Oklahoma woman discovers husband faked his death 37 years ago in Canada

Deb Proctor was at work when her phone rang from an unknown number; It was a call that would shatter everything she thought she knew about her husband.

An investigator told an Oklahoma woman the devastating truth: The man she knew as Jeff Walton was actually Ronald Stan; He was a Canadian man who disappeared 37 years ago and was presumed dead after leaving behind a wife and two children.

“After I regained my composure, I went to my senior manager and told her about this strange phone call,” Proctor told Fox News Digital. “My colleagues were very concerned that my life was in danger, that Jeff was in the witness protection program, and that I was revealing the incident to an unreal stranger, a so-called investigator.”

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Proctor appears with his story in ABC’s true crime series “Betrayal: Secrets & Lies.” Inspired by the “Betrayal” podcast series, the series explores how people across the country survive scandalous confessions, financial ruin and acts of violence, among other challenges.

“Deb Proctor’s story is an incredible exploration of what happens when the person closest to you is living a double life,” Andrea Gunning, host of the “Betrayal” podcast, told Fox News Digital. “What stuck with me most as I worked on Deb’s story was not just the extent of Jeff’s deception, but also the deeply human process of Deb rebuilding her life after the truth was revealed.”

It was 1998 when Proctor, a 41-year-old divorced mother of two boys, was ready to meet someone new. He decided to join a dating site, where he met Walton, an Ohio State graduate who travels and plays golf; it was his passion. He was intrigued.

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After a year of talking, they decided to meet face to face. When Walton got off the plane and saw Proctor, he said, “You’ll marry me, won’t you?” he asked.

Walton moved out a few months later. They got married in 2000.

“I felt like this was a person I loved very much,” Proctor said. “I could see us traveling together, creating a life together. I was hopeful for the future.”

Jeff Walton and Deb Proctor were married on April 23, 2000. (Courtesy of Deb Proctor)

But a year into their marriage, Walton was having trouble finding work. That’s when he told her for the first time that he was a Vietnam War veteran. According to the podcast, Walton claimed he was serving in the Special Forces when he was captured and held captive when he was 18 years old. He was tortured for months and eventually escaped by following a stream.

“[As a nurse] I’ve had experience working with Vietnam veterans and PTSD,” Proctor said. “This really hurt my heart. He too gave up his life, gave up his job as a project manager at a large industrial construction company, gave up everything just to be with me. “He gave up everything for the sake of love.”

Proctor’s seemingly happily ever after life is disrupted. Walton, who was unemployed, suffered a heart attack that required constant care. The couple had difficulty paying their medical expenses. Years ago, Proctor, who worked for the VA, tried to persuade her husband to seek help when the bills piled up. However, he refused to receive medical care, saying he had been dishonorably discharged and would not be placed on the list.

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“Betrayal: Secrets & Lies” airs Sundays at 10 p.m., with episodes streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. (ABC News)

“I was stunned,” Proctor admitted. “This was the biggest moment where I thought, ‘Something is not right here.’ I couldn’t put my finger on it. I insisted on going to the VA so he could get healthcare. We were going bankrupt. The nearest facility was only a 30-minute drive. But he looked at me strangely and said, ‘I’m not going.’ I was in Special Forces. My actions were illegal and unethical because of what I witnessed and what I reported. They won’t list me anywhere.”

“I kept telling him, ‘You served your country. There are records somewhere,'” Proctor continued. “But he said, ‘I won’t be able to get health care from the government.’ He got up and walked away.”

Confused, Proctor considered hiring a private investigator. However, he put his feelings aside after realizing that he could not afford it.

Despite Deb Proctor’s happiness, her friends became suspicious of Jeff Walton, who seemed too good to be true. Although he claimed to love golf, he found it difficult to play the game. (Courtesy of Deb Proctor)

Walton suffered a stroke shortly after his heart attack. He then began to show signs of dementia. Medical bills continued to run into the thousands. Proctor was her primary caregiver while working full-time as a nurse to make ends meet. He started drinking to cope with stress. As Walton’s memory worsened, she was able to get him into a funded outpatient facility.

In 2014, Proctor received a call from a detective in Canada. According to the podcast, investigators were investigating the unsolved case of Ronald Stan and managed to track him down through social media.

In September 1977, several pigs died in a barn fire. Stan, then 32, disappeared. Although human remains were never found, Stan was declared legally dead in 1986. However, the case was reopened in 2014. Using modern investigative technology, Ontario State Police discovered that Stan was alive and living under a new name, “Jeff Walton” in a rural part of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. He later confessed the truth to the police.

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Jeff Walton, also known as Ronald Stan, disappeared in Canada 37 years ago when investigators discovered his identity. His previous wife and children believed he died in a fire. (Courtesy of Deb Proctor)

“I thought to myself, ‘Oh my God, I just spilled my guts and now I’m in danger, he’s in danger,'” Proctor said of the phone call. “I felt like I was in someone’s movie. ‘Who am I? Who have I been married to all this time?’ I thought. I was unconscious.”

Proctor immediately went to the Cherokee National Police Department. After making several phone calls, an investigator confirmed every detail was correct. Stan had faked his death in a fire, abandoning his wife and two children.

Proctor stayed with a friend and immediately filed for divorce.

Jeff Walton was named after his son and the classic American TV show “The Waltons”. (Courtesy of Deb Proctor)

“I really loved it,” he admitted. “But it was all an illusion. He wasn’t the man I thought I married. Nothing was real.”

Proctor said Walton, now identified as Stan, called him numerous times and tried to text him repeatedly. In a voicemail, he said Stan told him, “If you want to play rough, come on.” He also tried contacting one of his sons and emailed several friends and colleagues.

Jeff Walton, known as Ronald Stan, was discovered by investigators in a nursing home. (Courtesy of Deb Proctor)

“I didn’t have anything else to say to him,” Proctor said. “But I was scared. I remember walking out of my house and into the woods, where there was a well-worn path with a small sitting area. I also noticed a lot of cigarette butts. I don’t know. I just thought he was coming back to hurt us. What if he’s getting ready to burn down our house because I know he burned down his place in Canada?”

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Deb Proctor and Jeff Walton are seen here enjoying Christmas together. He had no idea about his past life. (Courtesy of Deb Proctor)

He also wondered if she was planning another escape.

According to the podcastThe statute of limitations for arson had expired in Canada. It was also noted that too much time had passed for Stan to face identity fraud charges in the US.

In the series, Proctor said Stan never apologized. The calls stopped and he was never heard from again. Proctor said his son reached him in 2019 and told him that his father had died.

Deb Proctor met Jeff Walton on a dating site and immediately fell in love with him. She left Kentucky to be with him. (Courtesy of Deb Proctor)

Today, Proctor supports victims of domestic violence in her community. He also remarried a longtime friend and fellow golf enthusiast.

“I never intended to do that again,” he said, laughing. “But the gentleman I married, Richard, is absolutely the sweetest, kindest, most loving person I’ve ever met. It’s a love I’ve never experienced before. It’s real.”

If there’s one message Proctor hopes viewers take away, it’s this: Don’t ignore that nagging feeling.

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Deb Proctor is seen here today. He has since remarried. (ABC News)

“Pathological liars are a dime a dozen,” he said. “They walk among us. Some people fall in love with them more than others, but it can happen to any of us. If something doesn’t feel right, seek out the truth.”