It sorta happened like that. 
  
What happened is the guy was 'teaching' his wife how to rappell somewhere in the BC by the Sisters.  He had the kids wait somewhere far down the trail and then purposely rigged the rappell to fail when she loaded it.  After she decked he scurried off to get the kids, who noted that mom was screaming in agony.  Pops ignored the pleas of his children, drove them back to the hotel then went to the front desk to call 911.  He was in no hurry. 
  
She was dead by the time SAR arrived.  He was convicted of murder. 
  
Oh--and he was a cop from Tacoma. 
  
I watched the re-enactment on the Discovery Channel.  Forensic Scientist or something like that.