Was he murdered?

Am I late with this Christy, this is the first I have seen on it in our papers, away from the war I know


August 22, 2005 - 11:03AM


Baffled US authorities investigating the disappearance of the longtime boyfriend of Australian singer Olivia Newton-John have not ruled out the possibility he was murdered.

With few clues, however, authorities are also unsure if Patrick Kim McDermott did not meet a grisly end on an overnight fishing expedition off the coast of California.

Nothing is certain.

"It's a really strange one," Coast Guard investigator Dennis Nebrich said.

"Each time you think you know what's going on, it doesn't go that way."

The last time McDermott, who was in a nine-year relationship with Newton-John, was seen was when he boarded an overnight fishing vessel on June 30 at San Pedro Harbour, south of Los Angeles.

The 48-year-old boarded alone, but the vessel was packed with crew and other anglers, who did not know McDermott and who were all looking forward to 24 hours of fishing.

Despite interviews with the crew and numerous anglers aboard the boat after McDermott's family declared him missing on July 11, authorities have no substantial leads.

"It was a boat where you pay your money, you go overnight," Nebrich said

"We talked to a lot of people.

"There were quite a few people on this boat."

Authorities are not sure if McDermott walked off the boat when it docked back at San Pedro on July 1 or whether he jumped from the boat, was pushed or vanished by other means while it was out at sea.

McDermott's personal items, such as a backpack and fishing gear, were left on the boat.

His car remained in the parking lot near the San Pedro marina until it was found by concerned family members on July 11.

Anglers and employees at San Pedro's 22nd Street Landing tackle store and restaurant, near where McDermott's car was left, said on Sunday they knew nothing about the missing man.

"We haven't heard about this guy at all," an employee at the fishing complex said.

McDermott's family, which includes his 15-year-old son, became concerned when he did not turn up to a family gathering on July 6.

"He was seen aboard the fishing vessel," US Coast Guard warrant officer second class William Epperson said.

"They found his personal effects on the fishing vessel. They had not been removed from the vessel."

With little evidence, authorities are treating McDermott as a "missing person", not a murder victim.

"We're investigating it as a missing person's case," Epperson said.

"Mr McDermott was reported missing by his family, and we're investigating it further.

"We haven't slanted or pulled the investigation in one direction."

If evidence turned up McDermott had met with foul play, US authorities would no longer treat it as a missing person's case, he said.

"If it turns out to be along those lines, we'll look into it further," he said.

"But, right now it's just a missing person's investigation."

Despite the Los Angeles Police Department issuing a press release on August 10, the US media has taken little interest in the case. It was only yesterday, when McDermott was linked to Newton-John, that the media has covered the matter.

Authorities are hoping the media exposure will unearth new leads.

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