In 2005, Olivia Newton-John’s boyfriend, cameraman Patrick McDermott, disappeared during an overnight fishing trip off San Pedro, California. According to the Coast Guard, who searched exhaustively for McDermott, he most likely drowned. But two months after that announcement was made in 2008, investigators alleged that McDermott actually faked everything and was alive and well in Mexico.
Newton-John reported that McDermott was missing a week after the “incident” when he failed to show up for a family gathering. She had been out of the country at the time of the disappearance and unknowingly gave McDermott just enough of a head start to make a clean getaway.
Of the 22 passengers on the fishing boat, not a single one saw McDermott go overboard. Shortly before his disappearance, McDermott filed for bankruptcy with debts of $30,000. (So, look for a lot of college students to try the old “fell from a boat” move soon.)
McDermott also secured a second passport and withdrew his life savings from two different bank accounts before going missing. There’s something very obviously fishy about this whole thing…
Since 2010, a private investigator named Philip Klein has written a book and appeared on Dateline to reveal his findings in the McDermott case. He claims to have spotted the former cameraman more than a dozen times in Central America and corresponded with McDermott’s lawyer.
According to Klein, the lawyer has stated that “Pat simply wishes to be left alone. He is safe and has started anew again in a new place both physically and mentally. He just wanted to get away from the drama.” Seems pretty reasonable.
McDermott’s ex-wife does not believe McDermott is alive and wishes it would all go away for the sake of her son. Olivia Newton-John has since moved on from the relationship.
This all seems very played out thanks to Klein. So, let’s just let everyone move forward, shall we?
(Via Daily Mail)