- Olivia Newton-John's ex-boyfriend Patrick McDermott was reported missing in 2005 after allegedly falling off a boat and drowning.
- But numerous theories and investigations have attempted to poke holes in this.
- Some say he's actually been found in Mexico, and was allegedly dodging child support payments.
- A new investigation claims to have photo of a man who is likely McDermott.
Actress Olivia Newton-John was heartbroken 12 years ago when her on-again-off-again boyfriend of nine years, Patrick McDermott, was reported missing after an overnight fishing trip near San Pedro, California.
But numerous private investigator reportedly point to evidence that suggests McDermott is still alive and living in Mexico.
McDermott's original disappearance was in 2005. It was said at the time that he had "likely drowned."
McDermott's body was not recovered after a search and, three years later, the Coast Guard declared that McDermott had "likely drowned," according to Us Weekly. He was presumed dead.
But shortly after, details emerged that made people wonder if McDermott was actually still alive and faking his own death in order to abandon Newton-John and avoid some debts.
For example, none of the 22 other passengers on the boat he was on saw him fall overboard or heard him cry for help, according to Us Weekly. Additionally, Us Weekly noted that at the time of his alleged disappearance, McDermott owed his ex-wife, Yvette Nipar, $8,000 in child support for their son, Chance.
Theories began circulating that he was still alive and living in Mexico. Multiple private investigators reportedly found him for various news outlets.
These facts began to weigh on investigators and the public alike, and theories began sprouting up that McDermott was actually alive and well in Mexico. The first reports that this was true date back to 2005 when a group of investigators hired by Dateline NBC reportedly found him living in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, under his birth name, Patrick Kim, according to Us Weekly.
McDermott's ex Nipar later wrote a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, asking him to stop selling the investigator Philip Klein's book about the investigation, "Lost At Sea," on his site, saying that she believed McDermott was dead.
"[Klein is a] well-known serial liar (who) is simply looking to be famous at the expense of an unfortunate tragedy in our lives," she wrote, according to Perth Now.
Things stayed quiet until March 2016, when Australian magazine Women's Day took another crack at the allegations, hiring a private investigator to look into his alleged disappearance. The investigator claimed to find him in the Mexican village Sayulita, living with his new girlfriend.
"Patrick's probably now working in the yachting industry for a high-profile family down there," he said, according to Women's Day magazine.
This investigation prompted Newton-John to speak about McDermott's alleged disappearance with "60 Minutes Australia." She told them that his alleged disappearance really affected her and that she grieved for him. But when asked if she believed he may have been in hiding, she said that she had made peace with that a long time ago.
"I mean it's human to wonder. But you know ... those are the things in life you have to accept and let go," she said at the time.
Now a new investigator claims to have photographic proof that McDermott is alive.
Now, another investigation, this time from Australian magazine New Idea, alleges even more proof that McDermott is still alive. The investigator they hired claims to have a photo of McDermott and an unidentified woman on the beach together.
"The widow's peak is exact," the investigator alleged to New Idea. "The eyes are very similar and the ears extend down on the head the same distance. I believe it is him."
It's unclear if McDermott is still alive, and if Newton-John would even want to find him if he is: She married John Easterling in 2008 and seems happier than even.
But, like Newton-John said, it's human to wonder.
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