I watched the Bo Tanner segment on UM for the first time a few days ago. Being FROM Montana (duh) and having spent some time in Polebridge, MT... I found it interesting that such an incident could have went down without my hearing about it. (I grew up literally less than an hour from Polebridge.) In any case, after seeing the segment and recognizing the lead detective on the case, I put my Google skills to work and found that he was still working for the Flathead County Sheriff's Department. So, after eluding to possibly contacting him via PM with Crystaldawn, I shot him an e-mail on Friday.

It read, in part:
According to the Unsolved Mysteries segment, Tanner is wanted on a charge
of bigamy. As you were one of the lead detectives on the case, it is my
understanding that you would have information on a possible capture of Mr.
Tanner. Are there any updates to this incredibly old case? We would
appreciate any information you would be willing/able to share with us.


To be honest, I didn't expect to get a response from him. But I got one. VERY quickly, I might add! It read:

Bo Tanner’s real name was Eddie Riddlehoover and he had faked his death in Houston Texas years before his 1990 disappearance from Montana. When the Unsolved Mysteries program aired, I received a call from the Texas wife who thought that he was dead. His car had been found on the Houston Ship Channel Bridge and everyone assumed that he had jumped to avoid an arson investigation. He had also faked his death under another alias in Washington State by leaving a large quantity of blood in his vehicle. Another wife was left behind there. This scam failed when the blood was determined to have come from an animal. After the program, Riddlehoover was found in Wyoming with a new girlfriend but could not be held because the prosecutor in Washington had refused to file a Bigamy charge. Tanner is suspected in the Arson of his church in Flathead County but could not be charged now, because the statute of limitations has expired, even if we could prove the case.

So there ya have it. I'm DYING to hear your thoughts on this....I'll also be adding this to the Updates thread so we're current. I just wanted to open this one up for discussion...

My thoughts are this dude needs some serious psychological assistance. He is absolutely pathetic.

My thoughts: I'm surprised at the exact extent of his criminal history prior to turning up in Montana, and more convinced than ever that a padded cell will be his future home.

Oh, and great work LooksLikeCRicci!

I watched the Bo Tanner segment on UM for the first time a few days ago. Being FROM Montana (duh) and having spent some time in Polebridge, MT... I found it interesting that such an incident could have went down without my hearing about it. (I grew up literally less than an hour from Polebridge.) In any case, after seeing the segment and recognizing the lead detective on the case, I put my Google skills to work and found that he was still working for the Flathead County Sheriff's Department. So, after eluding to possibly contacting him via PM with Crystaldawn, I shot him an e-mail on Friday.

It read, in part:
According to the Unsolved Mysteries segment, Tanner is wanted on a charge
of bigamy. As you were one of the lead detectives on the case, it is my
understanding that you would have information on a possible capture of Mr.
Tanner. Are there any updates to this incredibly old case? We would
appreciate any information you would be willing/able to share with us.


To be honest, I didn't expect to get a response from him. But I got one. VERY quickly, I might add! It read:

Bo Tanner’s real name was Eddie Riddlehoover and he had faked his death in Houston Texas years before his 1990 disappearance from Montana. When the Unsolved Mysteries program aired, I received a call from the Texas wife who thought that he was dead. His car had been found on the Houston Ship Channel Bridge and everyone assumed that he had jumped to avoid an arson investigation. He had also faked his death under another alias in Washington State by leaving a large quantity of blood in his vehicle. Another wife was left behind there. This scam failed when the blood was determined to have come from an animal. After the program, Riddlehoover was found in Wyoming with a new girlfriend but could not be held because the prosecutor in Washington had refused to file a Bigamy charge. Tanner is suspected in the Arson of his church in Flathead County but could not be charged now, because the statute of limitations has expired, even if we could prove the case.

So there ya have it. I'm DYING to hear your thoughts on this....I'll also be adding this to the Updates thread so we're current. I just wanted to open this one up for discussion...

Nice work, Detective Cricci! :) What I don't understand is why he wasn't charged with anything in Montana if he was captured soon after the UM broadcast. Didn't they say his wife there had reluctantly filed bigamy charges against him? Any idea why he wasn't charged with that?

Of course not a ton of people probably saw that UM segment since it wasn't one that was aired on Lifetime so it makes me wonder how many more wives he has accumulated to this day, them not knowing of his history. Maybe him and Jack Lutter are hanging out together...:lol:

Good detective work CRicci, well I disagree with some posters here, I do not think this guy is insane at all. I think he is actually very smart and very cunning to pull all this stuff off.

I have no idea what case you're talking about but I'll second that; Good work CRICCI! :confused: :happyface :lol: :crazy:

Yes, good work LLCR. It is amazing the number of UM cases (some of the most bizarre by the way) that took place in your state.

^ Hey I'm still banned from several motels in Missoula since 1996 (whoops too much information...) - Interesting find Ricci...

Yes, great work there CRicci.

It's depressing that with all of the crimes Bo Tanner has commited, that he's not being charged with anything. Jeez, bygamy, arson, theft, and probable animal cruelty, but not a single charge.

Good research. It looks like he got off pretty easy considering all the crimes that he was accused of.

No kidding! I'm with Crystaldawn... I couldn't figure out WHY they couldn't prosecute him for the bigamy charge in Montana if they found in him Wyoming. My best guess is that they didn't find him IMMEDIATELY after the segment aired. I'm assuming it was later, after the statute of limitations had run on the bigamy charge. It's SUCH a bummer.

Banned since 1996, huh, DarkDante? Hmm.... you wouldn't by chance be a Hell's Angel, would you? ;)

Bo has no problem in the dating scene.

Bo has no problem in the dating scene.


Bo knows bigamy

I disagree with some posters here, I do not think this guy is insane at all. I think he is actually very smart and very cunning to pull all this stuff off.

I agree. This guy is amazing: he has been able to dupe the pants off many women and drain their bank accounts as well. Not to mention leading them to believe he really did die when in fact he just staged his death. Genius!

When UM mentioned the criminal damage that was being caused, it continually referred to the night having a "full moon" - what was the relevance of this to anything that was actually going on?

That may have been to increase the suspense of the situation, haha. Or the crime may have kept being done purposely on nights with full moons.

Bo knows bigamy

:rotflmao:

I love this case!!

The wife in the segment was DETERMINED to find him :wave:

Yeah, I was surprised that the wife in the segment wanted him to come back so she could help him work through his issues or whatever. If it were me, I'd probably be saying the same thing, but I'd lying like a dog to lure the cheating firebug back home for some frontier justice. ;)

I found a blog run by a local that says Bo actually charged people a fee to attend his and Debbie's church, where he acted as pastor. I don't remember UM saying anything about that. Was that in the segment?

The blog also states Debbie remarried and has a family (hope that's true! that would be good news) and the blogger suspects Bo Tanner is living somewhere in Wyoming scamming more wives.

I don't want to link directly to it, since there's some stuff on there that's not in keeping with SO rules. A search for polebridgeyurt Bo Tanner should bring up the January 9th blog entry.

One commenter even suggested they do a "Bo cleansing ceremony during a full moon"! lol Yes! Get rid of that guys' bad mojo! I don't think I can even count how many arsons in how many states and how many widow/wives this guy has left in his wake.

This man hurt a lot of people. Spread pain across miles of the US. He didn't just women or wives. Children were involed. Did he very stop to think about that?

I watched the Bo Tanner segment on UM for the first time a few days ago. Being FROM Montana (duh) and having spent some time in Polebridge, MT... I found it interesting that such an incident could have went down without my hearing about it. (I grew up literally less than an hour from Polebridge.) In any case, after seeing the segment and recognizing the lead detective on the case, I put my Google skills to work and found that he was still working for the Flathead County Sheriff's Department. So, after eluding to possibly contacting him via PM with Crystaldawn, I shot him an e-mail on Friday.

It read, in part:
According to the Unsolved Mysteries segment, Tanner is wanted on a charge
of bigamy. As you were one of the lead detectives on the case, it is my
understanding that you would have information on a possible capture of Mr.
Tanner. Are there any updates to this incredibly old case? We would
appreciate any information you would be willing/able to share with us.


To be honest, I didn't expect to get a response from him. But I got one. VERY quickly, I might add! It read:

Bo Tanner’s real name was Eddie Riddlehoover and he had faked his death in Houston Texas years before his 1990 disappearance from Montana. When the Unsolved Mysteries program aired, I received a call from the Texas wife who thought that he was dead. His car had been found on the Houston Ship Channel Bridge and everyone assumed that he had jumped to avoid an arson investigation. He had also faked his death under another alias in Washington State by leaving a large quantity of blood in his vehicle. Another wife was left behind there. This scam failed when the blood was determined to have come from an animal. After the program, Riddlehoover was found in Wyoming with a new girlfriend but could not be held because the prosecutor in Washington had refused to file a Bigamy charge. Tanner is suspected in the Arson of his church in Flathead County but could not be charged now, because the statute of limitations has expired, even if we could prove the case.

So there ya have it. I'm DYING to hear your thoughts on this....I'll also be adding this to the Updates thread so we're current. I just wanted to open this one up for discussion...

I had not seen this episode until today. Wow, that was some excellent work you did there, CRicci!! So props to you on some stuff you did ten years ago! LOL

Also, I'm shocked that Tanner was able to basically get away scot free on all charges. Having grown up in Houston and been over the ship channel bridge hundreds of times, I can say that if I parked my car and even attempted to look over the side, I'd probably have a heart attack!

I had not seen this episode until today. Wow, that was some excellent work you did there, CRicci!! So props to you on some stuff you did ten years ago! LOL

Also, I'm shocked that Tanner was able to basically get away scot free on all charges. Having grown up in Houston and been over the ship channel bridge hundreds of times, I can say that if I parked my car and even attempted to look over the side, I'd probably have a heart attack!

Thanks!

That was a fun one. I had just graduated law school when all that went down... Looking at the date I posted, it was CLEAR that I was procrastinating studying for the Bar Exam. :) it was surprisingly easy to get the info from the detective.

I totally agree with the sentiments stated earlier. I'm sure Bo Tanner DID hurt a lot of people, and it really stinks that he was able to get away with it. It's been a long time and I don't remember if he had any children, but I hope if he did, they are doing well...

I had not seen this episode until today.

I can't recall ever seeing this one either. Is it on one of the Farina episodes on Amazon?

I can't recall ever seeing this one either. Is it on one of the Farina episodes on Amazon?

If it got the Farina treatment, I'm not sure if it ever aired... I have only seen the RS version...

Was this one never shown on Lifetime because he was located after the broadcast? Seems kind of weird that a show built on solving cases wouldn't want to promote another case that they helped solve.

I would like to know what he has been doing over the years. How many marriages (or children) did he end up having...

And the wife in the segment, I do realize she is a victim too, but man, she did not want to believe he was scamming her.

Finally got to see this one recently. Bo Tanner was no Jack Lutter, but he was still a real piece of work. And don’t get my started on his ex’s hair either. What in the blue hell WAS that?

Debbie Tanner was one of the most likeable people ever interviewed on UM. She was self ware enough to know she had been hoodwinked by Bo, but you could tell that she really loved him.

Debbie Tanner was one of the most likeable people ever interviewed on UM. She was self ware enough to know she had been hoodwinked by Bo, but you could tell that she really loved him.


I agree. She does come across as very likeable. I wonder if all these women who married Bo Tanner were also attracted to Rob Reiner.

Debbie Tanner was one of the most likeable people ever interviewed on UM. She was self ware enough to know she had been hoodwinked by Bo, but you could tell that she really loved him.

Totally.

I'm still dying over the previous comment, "Bo knows bigamy."

I don't know if this has ever been posted, but a woman wrote a three part story about her experiences in Polebridge, and she brings up Bo Tanner and actually found some artifacts left behind in an abandoned cabin that Bo had written to Debbie.

https://postmarksbygraff.com/2011/12/19/a-mystery-unfolds/