Sam Mullins

He was processed. They took his mugshots. And crucially, very, very crucially, dear listener, they took his fingerprints.

As it turned to fall 1990, his companies were overextended. He'd lost his house, custody of two kids, and his reputation in the community. The board of his company was firmly demanding more transparency, and Barb's divorce attorneys were lighting up his phone lines, demanding a full disclosure of his entire financial picture so that they could divvy up their estate.

As it turned to fall 1990, his companies were overextended. He'd lost his house, custody of two kids, and his reputation in the community. The board of his company was firmly demanding more transparency, and Barb's divorce attorneys were lighting up his phone lines, demanding a full disclosure of his entire financial picture so that they could divvy up their estate.

But as the pressure was building, Albert was not available. He was out of office. If you called his business number during this time, a secretary would tell you he was in Switzerland or the UK or France or Cayman Islands. Every week, it seemed he had a first-class ticket somewhere new. Barb knew all along that he would almost certainly try to hide money from her.

But as the pressure was building, Albert was not available. He was out of office. If you called his business number during this time, a secretary would tell you he was in Switzerland or the UK or France or Cayman Islands. Every week, it seemed he had a first-class ticket somewhere new. Barb knew all along that he would almost certainly try to hide money from her.

But seeing all the travel he was doing and noticing the weird blips of large sums of money cruising through their shared bank accounts, she began to suspect that he was up to something much bigger. After a game of tennis with Betty Staley in the late summer, Barb took Betty aside for a candid conversation.

But seeing all the travel he was doing and noticing the weird blips of large sums of money cruising through their shared bank accounts, she began to suspect that he was up to something much bigger. After a game of tennis with Betty Staley in the late summer, Barb took Betty aside for a candid conversation.

And Barb wasn't the only one who warned them.

And Barb wasn't the only one who warned them.

A classic move among men who have just lost all of your money. So the Staley's were like, it's probably nothing, but we'll run this past him. Albert, would you be a dear and tell us exactly where and what you invested our millions in? And he wouldn't get back to them. And then he finally sent them this letter I found.

A classic move among men who have just lost all of your money. So the Staley's were like, it's probably nothing, but we'll run this past him. Albert, would you be a dear and tell us exactly where and what you invested our millions in? And he wouldn't get back to them. And then he finally sent them this letter I found.

Dear Bob and Betty, I have enclosed a spreadsheet list of all your investments placed on your behalf through this office. Please accept my apologies for the delay in getting this to you. A combination of corporate affairs and the tax season has put me behind in all areas. And he always signs off the same. Yours very truly, A.J. Walker.

Dear Bob and Betty, I have enclosed a spreadsheet list of all your investments placed on your behalf through this office. Please accept my apologies for the delay in getting this to you. A combination of corporate affairs and the tax season has put me behind in all areas. And he always signs off the same. Yours very truly, A.J. Walker.

Just about every spreadsheet I find in the box that Walker sent the Staley's. The Staley's have marked up the pages with pen. Numbers are circled. There are question marks beside some of the columns. They do their own math in the margins at times. You get the sense that to the Staley's, things weren't quite adding up.

Just about every spreadsheet I find in the box that Walker sent the Staley's. The Staley's have marked up the pages with pen. Numbers are circled. There are question marks beside some of the columns. They do their own math in the margins at times. You get the sense that to the Staley's, things weren't quite adding up.

Where was he? Under all of this pressure, with all of the mess of Walker Financial and his personal life mounting, what was he up to? One of the most surprising things I find in the box is from November 1990, a letter addressed to Albert from a bank in Sarasota, Florida.

Where was he? Under all of this pressure, with all of the mess of Walker Financial and his personal life mounting, what was he up to? One of the most surprising things I find in the box is from November 1990, a letter addressed to Albert from a bank in Sarasota, Florida.

Dear Mr. Walker, During our discussions in Tampa on Monday, October 29th last, we reviewed the international expansion of Walker Financial into the United States, Japan, South America, and Europe. While everything was aflame, Albert was trying to get an investor to bail out the company. But he'd run out of time.

Dear Mr. Walker, During our discussions in Tampa on Monday, October 29th last, we reviewed the international expansion of Walker Financial into the United States, Japan, South America, and Europe. While everything was aflame, Albert was trying to get an investor to bail out the company. But he'd run out of time.

In a last-ditch effort to stop him from fleeing, Barb tipped off the police, saying plainly, He's flying on all these business trips with a briefcase filled with stolen funds. But they didn't act. And what Barb didn't realize was that Albert was planning on taking something much more valuable and precious than just her money.