The grisly disappearance of Olivia Newton-John’s former boyfriend exposed
Louise Pennell, a foreign correspondent for Seven Network Australia who has been following the case closely, appeared in a conversation with MSNBC-TV’s Dan Abrams amid speculation about McDermott’s case. He revealed that the 48-year-old Korean-American was dealing with financial problems before his disappearance.
‘What we do know is that there were some financial problems. Patrick McDermott on the fishing boat The freedom told the crew he was having alimony issues with his ex-wife, who is an actress,” Pennell alleged. “As far as I know, he was complaining about financial problems with her… Whether he had financial problems and faked his disappearance, whether it was a murder or a kidnapping, no one seems to know.”
In connection with the statement, CBS News shared court documents showing that McDermott filed for bankruptcy in July 2000.
Meanwhile, Frank Liversedge, the manager of the 22nd Street Landing, shared more information about McDermott’s journey in the same interview.
“It left at 10 p.m. and returned the next evening at 8 p.m.,” he told Abrams. ‘Obviously he didn’t go on the boat with anyone else. He has made a reservation for one person. If he had been with someone else, he would have made a reservation for two people.”
Liversedge noted that the person assigned to clear the boat found McDermott’s fanny pack, which contained his wallet, passport, car keys and other documents.
“So some people say they saw him get off the boat after the trip was over?” Abrams asked, to which Liversedge replied, “Yes.”
As witnesses claimed they saw McDermott after the trip, rumors that he was alive and had faked his death quickly spread.
Australian journalist Nick Papps said he believed McDermott had escaped his debts in Los Angeles and decided to start a new life in Mexico.
“If you have nothing here for you, what’s the point of staying here? So where do you go? You get in a car, you drive through Mexico, where no one checks your passport. And you go to the Baja Peninsula. It’s known as a sunny place for shady people,” he assumed.
