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Divorce Papers Sought by Detectives

The sealed divorce documents in the case of the man who went by the name "Clark Rockefeller" are being sought by Los Angeles County detectives. They are investigating his role in the disappearance of a California couple in 1985. Rockefeller — a German citizen whose real name is Christian Gerhartsreiter, was the focus of international attention in the summer of 2008 when he disappeared with his seven-year-old daughter after a supervised visit. 

Emotional/Physical Abuse Allegations 

Gerhartsreiter, 48, masquerading as a member of the famed old-money family, was married to Boston socialite and businesswoman Sandra Boss for 13 years. In their divorce, she alleged that he committed emotional and physical abuse. He was arrested in July 2008 for abducting the couple's daughter, Reigh "Snooks" Boss for five days following a post-divorce visit in Boston. She was found unharmed with Gerhartsreiter in Baltimore. 

Boss has sued Gerhartsreiter for $80,000 that she contends she incurred in her efforts to locate their daughter after he disappeared with her. 

Spousal Abuse Statistics 

It took Boss 13 years of emotional and physical abuse sustained by ex-husband, Gerhartsreiter, before filing for divorce. She is not alone; following are some statistics on spousal abuse: 

• Between 1/3 - ½ of all adult women are abused by their husbands or boyfriends at some point in their life 
  
• 92 percent of abused partners do not talk about the abuse with their doctors 
  
• 57 percent of abused partners do not talk about the abuse with anyone 
  
• 50 percent of violent crimes against women from their spouses or lovers are never reported to the police 

Divorce Papers Were Sealed 

California investigators seek the Gerhartsreiter/Boss papers from their divorce in Massachusetts at the Suffolk Probate and Family Court. Gerhartsreiter is a "person of interest" in the disappearance and killing of a San Marino, California couple who may have been his landlords. 

Disappearance of California Couple 

Jonathan Sohus, 26, and his wife Linda, 28, had a property in San Marino with a house rented by a man calling himself Christopher Chichester. All three people disappeared in 1985, and in 1994, human remains were found buried on the property. Fingerprints taken from Gerhartsreiter match prints held by San Marino police that were described as being those of Chichester. 

(Source: UPI) 

If you have questions about your ex-spouse's conduct or your divorce, or if you're considering getting a divorce because of abuse from your spouse, contact us to speak with a qualified, compassionate divorce lawyer in your region today.