Finally - update on Bonnie Wilder!!!

[crystaldawn]

Okay guys I phoned Vicky Bosma this afternoon. She is a super nice lady and we had like a 40 minute phone conversation and she told me a lot about Bonnie Wilder. (Apparently she had emailed me back but it was marked as spam so I never got it). She said they did find out her real name was Dora Mae Peterman. As far as she knows she has never been spent a day in jail for her crimes! Of course identity theft wasn't as common as it is now and the laws were different. I believe there was a warrant out for her for a while but at the time they didn't know her true identity. The store featured in the store was called "Coho's". She said there was a lot of stealing and the sort going on there so it only stayed open a few years. She said that "Bonnie" has stolen at least $1 million total. She stole half a million from Wal-Mart while working for them. She also said to my suprise that Bonnie was good at changing her appearance. She was good at gaining and losing weight and the store she hit before Coho's she was thin and had blond curly hair. Said the one characteristic she always has is a large white mole on her chin. She also told me that when the warrant expired they contacted UM about ceasing to air the show because Coho's had already been reimbursed the money they were out by the insurance company and the insurance company wasn't even interested in pursuing her arrest. One more thing that I didn't realize was that Lisa Penz was fired because of this incident. I told her I would send her a link to this thread and maybe she will post on the board as well. She has a huge file on her case as she worked on it for 6 years and could no doubt answer any questions we might have.

[wiseguy182]

Whoa, that is some update, great work CD

I can understand why Lisa Penz was fired - she apparently didn't do background checks.

[ididn'tdoit]

Wow, that's amazing! Thanks for sharing that CD! But what I don't get, they found out her real identity but still they haven't been able to pin a single crime on her?

[wiseguy182]

I wonder why the segment didn't make it to Lifetime though. The situation with Coho's may have been cleared up, but they still knew at the time she hit several other stores.

[unsolvedfan4life]

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

Okay guys I phoned Vicky Bosma this afternoon. She is a super nice lady and we had like a 40 minute phone conversation and she told me a lot about Bonnie Wilder. (Apparently she had emailed me back but it was marked as spam so I never got it). She said they did find out her real name was Dora Mae Peterman. As far as she knows she has never been spent a day in jail for her crimes! Of course identity theft wasn't as common as it is now and the laws were different. I believe there was a warrant out for her for a while but at the time they didn't know her true identity. The store featured in the store was called "Coho's". She said there was a lot of stealing and the sort going on there so it only stayed open a few years. She said that "Bonnie" has stolen at least $1 million total. She stole half a million from Wal-Mart while working for them. She also said to my suprise that Bonnie was good at changing her appearance. She was good at gaining and losing weight and the store she hit before Coho's she was thin and had blond curly hair. Said the one characteristic she always has is a large white mole on her chin. She also told me that when the warrant expired they contacted UM about ceasing to air the show because Coho's had already been reimbursed the money they were out by the insurance company and the insurance company wasn't even interested in pursuing her arrest. One more thing that I didn't realize was that Lisa Penz was fired because of this incident. I told her I would send her a link to this thread and maybe she will post on the board as well. She has a huge file on her case as she worked on it for 6 years and could no doubt answer any questions we might have.

Good detective work Crystal Dawn!!! No wonder why Lisa Penz seemed very bitter in the interview. She did come up with some good digs towards Bonnie and also seemed to be trying to justify why she was hired. "It was a good day if we did not have someone who was on drugs apply for a job." LOL.

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

I wonder why the segment didn't make it to Lifetime though. The situation with Coho's may have been cleared up, but they still knew at the time she hit several other stores.

Well to my suprise she told me that it had aired on Lifetime (maybe many years ago) because people would call in and think they had seen her every time it aired. She said that the police department eventually contacted UM and request they not air it anymore since there was no longer a valid warrant out for her.

[Todd Mueller]

Well done, CD! Way to dig up the info and get the whole story. Awesome update... Maybe they could film a segment for the new show staring you under the category "The Investigators."

Nice to finally have info about good ol' Bonnie.

Maybe you should edit your avatar to have "SOLVED" across it!

[RightOnDude]

Awesome ... maybe someone, somewhere can solve the mystery, Crystal Dawn, looks like it's YOU!

"And now you know ... the rest of the story!"

[kamy]

Originally Posted by Todd Mueller

Well done, CD! Way to dig up the info and get the whole story. Awesome update... Maybe they could film a segment for the new show staring you under the category "The Investigators."

Nice to finally have info about good ol' Bonnie.

Maybe you should edit your avatar to have "SOLVED" across it!

It's not really solved though, yet, is it? Has she been apprehended? I'm very sleepy so I may have read right over something!

Oh yeah, Good job CD! You rock

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by kamy

It's not really solved though, yet, is it? Has she been apprehended? I'm very sleepy so I may have read right over something!

Oh yeah, Good job CD! You rock

Well its not really an "update" in that she was captured but at least we now know that she was never arrested for anything and do know her true identity.

A few more things that Vicky Bosma told me. She said that Bonnie would flip out every time her picture was taken. She also said that Bonnie had a sick son in Florida and that seems to be where at least part of her money was sent. The UM segment did say she told her co-workers she had a husband and son in Florida. Apparently she spent a lot of time in Florida before moving to Georgia.

I agree with what Wiseguy said about Penz being fired for not checking references. It appears that she didn't check any of them. Vicky Bosma said the address Bonnie listed on her application was a vacant lot!

[SP4CE INV4DERZ]

I have a small question... apart from "Bonnie" being on UM why is everyone here hung up on this obese woman?!?!

[wiseguy182]

Originally Posted by Space Invaderz

I have a small question... apart from "Bonnie" being on UM why is everyone here hung up on this obese woman?!?!

Oh come on SI, you have a thing for Bonnie and you know it.

This is one of those segments that have a ton of classic lines like: "Have you lost a lot of weight recently?" to "how do you get lost in a crowd when you are ENORMOUS?" to "she was the best out of what we had to work with." to "if there was a day when I didn't have somebody come in that wasn't on drugs, that was a good day." to "it's a wonderful store, we can build it together."

well that and the rarity of the segment.

[Todd Mueller]

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

"it's a wonderful store, we can build it together."

If I stayed up all night, I couldn't think of a line that chessy... That is SO classic! How can you not love this segment?!?

[nohwheregirl]

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

Oh come on SI, you have a thing for Bonnie and you know it.

This is one of those segments that have a ton of classic lines like: "Have you lost a lot of weight recently?" to "how do you get lost in a crowd when you are ENORMOUS?" to "she was the best out of what we had to work with." to "if there was a day when I didn't have somebody come in that wasn't on drugs, that was a good day." to "it's a wonderful store, we can build it together."

well that and the rarity of the segment.

I was watching the segment yesterday and was laughing hysterically at all of those lines! I just loved how everyone on the segment would point out how obese she was, but then they would just keep going on and on and on about it. Oh, and don't forget the backhanded compliments, "You could imagine her as a school bus driver, or a lunch lady..."

Also, knowing that Penz lost her job over this makes the statement about the drug-addict job applicants make much more sense. "Listen people, it's either the crack addict, or the eccentric obese woman. Which would you choose? That's right...don't blame me!"

[unsolved88]

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

Oh come on SI, you have a thing for Bonnie and you know it.

This is one of those segments that have a ton of classic lines like: "Have you lost a lot of weight recently?" to "how do you get lost in a crowd when you are ENORMOUS?" to "she was the best out of what we had to work with." to "if there was a day when I didn't have somebody come in that wasn't on drugs, that was a good day." to "it's a wonderful store, we can build it together."

well that and the rarity of the segment.

You left out another one.

Manager: Well, based on your application and what you've told me, it sounds like you're perfect for the job. Can you start Monday?
Bonnie: Yes.
Manager: Terrific! Then we'll look forward to seeing you then. (She gets up to shake Bonnie's hand.)
Bonnie: (with a cheesy grin) And I look forward to working with your organization. Monday morning? 8AM?
Manager: Yes.
Bonnie: (still grinning her head off) Terrific!

What I love about that scene is the expression on the manager's face after Bonnie leaves, as if she's thinking "Oh crap! Should I really have hired her?"