

© 2025 St. Martin's Paperbacks (E-bog): 9781429908894

Release date

E-bog: 14. marts 2025