This is Australian True Crime International with Michelle Laurie.

Connie Pruden Gardinetti vanished in 1988,

leaving her family searching for answers for decades

as suspicion continued to surround her husband.

What began as a missing person's case

would eventually unravel into a story of manipulation,

coercive control and an alleged cover-up that lasted years.

Tonight, we look at how the investigation finally broke open and the long road to justice

for Connie and her loved ones.

Joining us is Christy Lee from Canadian True Crime.

This is Australian True Crime.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this podcast is created,

the Wurundri Woi Warang people of the Koolan Nation.

And a warning, this episode of the podcast contains graphic descriptions of violence.

This crime takes place in April of 1997 in the province of Alberta.

It's basically the Texas of Canada.

Oh, what does that mean?

Since Cindy Erie, that could mean lots of things.

Okay.

Well, you're from Brisbane.

So, I mean,

put it in Australian terms, is it the Queensland of Canada? Well, my husband's actually from

...