Bethany Decker- Part 2

And Then They Were Gone

Little Monster Productions

Documentary, True Crime, Society & Culture

4.6 • 747 Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2023

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On January 29, 2011, Bethany Decker called into her waitressing job to see if she could work the evening shift. She never made it to work. Her estranged husband, Army National Guardsman, Emile Decker, was in Virginia on leave but was due to ship back to Afghanistan just days later. Her boyfriend, Ronald Roldan, claims that he saw her that afternoon at their apartment, but has no idea where she went.

It would take over ten years and a brutal assault, but in 2020, an arrest would finally be made in Bethany Decker’s case. But why did it take so long? What new evidence appeared in the intervening decade that led to Bethany’s family getting answers?

Bethany was a victim of domestic violence. If any of the situations in this episode sound familiar to you or someone you know, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE. You can also text “Start” to 8788 or visit thehotline.org.

Since Bethany’s disappearance, her mother, Kimberly Nelson, has been involved in the organization, Help Save the Next Girl. Help Save the Next Girl was started by the Harrington family, whose daughter Morgan, a Virginia Tech student, was murdered in 2009 after attending a concert in Charlottesville. Their primary focus is to spread safety information and prevent future crimes against young women. You can learn more and get involved at helpsavethenextgirl.com.

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This week's promo is from Beyond the Rainbow: True Crimes of the LGBT . Remember, it’s not a crime to be gay...unless you’re a murderer.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey there, it's Cona Gallagher, host of And Then They Were Gone and day by day, true crime stories.
0:06.4	And I am here to bring you an amazing opportunity to win some incredible prizes, all for a good cause.
0:14.6	Join the Texas Advocacy Projects the Big Game Football Squares Raffle on February 9th, 2025, and help support survivors of
0:23.2	power-based abuse. For every $100 donation, you secure a square and a chance to win amazing prizes.
0:31.2	You can choose from two exciting grids. The Hawaiian Paradise Grid offers a grand prize of a seven-night stay for two at a luxury resort in Oahu or the Big Island.
0:42.8	Or play the beachfront Mexico Grid for a chance to win a four-night, all-inclusive state for two at a five-star Marival luxury resort in Banderas Bay or Nuevo-Niart, Mexico. Your contributions help survivors understand
0:58.5	their rights, navigate the justice system, and secure emergency protective orders. To participate,
1:05.0	visit Texasadvocacyproject.org and select your grid today. Don't miss out. Tune in to the Texas Advocacy Project's Facebook page
1:13.5	on February 9th, 2025 during the game for live updates on winners. Prizes are awarded at the end of
1:20.8	each quarter with the grand prize at the game's conclusion. So score big for a cause. Visit
1:26.7	Texas advocacyproject.org to learn more.
1:33.3	Darkcast Network. The light shines brightest on our indie podcasts.
1:41.3	On January 29th, 2011, Bethany Decker called into her waitressing job to see if she could work the evening shift.
1:49.7	She never made it to work that night.
1:52.1	Her estranged husband, Emile Decker, was in Virginia on leave, but was due to ship back to Afghanistan just days later.
2:00.3	Her boyfriend, Ronald Rolden, claimed that
2:03.4	he saw her that afternoon at their apartment, but has no idea where she went after that.
2:09.2	It would take over 10 years and a brutal assault, but an arrest would be made in Bethany Decker's
2:15.7	case. But why did it take so long?
2:19.6	What new evidence appeared in the intervening decade that finally led to Bethany's family getting answers?
2:26.3	When a person goes missing, there's a special kind of pain in the not knowing.
2:30.6	I want to tell you about the stories of those who never came home.
	...

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