An Oklahoma woman discovers that her husband lied about his death 37 years ago in Canada

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

An investigator presents a painful truth to an Oklahoma woman: The man she knew as Jeff Walton was actually Ronald Stan, a Canadian man who disappeared 37 years earlier and was presumed dead after leaving behind a wife and two children.

“After I regained my composure, I immediately went to my manager and explained this strange call,” Proctor told Fox News Digital. “My colleagues were very concerned that my life was in danger, that maybe Jeff was in witness protection, and I had just blown the whistle on a stranger who was not real, a so-called detective.”

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Proctor comes forward with his story on ABC's true crime series “Deception: Secrets and Lies.” Inspired by the podcast “Betrayal” franchise, the series examines how people from all over the country survive to admit scandals, financial destruction and acts of violence, among other difficulties.

“Deb Proctor's story is a fascinating exploration of what happens when someone close to you leads a double life,” Andrea Gunning, host of the “Betrayal” podcast, told Fox News Digital. “What stuck with me the most while working on Deb's story was not just the extent of Jeff's deception, but the deep 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, was ready to meet someone new. She decided to join a dating site, where she found Walton, an Ohio State student and former football player who traveled and played golf – her love. He was fascinated.

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After a year of dating, they decided to meet in person. When Walton got off the plane and saw Proctor, he asked, “You're going to marry me, aren't you?”

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

“I felt like this was someone I really liked,” Proctor said. “I could see us walking together, building a life together. I felt hopeful for the future.”

Jeff Walton and Deb Proctor were married on April 23, 2000. (Authorized by Deb Proctor)

But after a year of marriage, Walton was finding it difficult to find work. It was there that he told her for the first time that he was a Vietnam War veteran. According to the podcast, Walton said that at the age of 18, he was working in the Special Forces when he was caught and arrested. He was tortured for months before he escaped by following a stream.

“[As a nurse] I had some experience working with Vietnam vets and PTSD,” Proctor said. “It really touched my heart. He had also uprooted his life, quit his job as a project manager in a large industrial construction company, and gave up everything just to be with me. He had given up everything for love.”

Proctor seems happy every time he gets upset. Walton, who was unemployed, suffered a heart attack that required ongoing care. The couple struggled to pay for his medical expenses. Proctor, who had worked at the VA for years, tried to convince her husband to seek help as the bills piled up. But he refused to seek medical attention, insisting that he had been wrongfully discharged and would not be counted.

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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 surprised,” Proctor admitted. “That's the big moment when I think, 'Something's wrong here.' I couldn't put my finger on it. I kept insisting that I go to the VA for medical care. We were going to break. It was just a 30 minute drive to the nearest place. But he looked at me strangely and said, 'I'm not going. I was in the special forces. Because of what I saw and reported, my actions were illegal and illegal. They won't list me anywhere.'

“I kept telling him, 'You served your country. There are records somewhere,'” Proctor continued. “But he said, 'I'm not going to get government health care.' He got up and left.”

Confused, Proctor considered hiring a private investigator. But after realizing that he couldn't buy it, he put his feelings aside.

Despite Deb Proctor's happiness, her friends began to suspect Jeff Walton, who seemed too good to be true. Although he says he loves golf, he has struggled to play the game. (Authorized by Deb Proctor)

Shortly after Walton's heart attack, he suffered a stroke. Then he began to show signs of dementia. Medical bills continued to climb into the thousands. Proctor was her primary caregiver while she worked full-time as a nurse to support herself. He started drinking to cope with depression. As Walton's memory worsened, she was able to get him into a funded outpatient care facility.

In 2014, Proctor received a call from a Canadian detective. Investigators were investigating Ronald Stan's cold case and were able to find him on social media, according to the podcast.

In September 1977, a fire killed several pigs. Stan, who was 32 years old, disappeared. Although human remains were never found, Stan was officially declared dead in 1986. However, the case was reopened in 2014. Using modern investigative techniques, the Ontario Provincial Police discovered that Stan was alive and living in a rural area of ​​the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma under a new name, “Jeff Walton.” He later admitted the truth to the police.

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Jeff Walton, also known as Ronald Stan, had disappeared from Canada 37 years earlier when investigators discovered his identity. His ex-wife and children believe he died in the fire. (Authorized by Deb Proctor)

“I thought to myself, 'Oh my god, I just spilled my guts, now I'm in danger, you're in danger,'” Proctor said over the phone. “I felt like I was in someone else's movie. I thought, 'Who am I? Who have I been married to all this time?' I was out of my mind.”

Proctor soon went to the Cherokee Nation Marshals Service. After the investigator made several phone calls, he confirmed that all the information was correct. Stan had blamed his death on the fire, leaving behind his wife and two children.

Proctor moved in with his friend and soon filed for divorce.

Jeff Walton took his name from his son and the classic American TV show “The Waltons.” (Authorized by Deb Proctor)

“I loved him,” he admitted. “But it was all a lie. He wasn't the man I thought I was married to. Nothing was real.”

Proctor said Walton, who has since been identified as Stan, called her and tried to text her several times. He said in another voicemail, Stan told him, “If you want to play hardball, come.” He also tried to contact one of his sons and sent an email to several of his friends and colleagues.

Jeff Walton, known as Ronald Stan, was found by investigators at a nursing home. (Authorized by Deb Proctor)

“There's nothing else I can say to him,” Proctor said. “But I was scared. I remember leaving my house and going into the forest, where there was a worn track with a small shelter. I also saw many cigarette butts. I don't know. I just thought that he is coming back to hurt us. What if he is preparing to burn our house because I knew he burned his place in Canada?”

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Deb Proctor and Jeff Walton are seen here enjoying Christmas together. He didn't know anything about his past life. (Authorized by Deb Proctor)

He also wondered if he was planning to escape.

According to the podcast, the burning restrictions statute had expired in Canada. It also noted that it was too late for Stan to face identity fraud charges in the US

In this series, Proctor said that Stan did not apologize. The calls stopped, and he never heard from her again. In 2019, Proctor said his son came to him and said his father had died.

Deb Proctor met Jeff Walton at a nightclub and fell for him immediately. He moved from Kentucky to be with her. (Authorized by Deb Proctor)

Today, Proctor supports victims of domestic violence in her community. He remarried his best friend and fellow golfer.

“I had no intention of doing this again,” he said with a laugh. “But the gentleman I married, Richard, is the sweetest, kindest, most loving person I've ever known in my life. Love I've never seen before. It's true.”

If there's one message Proctor hopes the audience will take away, it's this: Don't ignore that nagging feeling.

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Deb Proctor appears here today. He has remarried. (ABC News)

“Pathological liars, they're a dime a dozen,” she said. “They walk among us. Some people fall for them more than others, but it can happen to any of us. If something is wrong, investigate the truth.”