Years after 14-year-old Wendy Hudakoc vanished from Naples, Florida, her sister Sharlene Boyatt continues searching for answers and hoping to bring her home.
The sisters moved to Florida from Canada during the 1990s. “The United States in general was a big difference, and then coming to Florida, that was even that much more of a difference,” Sharlene Boyatt told NBC News. On the weekend of Nov. 14, 1998, their parents traveled out of town, leaving the teenagers with family friends in Naples.
On the evening of Saturday, Nov. 14, 1998, Wendy planned to attend a friend’s party. After receiving a phone call, she snuck out of the house through her bedroom window while Sharlene stayed behind to watch movies.
The next morning, Sunday, Nov. 15, 1998, Sharlene discovered Wendy’s room empty, with the window open, a towel on the windowsill, and a candle burning outside. Sharlene attempted to reach Wendy using their stepdad’s pager before notifying her parents.
Her parents immediately returned to Naples, contacted the police, and began calling Wendy’s friends. Investigators from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office opened a case within 24 hours of the disappearance.
Last Seen in Naples
Investigators learned that Wendy left the party around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15, 1998, with a man named Ron DePeppo. Family members later tracked down party attendees and identified DePeppo from a mug shot.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office cold case investigator Ralph DiFonzo confirmed that authorities interviewed partygoers, family members, and friends during the initial inquiry. About a week to ten days after the disappearance, DePeppo’s car caught fire, though investigators found nothing of value inside the burned vehicle.
No formal charges or arrests have been made in the case. DiFonzo identified DePeppo as a person of interest, noting that he no longer lives in the local area.
Cold Case Investigation Continues
Authorities entered Wendy’s case into the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, comparing her profile with unidentified remains across the country. Familial DNA remains on file with the sheriff’s office.
“They may have left something out. They may have been too scared when they were younger,” DiFonzo told NBC News regarding potential witnesses who might now come forward. “I mean, there’s a lot of things that can change over the course of the years, so that would help if somebody had a change of heart.”
In 2020, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office released an age-progression image from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children showing what Wendy would look like at age 36. She is now 42 years old.
Sharlene wants to lay her sister to rest next to their mother, who passed away in 2013. “I want to just let her be with my mom,” Boyatt told NBC News.
| Detail | Record |
|---|---|
| Date of Disappearance | November 14-15, 1998 |
| Location | Naples, Florida |
| Investigating Agency | Collier County Sheriff’s Office |
| Person of Interest | Ron DePeppo |
Authorities ask anyone with information to contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 239-252-9300 or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
