Misadventure, amnesia or a corporate cover up? | Forensic Files

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[Music] website when 23-year-old Duncan mcferson left his hometown of Saskatoon Canada
for a new job in Scotland in August 1989 his parents weren't worried from a young age Duncan had
always shown incredible bravery and Independence he was just 3 years old when he first insisted on taking the B
pass to a doctor's appointment all by himself the bus driver had refused to pick him up on account of his age but
that didn't deter the toddler he simply figured out how to get on another bus Instead This level of courage and
determination followed Duncan into his teenage years bolstered by his strong physical
stature he developed a passion for ice hockey and spent years honing his skills becoming a prized defense fman for the
Saskatoon blades where he earned the nickname mcferson his hard work paid off in 1984
when at the age of 18 he was picked in the first round by the New York Islanders as part of the National Hockey
League professional draft this meant a move across the border into the United States away from
the comfort of his close-knit family for 5 years Duncan devoted his life to the game before the team cut him
loose he wasn't too disappointed though while he adored ice hockey he had no interest in the politics that went on
behind the scenes in the Major League Duncan told his mother he was happy to be moving on and ready for the
next step in his life he accepted a well-paid job as the head coach for the dunde Tigers I hockey
team in Scotland and left Canada for Europe on Wednesday August 2 198 9 on Friday August 11 Duncan's mother
Linda mcferson Woke Up in the middle of the night screaming her husband Bob was sleeping
beside her and was roused by the commotion he tried to calm Linda down assuring her she'd just had a bad
dream but Linda's instincts told her otherwise something terrible has happened to Duncan she
[Music] [Music] cried the last time Linda mcferson had spoken to Duncan was a week earlier on
Friday August 4 1989 he'd called home to let his family know that he'd arrived safe in Germany
where he was staying with his close friend George pesit Duncan told his mother he was
exhausted from the long International Journey while he was unsure of his exact plans he said he was going to spend some
time traveling and relaxing before his coaching job with the Dundee Tigers officially commenced on Monday August
14th Duncan promised Linda that he'd touch base with her again when he arrived in
Scotland on Saturday August 12th the day after Linda's nightmare she eagerly waited for that
call something in her gut was telling her that Duncan was not okay even when he'd been living in
America he never went more than a few days without checking in with his parents that Goring fear of only
intensified when the mcferson still hadn't heard from Duncan by Monday August 14 the day he was scheduled to
start his job with the Dundee tigers in the days before the internet and cell phones it wasn't easy to make
contact with overseas Travelers for days Linda Sat by the phone urging it to ring she tried to reassure herself that
Duncan was probably just busy with his new job and would be in touch soon on Wednesday August 16 the phone finally
rang it was a hockey friend of Duncan who lived in Europe he was trying to track a Duncan
down because he'd had just spoken to the dundy Tiger's team manager it looked like Duncan had never
made it to Scotland it was an anxiety filled 24 hours for Linder and Bob mcferson until
they fin finally made contact with Duncan's friend George pesut the following day Thursday August
17th George was a Canadian ice hockey player who had recently accepted a position on a German team and he was
living in the German city of nurmberg he told the mcferson that he and Duncan had spent a couple of days together
before George had to go away for training camp on August 7 Duncan wanted to visit some friends
and do some traveling so George lent him his car a red opal corser the plan was for Duncan to be
back in nurburg by August 11 to return George's car and catch his flight to Scotland but George said he'd just
returned from his training camp to his surprise Duncan's hockey bag was still there but Duncan and the opal
corser were not after making a few more calls the mcferson discovered that on Monday
August 7 Duncan had left nurg and driven 3 hours North to the Bavarian town of fan there he stayed with his friend
Roger another Canadian ice hockey player who was living in Europe it was a short but enjoyable
visit the two played tennis together and then went out for dinner where Roger got
a kick out of Duncan's attempts to walk without speaking a word of German Duncan stayed at Roger house that
night then hit the road again at around lunchtime the following day of Tuesday August
8th Roger told the mcferson he wasn't entirely sure of Duncan's plans from there Fen is just 1 km north of the
Austrian border and only a few hours drive from Italy Duncan had mentioned wanting to
visit a friend in the Itali Ian city of balzano but nothing was set in stone he'd departed from Rogers with no
specific plans and neither Roger George nor any of Duncan's other contacts in Europe had heard from him
since upon learning this information Linda's heart sank she and her husband had raised
Duncan and his brother to be reliable respectful and a trustworthy young man while Duncan was definitely Keen for
an adventure after years dedicated to hockey he was a rule follower who adored his
family there was no way he would have just taken off and de bailed on his job commitment without so much as a phone
call he also had a lot of respect for George pesut and would never run off with his car without seeking permission
first the mcferson contacted their Bank to find out when Duncan had last came to
one of his Travelers checks they were told it was Monday August 7 the day Duncan visited Roger in
fan this meant that 10 days had passed without Duncan accessing any of his money the mcferson anxiety sparked as
they considered all possibilities what if Duncan had accidentally driven George's car off the
road and he was concealed in a dear chore mountain side somewhere what if he' picked up a hitchhiker who
caused him harm in the 1980s kidnappings for ransom weren't unheard of in Italy what if
Duncan had unwittingly crossed paths with the [Music] mafia after two more days passed with no
word from Duncan on Sunday August 20 the mcferson contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP and reported the
23-year-old to be missing to their surprise their situation wasn't treated with any sense
of urgency instead they were told to call back again during regular office hours
on Monday when the mcferson finally made contact with the police the next day the
officers they spoke to told them not to worry Duncan was an adult who was free to do as he pleased
like many other young foreigners he'd likely just gotten caught up in an adventure or had met a girl and would
resurface again soon or maybe he intended to disappear for a while which as an adult he was
free to do the mcferson didn't believe any of these reasons for a second Not only would they have been
completely out of character for Duncan he also had a girlfriend back at home and the two had been making plans for
her to come and visit him in Scotland when Duncan still hadn't contacted anyone by Wednesday August 23
the RCMP finally alerted Interpol and a bulletin was distributed to police stations and border crossings throughout
Europe while the mcferson were relieved to know that Duncan was officially being
treated as a missing person the authorities continued to reassure them that he'd likely show up soon
Linda and Bob felt completely helpless waiting around in Saskatoon they realized that the only
way to ensure the search for their son was taken seriously was to fly to Europe and to do it
themselves on Sunday August 27 the couple touched down in Germany armed with 2,000 missing person posters
printed in various languages by now Duncan had been missing for well over 2 weeks their first stop was to the
missing person's unit of the Newberg police like the RCMP the officer in charge assured the worried parents that
Duncan was likely off chasing romance at 6'1 he was a strong athletic young man and he'd be able to take care
of himself in the face of danger Linda pointed out that 20 days had passed since he'd last cashed one of
his traveler checks still this raised no alarm bells for the police officer he assured the
mcferson that the girl Duncan was with was probably Rich frustrated that they weren't being
taken seriously Linder and Bob rented a car and began tracing Duncan's movements
themselves this was no easy feat for the middle-aged couple they were modest people who enjoyed a quiet and wholesome
life neither of them had ever been to Europe before and they didn't speak any of the local
languages Linda was a school teacher and Bob a small plane pilot they'd won their home in a raffle
which had afforded them a comfortable upbringing for their two boys venturing across Europe to take on
the authorities was far beyond their comfort zone but they both remained con convinced that they'd find Duncan no
matter [Music] what Duncan had cashed his last traveler check at a travel agency in
nurburg the mcferson went there and showed the staff a photo of their son one of the agents recalled serving
Duncan there on Monday August 7 he had put a deposit down for a flight to the Scottish city of Glasgow set to
depart 5 days later on Saturday August August 12th this was the same date he told his
parents he would contact them from Scotland according to the travel agent Duncan said he'd return to the office
the day before the flight to pay the remaining balance and pick up his ticket but he never
did from there the mcferson drove to Fen the German Town where Duncan was last seen by his friend
Roger studying a map they tried to put themselves in Duncan's shoes given Fan's proximity to both
Austria and Italy it made sense to assume he might have visited one of the nearby towns in either
country Austria offered worldclass skiing while Northern Italy offered wind surfing both activities that would
appeal to the outdoor sport-loving Duncan he'd mentioned to Roger that he'd like to visit Italy's Lake Garda which
was about a 5H hour Drive south of fen Bob and Linda mcferson set out on this route stopping at every Regional
Police Station along the way for days they traversed all the areas they thought Duncan might have
visited Plastering his missing person posters while on the constant lookout for George's red opal
corser they checked with officials at the border crossings in Italy and Switzerland nobody they spoke to
recalled seeing Duncan in fact to Bob and Linda's horror none of the Border officials or Regional
Police were even aware of their son's case in spite of what they'd been told by the RCMP it didn't appear that an
interpo bulletin had been sent out this meant that Duncan could have been passing through any number of towns
and countries without anyone even being aware that he was a missing person [Music]
Linda and Bob continued to go over every possible scenario in a desperate Bard to
figure out what could have happened to their son soon another unnerving possibility
began to enter their minds a few months before Duncan had left for Europe he'd fulfilled a dream
of his by hiking North America's Appalachian Trail while it had been a positive experience for the nature lover he'd
returned with an unwanted souvenir Lyme disease transmitted by tick bit Lyme disease is typically characterized by a
rash body aches fever and fatigue Duncan had fully recovered by the time he left for Europe but after
his disappearance his parents learned that in rare cases Lyme disease can leave individuals with memory loss
confusion and personality changes they wondered whether Duncan could be experiencing these
symptoms maybe he was alive somewhere but suffering from some kind of neurological
episode there was also an odd comment that Duncan had made to his family in the months before his
trip out of nowhere he told Linda that a recruiter from the Central Intelligence
Agency had tracked him down and asked if be interested in working as a spy this wasn't a far-fetched
offer intelligent athletic types like Duncan made attractive recruits Linda had told Duncan it
sounded like an exciting opportunity but he said he wasn't interested working for the CIA would
mean changing his identity and leaving his family behind which he wasn't prepared to
do while it's seemed unlikely the mcferson wondered whether Duncan had changed his mind and accepted a position
with the agency after all they also had a niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right about
the job that Duncan had accepted with the dunde Tigers in Scotland he'd been offered the position
by a Canadian businessman named Ron Dixon who had recently bought the team Ron offered Duncan the high-paying
role even though the two had never met Duncan had been a little dubious he told his family there was
something off about Ron Dixon and his offer but he'd pushed his concerns aside knowing it was too good an opportunity
to turn down Ron said that Duncan had called him at some point during his travels in
Europe he wasn't sure of the exact date but he believed it was most likely on Thursday August 10
this was 2 Days After Duncan was last seen leaving fussan and 2 days before his flight to
Scotland the mcferson had no idea what to think every possibility was on the table from foreign intelligence to
Amnesia to fair play yet they were no closer to a [Music] breakthrough almost almost a month had
passed with no reported sightings of Duncan then on Thursday September 14 Linda had an instinctive feeling that
she knew where he was when she and Bob had first driven from fan to Italy their route had taken
them through the Austrian city of insbrook known as the capital of the Alps it was a Charming City nestled
amongst the stunning mountain peaks that was known for offering a wide range of winter
Sports boasting impressive architecture Alpine views and easy access to the ski slopes it was exactly the kind of place
that would have appealed to Duncan it was also only a 2-hour drive from Fen given that Duncan had just two days
after leaving Roger before he was due back in nurenberg Linda reasoned that he wouldn't have wanted to waste too much
of that time behind the wheel it therefore made sense to her that Duncan would have decided to stop in
inbrook for the night before seeing the sight the following day Linda and Bob returned to Winbrook
and approached the local police only to discover that they still hadn't been made aware of Duncan's
disappearance Linda expressed her belief that Duncan had likely stopped over in enbrook on the night of Tuesday August
8th she requested that a search be done of all the hotels in the area to see if Duncan's name was any of their
registers the police refused inbrook which had twice hosted the Winter Olympics had hundreds of
hotels and guest lodgings making inquiries with each one would be a Monumental task when they
didn't even have any evidence to indicate Duncan had passed through the area like the others inbrook police reassured
the mcferson that Duncan was likely of having an adventure and would show up soon if he had come to Austria his
parents could rest assured that it was a safe country with a very low crime rate
and nothing bad would have happened to him the mcferson remained convinced that Duncan would have traveled to
Windbrook they spent the next few days driving around town and the surrounding mountains putting Duncan's missing
person posters up and making inquiries of their own upon learning of their story the
head coach of the inbrook hockey club felt for the couple and pulled some strings to have Duncan's case broadcast
on a local news network the segment was broadcast on Wednesday September 20 almost 50 days
since Duncan had vanished the mcferson asked any one who might have seen Duncan or his vehicle to
come forward finally someone [Music] did Sebastian Vagner not his real name was a contractor who had recently been
doing some repair work to the parking lot of a popular ski resort known as the stubai glacia 40 km south of
enbrook the stubai glacia is situated at the end of the stai valley roughly 3,000
m above sea level it is made up of five glaciers making it the largest glacier ski area in
Austria in the winter hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world flock to the area to make the most
of the snowfall but it is just as popular in the summer time with tourists drawn to
the hiking trails waterfalls and Alpine Huts that dot the surrounding Mountainside when Sebastian saw the News
Bulletin about Duncan McPherson's disappearance he was certain he'd seen that red opal corser
before it had been sitting in the parking lot of the shuai glacia resort near the gondola station for
weeks Sebastian immediately notified the police who followed up on the lead that
night the vehicle was right where Sebastian said it would be at a quick glance nothing appeared to
be out of the ordinary the driver side window was slightly a jar allowing the officers to
reach inside and open it up in the glove box they found a Duncan mcferson passport and uncashed traveler
checks a plastic bag of fruit sat rotting on the back seat along with Duncan's backpack a sweater ice skates
and a handrawn map Duncan himself was nowhere to be seen nor were there any signs that a struggle
had taken place however an unsent letter to his girlfriend provided a potential clue in the letter Duncan mentioned that
he'd just bought a cool new pair of mefisto brand walking shoes the shoes weren't in Duncan's car
which raised the possibility that he might have warned them to go hiking on one of the near by
Trails police immediately made inquiries with the accommodation providers in the
area Duncan mcferson hadn't been registered as a guest at any of the major hotels or the small Alpine Hearts
nor did anyone recognize him from his photograph Bob and Linda mcferson arrived at the stuar glacia the day
after Duncan's car was found upon learning that the vehicle had been in the area for weeks they were
stunned the stai glacia is a major tourist attraction bringing in millions of dollars in Revenue each year every
day thousands of visitors and locals used the parking lot but the glacier shut for business in the evenings and
the parking lot was virtually empty by 6:00 p.m. the mcferson wondered how Duncan's
car could have sat there for weeks without it raising any alarms especially when police were aware that a tourist
had gone missing in the area the mcferson checked into the nearby hotel to join the search for
their son as they were registering a man approached them he introduced himself as Walter hin
hosle a stubai glacia snowboard instructor who also worked at the hotel parttime Walter said he'd just seen the
missing person poster taped to the window of the mcferson rental car and recognized Duncan's
photo While most of the ski runs on the shubar glacia were closed in August due to lack of snow one small Bunny Hill
with a rope toe left remained open known as the shaffle FNA Walter hinter hosle claimed that on
the morning of Tuesday August 99 he had given Duncan a 2-hour snowboarding lesson on the shle
FNA he'd been impressed by how quickly Duncan had gotten the hang of things and how well he was able to control the
board after the lesson the two ate lunch together Duncan told Walter about his upcoming coaching job in Scotland and
his desire to go wind surfing on Lake Garda before then Walter recommended that Duncan
visit Austria's Lake Aran instead it was less than an hour from inbrook and would give Duncan more time
before he had to be back in Germany for his flight Duncan seemed pleased by this he
told Walter he was going to spend the rest of the afternoon testing out his new snowboarding skills and might then
go for a hike on one of the surrounding Trails he arranged to meet Walter again for a follow-up lesson the next
morning the jumper Duncan had been wearing was soaked through so he bought a new one from the gift shop and hung
his wet one out to dry in Walter's office before hitting the slope on his own at the end of the day Walter
returned to his office only to find that Duncan's jumper was still there he reasoned that Duncan would
probably just pick it up after his lesson the next morning but he never showed up and the jumper remained
unclaimed the Shelf fairness ski run was located 3,770 vertical fet above the parking lot
the only way to reach it was to ride the gondola or hike it on foot the mcferson rode the gondol up to
see the slope for themselves it was only a small area its entire surface visible from the
base the ski run was clearly marked with a rope Cordon marking an outof bounds area to the east
the mcferson knew there was no way something bad could have happened to Duncan at this
spot Not only was the slope smoothed over at the end of each day by a snow gromer machine if Duncan had
accidentally gone off course he would have left behind an obvious Trail he was also last seen wearing a
bright yellow ski jacket which would have been very visible a search team combed to the
slope but didn't find any trace of Duncan Walter hin hoel's girlfriend who was also employed by the Shai glacia
recalled seeing Duncan on the toe lift at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday August 9 shortly after he'd finished his lunch
with Walter this was the last confirmed sighting based on Duncan's conversation with Walter police deduced that after
practicing snowboarding for a while Duncan likely set out on one of the hiking trails this would explain why his new
shoes were missing Walter had advised the Duncan to avoid hiking downhill because it would
cause stress on his knees which were weak from hockey injuries one stubai Glacier employee
recalled seeing a tall young man standing near a waterfall below the glacia on August
9 in the summer the melting ice created deep whp pools around the waterfall police theorized that Duncan could have
ignored Walter's advice hiking downhill to the waterfall where he fell in and drowned they searched the Falls but
found nothing to indicate Duncan had been there they focused their search further
up the mountain instead where snow continued to fall there was no sign of Duncan there
either by Monday September 25 the search for Duncan mcferson at theba glacia reached its fifth fruitless
day with no confirmed sightings of him after August 9 the police concluded that he'd likely gotten lost or had an
accident on the mountain and his body was concealed by snow his abandoned car hadn't raised any
alarms because hikers often left their vehicles in the stai glacia parking lot while heading out for extended hiking
trips during which they camped at the Alpine Huts along the way police reasoned that they hadn't
patrolled the parking lot because it was private property they called off the search
confident that Duncan's body would eventually be recovered by hikers or hunters in due
course Bob and Linda mcferson were outraged by this conclusion without Duncan's body how
could the police be sure that he was even dead let alone that he died by accident on the mountain
somewhere as far as his parents were concerned Duncan could be anywhere he might not even be
dead disappointed with the inbrook police investigation the mcferson were dubious about their claims that they'd
found no record of Duncan having stayed anywhere in inbrook throughout August Bob and Linda conducted their own
inquiries and discovered that Duncan had indeed spent the night of Tuesday August
8th in a youth hostel downtown before checking out the next morning while this bolstered the police
theory that Duncan had disappeared on the same day he was last seen the mcferson couldn't help but wonder if the
police had overlooked a simple detail like Duncan's hostel registration what else had they
missed John Dixon the owner of the dunde Tigers ice hockey team was confident he'd spoken to Duncan on Thursday August
10 the day after he'd been snowboarding at the stai glacia a recently purchased cassette
tape found in Duncan's car was traced to a music store in enbrook where an employee remembered serving
Duncan she couldn't be sure exactly when but she remembered one distinct detail Duncan hadn't been Al alone but with a
darkhaired man while it pained Bob and Linda to imagine they considered whether Duncan
might have been abducted and was being held captive what if he was out there somewhere willing his parents to find
him as Bob later told Esquire magazine even though we knew in our hearts that he probably wasn't alive you
always think there's some chance that's what made us want to keep it going it's amazing how much you hang on
to that thread the tiniest bit of hope they stewed over it for days before the realization dawned on Linda Walter
hinter hosel the snowboard instructor had told the mcferson that Duncan had rented a snowboard gloves and ski boots
prior to their lesson together at the time there was only one ski shop on the mountain in order to rent any equipment
customers had to put a governmen issued ID or credit card down as a deposit which would be returned to them when
handing over their gear at the end of the day it occurred to Linda that staff at
the shop would be able to tell them whether or not Duncan returned his gear if he hadn't this would signify
that he might have had an accident while he was out snowboarding instead of after Linda visited the rental shop and
asked them to check their records the staff told her they'd recently started a new log and had
therefore thrown the old one away while none of the employees specifically recalled Duncan returning
his gear no snowboards were missing from their inventory so they reasoned that he
must have returned it it was protocol for staff to inform guards of any rental equipment that
hadn't been returned so they could check the slope for any potential accidents if the police theory was
correct and Duncan really had perished while hiking in the shuai valley his parents couldn't bear the thought of his
body being left out there all alone with winter just around the corner they knew that time was of the essence
as any search efforts would be hindered completely once the heavy snowfall began a Canadian businessman heard about
the situation and generously funded a Canadian search and rescue team to fly to Austria and continue the search
themselves they arrived on Sunday October 8th the beginning of the third month of Duncan's
disappearance with the help of some new computer software and a sniffer dog they
started from the stuar glacia resort parking lot and searched outwards around the Valley from
there the days ticked by with no breakthroughs and by Sunday October 15 the team was forced to call off the
search on account of heavy snowfall defeated Bob and Del Linda mcferson felt there was nothing more
they could do they reluctantly returned to Canada vowing to come back as soon as the snow
melted around the same time that the mcferson left Austria the manager of one of the
Alpine hearts in the shuai valley came across one of Duncan's missing posters for the first
time upon seeing Duncan's face he was reminded of a strange incident that had occurred a couple of weeks
earlier on Monday September 25th a disheveled looking English-speaking Foreigner had shown up at the heart in
the middle of the night he DET trctor there through the dark without suitable hiking gear not
even a flashlight he seemed a little disoriented and had taken off again after breakfast the next morning heading
towards the old Smugglers Trails into Italy the Hut manager thought the man bore a resemblance to Duncan
mcferson Bob and Linda weren't sure what to make of this the police had assured them that all the hut managers had been
notified of Duncan's disappearance so it seemed odd that such an encounter could
have occurred without it raising suspicions at the time then again it gave them hope that
Duncan could be experiencing Amnesia as a result of his Lyme disease or an accident and could still be alive after
all as the months passed by other potential sightings of Duncan continued to trickle in one Canadian tourist
thought she spotted him at a bar in Russia Thinking Fast she took a photo and sent it to his family but it wasn't
Duncan the mcferson couldn't shake the feeling that Ron Dixon the man who'd offered Duncan the coaching job knew
more about Duncan's disappearance than he was letting on not only did Ron claimed to be one of
the last people to speak with Duncan before he went missing the mcferson found it odd that he hadn't contacted
them to let them know Duncan never arrived in Scotland he'd never even reached out to
offer any support the mcferson did some digging and discovered that Ron Dixon had a
shady past rumors swelled about his dodgy real estate Ventures and a criminal record
that included a prison sentence for manslaughter the mcferson wondered if Duncan's job offer seemed too good to be
true because something more Sinister had been at play regardless they weren't discounting
the possibility that Duncan had indeed died by accident around the shuai glacia in the summer of 1990 they
returned to Austria bringing Duncan's beloved dog Jake with them for weeks they camped in the shuai
valley and hiked the surrounding Trails on the lookout for any sign of Duncan they returned every summer for
the next 3 years but came no closer to finding [Music] him in late 1993 a German television
program called B meld aired a segment about Duncan's disappearance urging anyone with information about his
whereabouts to come forward a woman named Lena not her real name was watching the show when
something occurred to her Lena lived in the Austrian city of Claren Fort roughly 320 km southeast of
inbrook 4 years earlier on Saturday September 9 1989 a distressed and malnourished young man had emerged from
the woods in a town about half an hour from Claren Fort speaking only North American
English he had no identification on him and claimed he couldn't remember his name where he came from from or anything
else about his life the only thing he could remember was that he'd once lived in New
York the mystery man was arrested for vagrancy before being transferred to a mental health
facility doctors initially thought he might be suffering from some type of neurological condition but when he
didn't respond to any of the treatments it was determined that he had a severe case of amnesia
the man was given the green light to live in Austria he settled in Claren Fort where
he went by the name Mark Sherman over time Lena became friends with Mark other than the fact that he
couldn't remember his true identity there was nothing unusual about him he was a nice guy who lived in otherwise
normal life but when Lena saw the bitter melder segment about Duncan McPherson's
disappearance it gave her pause Mark Sherman had emerged from the woods exactly 1 month after Duncan
mcferson was last seen at the stai glacia only a few hundred kilom away Mark had been wearing an American
brand of jeans just like Duncan had Duncan had had various surgeries on his knees Mark's knees also had surgical
scars on them Duncan's front teeth had been knocked out during a hockey match and had been
replaced with crowns Mark's front teeth had received similar dental work looking at Duncan's picture on the
television Lena saw the similarities and wondered could the two men be one and the
same Lena shared her suspicions with her boyfriend who managed to get a hold of the mcferson phone number
in early February 1994 he called them in Canada to pass on the information Bob and Linda didn't know
what to think given Duncan's brush with Lyme disease just before his trip to Europe
the possibility that he was experiencing Amnesia seemed entirely plausible and what were the chances that
two young North American men could go missing within such close proximity within just a few weeks of one
another the mcferson contacted Foreign Affairs who arranged to have someone from the Canadian embassy in Austria
visit Mark Sherman everything Lena said was true Mark and Duncan did share many similarities the embassy officials even
took Mark to an ice skating rank to put his skills to the test it turned out he was a talented
skater a picture of Mark was faxed to the mcferson in Canada they gathered around the fax
machine along with some of Duncan's friends anticipation soaring as the image emerged but Mark Sherman looked nothing
like Duncan his loved ones considered every conceivable possibility that Duncan's
appearance could have changed in the four years since his disappearance and Embassy officials ordered a comparison
of the two men's dental records They didn't match a former teammate of Duncan who
was living in Austria went to visit Mark just in case but to the crushing disappointment
of many he confirmed that Mark Sherman and Duncan mcferson were definitely not the same
person in the Summers that followed Bob and Linda spent their life saving returning to
Austria they refused to change their phone number or move house just in case Duncan ever tried to get in
touch by 2003 Duncan had been missing for 14 years Bob and Linda could no longer
afford the annual trips and they did their best to get on with their lives even though their son was never far from
their minds that summer the temperature soar to record Heights in inbrook so much of the winter snow
melted that even the shuffle fer ski run had to be closed down on Friday July 18 2003 a stai
glacier employee was walking along the empty ski run collecting rubbish when they noticed something sticking out of
the snow approximately 35 m east of the ski lift at the mcferson Home in South Kon
the phone rang the next day it was a friend of theirs from inbrook they found Duncan he
said it didn't take long for the inbrook police to confirm that Duncan had died by accident on the same day he was last
seen back on Wednesday August 9 1989 his body had been buried in a small crass and was seemingly Frozen in
Time dressed in the same bright yellow ski jacket and the newly purchased jumper he'd been wearing at the time of
his disappearance his pockets still held his wallet which contained Essentials for his European trip including his
international driver's license and a Canadian calling card the snowboard and ski boots he'd
supposedly returned to the rental shop were also still with him similar crevasses to the one
Duncan's body was found in crisscrossed all over the shuai glacier to make the area safe for skiers
piston bullies groomed the ski runs at the end of each day filling each of the crevasses in with
snow ungroomed areas were cordoned off to make sure skiers didn't Veer out of bounds the ski lift operator insisted
that the are to the left and right of the ski lift had been cordoned off at the time a Duncan went
missing crevasses like the one Duncan's body was found in also moved naturally over
time it was therefore deduced that at the time of Duncan's death the crass would have been about 40 m further
uphill just outside of the designated ski run authorities therefore theorized that
Duncan could have either ridden off hor while snowboarding or been riding the ski lift when he fell
off it wasn't possible to snowboard down the lift route and they assumed Duncan would have thought it was too difficult
to climb up instead they concluded that he likely took a shortcut on foot across an out of
bounds area the air was thick with fog that day and Duncan could have gotten lost before
falling into one of the crevasses is too far outside of the ski run for anyone else to
notice Duncan's Frozen remains were removed using an ice pick and transported to the coroner where a
pathologist was tasked with formally identifying the body in Austria autopsies aren't
necessary if the individual is determined to have died as the result of an accident and as such no autopsy was
requested based on the known facts the pathologist concluded that Duncan had likely fallen into the crass and was
unable to climb out he would have managed to breathe some of the air that was trapped in the
snow for a little while before running out of oxygen and suffocating to death Bob and Linda mcferson promptly
arrived in insbrook to identify Duncan's mummified body his remains were laid out
in the forens Institute covered in a white sheet with only his face visible despite his skin being black
from oxidation Linda recognized her son right away Bob and Linda each took a moment to
say goodbye to their son if there was any consolation to be found after 14 agonizing years it was
that Duncan likely hadn't suffered too badly the forensic pathologist in charge Dr Walter Robble told the mcferson that
survivors of similar experiences had reported feeling calm and happy in the moments before they were
rescued while the mcferson were relieved to discover that Duncan hadn't suffered
any of their worst case scenarios something didn't feel right a few days after identifying their
son they returned to the stai glacia and rode the gondol up the shle fa like they'd done many times
before two Glacier employees then drove them in a snow cat to the location where
Duncan's body had been found while the mcferson were anticipating the spot to be off to the
side in an area that was obviously out of bounds they were shocked to see that it was right in the middle of the ski
run in fact they'd passed by that very spot themselves several times over the years
Bob had even taken a photo of Linda standing nearby it struck them that for all the
time they'd spent worrying about their son thousands of people had been skiing practically right over
him as they tried to get their heads around the reality of it all Bob looked into the recently Disturbed ice and
noticed something black emerging from the melting snow he picked it up it was a large piece of Duncan's rented
snowboard clearly broken with the serial number still visible Bob poked around further and to
his utter dismay he found several of Duncan's bones that the recovery team had failed to
retrieve appalled by the careless recovery efforts the mcferson sought answers from Dr Walter rabble the
forensic pathologist he advised them that some of the items such as Duncan's snowboard and
clothing had been encased in such a way that it was impossible to remove them using an ice
pick instead the rescue crew had used a snow grooming machine to dig them out which had resulted in some
damage Bob was taken aback by this he was familiar with snow grooming machines and knew that they didn't have any
excavation capabilities the tiller blade on the front which consists of a rapidly
rotating shaft was used to push snow not dig ice suspicions raised the mcferson wanted to have their own autopsy
conducted but repatriating Duncan's body back to Canada was an expensive Endeavor
and their Relentless search for him had already set them back over 100,000 their entire retirement
fund they simply didn't have the money besides Dr Robble advised them that given how long Duncan's body had
spent in the ice an autopsy probably wouldn't reveal much anyway he offered to have a computerized
tomography scan done of Duncan's body instead it would produce two and threedimensional x-ray images of the
remains while it wouldn't reveal how Duncan had died it would show any injuries he'
sustained the mcferson agreed to go ahead with the scan a few days later Dr Robble told
them that while he hadn't yet seen the scans himself a colleague in the radiology department said Duncan hadn't
sustained any major injury that would account for his death bolstering the theory that he died by
Suffocation reluctantly his parents accepted the explanation for Duncan's accidental death death and consented to
have his body cremed they returned to Canada armed with nothing more than his ashes his
skate boots and the remnants of his broken snowboard while Duncan's case was officially closed that didn't stop his
parents from seeking answers it seemed unbelievable to them that Duncan could have died right at the
spot where he was last seen and then gone undetected for so many years the last reported sighting of
Duncan had occurred around 230 p.m. on Wednesday August 9 1989 the slope closed to the public at
400 p.m. after which the Piston bullies came out to groom the snow in preparation for the following day's
run what the mcferson couldn't understand was why didn't anyone go looking for Duncan despite the fact his
car sat in the parking lot his rental gear hadn't been returned to the ski shop and his wet clothing sat hanging in
Walter hin hussle's office for many years the inbrook police had told the mcferson there had never
been any fatal accidents on the shle fairness ski run but as the mcferson soon discovered this wasn't the
case in fact almost one year to the day before Duncan went missing international
student Chong yinchu had been skiing the shle fer when he fell from the ski lift he then took a shortcut across the
cordon off area and fell into a Cass unlike a Duncan Chong was visiting with France who raised the alarm when he
failed to surface at the end of the day rescue workers found Chong in the ice his body temperature so low that he
was barely clinging to life he was transported to hospital where he passed away due to complications s from
hypothermia during the mcferson Tyler search for Duncan the possibility that he could have fallen down a Cass had
never once been suggested by officials even though he was last cited in the very area where Chang yinchu had died a
year earlier and the same police officer had overseen both searches not only did this raise some
serious red flags for the mcferson they also took issue with the suggestion that
if Duncan had fallen off the ski lift he might have found it too difficult to climb back up the slope and that's why
he took the shortcut through the cordon off area Duncan was a fit strong professional athlete who was also very
safety conscious back in 1993 snowboarding instructor Walter hinter hosle had even
told the German television show B mque that Duncan had been particularly cautious around the slope
boundaries so if he had indeed fallen off the ski lifts the mcferson found it hard to believe that he would have taken
the risky shortcut instead of Simply climbing back up the mountain in September 2003 the inbrook
police released their final official report into Duncan McPherson's death while they acknowledged that they
could only speculate about the cause of the accident a statement from the police
Red Mountain accidents primarily falls into casses or ice breaks in Glacier areas happen
regularly staying on the glacier outside of the secured ski area without appropriate safety equipment carries
among other things a high risk of falling into a Cass such accidents are almost always
the result of careless behavior on the part of those involved the mcferson were eager to see the
results of Duncan's computerized tomography scan for themselves but it took them several months of going back
and forth with Dr Walter Rubble in inbrook before they finally got a hold of them the scan left Bob and Linda
stunned despite being told that Duncan hadn't sustained any fatal injuries it appeared on the scan that he'd been
decapitated both of his forearms were fractured and had been completely separated from his body his left leg
also appeared to have been amputated in two places and the lower part of his left leg was completely
shattered Dr rul explained that the injuries to Duncan's forearms likely occurred when he fell into the crass and
presumably tried to break his fall as for the other injuries he said these had been caused by the natural
movement of the ice over the years he'd examined many corpses that had been stuck in glaciers and had
observed similar injuries with the glacia essentially Breaking Up the Bodies over
time Linda and Bob weren't convinced eager to get all the information they could they successfully
petitioned to get a copy of the 2003 case File from Canadian Foreign Affairs reports and photos of the
recovery Mission revealed that Duncan's body had been retrieved by two stubai Glacier employees with their rescue
workers hovering in a helicopter overhead no police officers or a coroner were present not only did this seem grossly
inadequate the photos of Duncan's body as it lay in the ice also raised some serious
questions firstly Duncan's body lay horizontally on its leg left hand side not vertically like most people who die
from similar Falls his left leg was completely shattered while his right leg which lay
directly on top of the left was perfectly intact if the damage to Duncan's body was caused by the natural movement of
the ice over the years how could one leg be fine and the other so badly damaged the mcferson were also told that
damaged to Duncan's clothing and Snowboard had been done during the recovery process but it was clear from
the photos that this wasn't the case some of his clothing was already torn to shreds and bunched together in a
way that didn't look like a natural occurrence Duncan's left ski boot also Sat by his side perfectly intact and
filled with snow its insular lining was found elsewhere shredded and covered with
v-shaped Ure marks consistent with the damage to his left leg this meant that Duncan hadn't been
wearing the boots at the time he died which meant he'd unstrapped them from his snowboard the mcferson wondered whether
he could have survived the fall into the crass and had enough room to take the boots off and attempt to climb out but
if that had been the case the boots would have gone further down into the crass not AED right next to his
body but what really shocked the mcferson was the snowboard itself when they'd been given the broken
board red paint marks were visible in the wood which had been explained as having occurred during the recovery
Mission examining the photos the mcferson could see that the red paint marks were visible on the snowboard when
Duncan's body was initially found indicating that damage had occurred earlier on Bob retrieved the broken snowboard
from his basement and examined it closely he noticed that the damaged parts of the board featured the exact
same amount of heavy weathering and rust as the undamaged parts the only explanation Bob could
find for this was that the board must have been broken and exposed to the elements long before the recovery in
2003 and if the board had been torn up by Machinery before it was buried in the ice then what did this mean for
Duncan the mcferson sent the scans to a medical professional in Canada who raised the possibility that Duncan might
have been run over by a snow grooming machine two renowned forensic experts who had firsthand experience in
examining corpses that had been retre D from the ice independently agreed the damage to Duncan's body
wasn't caused by movements in the glacier but by contact with heavy machinery in insbrook Dr Walter Robble
discounted this possibility he said that such an incident wouldn't have severed Duncan's
limbs but caused the damage to his ribs pelvis and organs it also didn't explain how he'd
ended up in the crass if Duncan was run over by a snow groming machine Dr Robble said someone
would have had to drive back and push him into the crass after the fact Bob and Dinda had always been
dubious about the claim that no snowboards had been missing from the rental shop on the afternoon Duncan went
missing they noted that while Duncan's international driver's license and calling card had been returned to them
his Canadian driver's license had not they wondered whether this was because Duncan had left the license with
the rental shop as a deposit for his equipment along with his shoes which also hadn't been returned to his
family when Duncan failed to return at the end of the day someone got rid of the license his shoes and any record of
his hire if this was the case it meant something had to have happened to Duncan on Wednesday August 9 that stubai glacia
Personnel were aware of a glacier official claimed that the cordon off area had been searched during
the initial search in late September 1989 but it had been snowing at the time and therefore the crass Duncan was in
would have been covered with snow Bob and Linda had been there at the time in question
it hadn't been snowing nor was there any fresh snow on the ground stai glacia staff also claimed
that on the day Duncan went missing all known crevasses on the ski run had been filled in and those that hadn't had been
cordoned off the police had taken photos of the shle fairness ski run during the search
for Duncan in 1989 but despite numerous requests from Duncan's family they refused to hand
these over without the photos there was no way to know for sure if the dangerous areas
had indeed been cordoned off convinced that something more Sinister than a tragic accident was a
play the mcferson made multiple efforts to have Duncan's case reinvestigated but inbrook police
maintained that it was an open and shut accidental death and the case would remain closed
[Music] over the following years the mcferson tried everything they could think of to
have Duncan's case reviewed they filed numerous complaints with the Austrian authorities submitted a formal complaint
to the ministry of justice and even tried their luck with the European Court of Human
Rights all of their appeals were rejected refusing to Let It Go Bob and Linda began working with California
based author John leak who had taken an interest in Duncan's case John had lived in Austria while
investigating the crimes of serial killer Jack EGA as covered in episode 197 of case File and he had a good
understanding of Austrian culture JN spent several years getting to know the mcferson and the intricate
details of their story after reviewing all of the evidence for himself Jon consulted with
numerous Specialists including dick Penman an American expert in ski slope accidents dick took one look at the
snowboard and injuries to Duncan's leg and immediately knew that damage was caused by a snow grooming
tiller not only are the bones broken in pieces dick explained but the flesh around the bones has also been chopped
up a crass fall could break bones but it couldn't grind meat given that Duncan's boots were no longer
on his feet the theory was raised that he might have fallen into the crass survived the fall and then managed to
climb out on his own while he was hanging on the edge with one hand and leg the snow gromer
came along and drove over him mangling the exposed limb before burying him in the
ice but if Duncan's body had only been mingled and not fully run over it raised the question of how Duncan's body and
his snowboarding equipment ended up so deep into the crass and not just on the surface as far as dick Penman was
concerned not one but two separate events had resulted in Duncan's death an alternative theory was that
Duncan could have suffered an injury perhaps a broken leg which would explain why he unstrapped his board and took his
left F off perhaps he was lying in a semi fetal position as he waited for help to arrive unable to walk
himself unable to see him through the fog a snow gromer accidentally hit him dragging his limbs into the tiller and
killing him realizing what they' done and the impact this would have on tourism one or
more employees removed his body from the tiller they threw Duncan's body in the cat
which was concealed with snow the mcferson took their concerns to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Who aired two episodes about Duncan's case for the long running investigative documentary program The Fifth
Estate speaking about the possibility of third- party involvement John Leake said how did this rack on the surface of
the slope wind up in a neat package in a shallow C those two actions do not go together and
I've talked to 20 different people who know glaciers and crevasses and physics and everything else and no one can
explain to me how those two things can happen without an intermediate action of someone Canadian High School teacher
Judy Wigmore was watching the show when it occurred to her that she'd been skiing on the stai glacia with her
family on the the very same day that Duncan went missing as far as Judy recalled there
had been no signs or barriers on the ski run to indicate any potential dangers if she'd known about the crass
hazards she would have never let her children go skiing there unsettled by this thought Judy
tracked down her old travel notes from Wednesday August 9 1989 she had recorded the conditions
that day as being quote pretty awful mostly wide out and slushy snow Judy wrote that it was so overcast
they could hardly see the mountains she also recalled that the ski shop had been very disorganized and it
had been a challenge to get her whole family outfitted for the day Judy reached out to Bob and Linda
mcferson with this information and sent them the few photos that she'd snapped on the ski run that day
the ski lift on the main Hill where Duncan was last seen was clearly visible in one of
them there was no fence or cord anded off area to be [Music] seen after researching Duncan's case for
several years John leak released his findings in a book titled cold a long time an Alpine
mystery John ultimately believed that stai GLA Personnel likely knew from the GetGo that Duncan had died in a crass on
Wednesday August 9 1989 but had withheld this information knowing that his parents would have demanded a widescale
excavation of the crevasses until their son was found not wanting to shut the glacier
down in the middle of peak season or suffer the bad publicity that would go with it they said Duncan had returned
his rental equipment to cover up the truth and redirect the investigations elsewhere while it was possible that
only the driver of the snow gromer and perhaps some of his co-workers knew exactly how the disaster happened John
wrote after systematically analyzing the facts with dick Penman we realized that
only one conclusion could be drawn someone had intentionally concealed Duncan's body in the
[Music] crass the mcferson contemplated taking legal action against the stuar glacia
but were dissuaded by both the inbrook pathologist and some independent lawyers because the exact cause of
Duncan's death remained unclear they were told there was little chance of proving any misconduct by the shuai
glacia staff instead they sought reimbursement from the shubba glacia founder Hinrich
CLE for the costs they'd incurred during their search for Duncan on the basis that his employees had given them
misleading information their claim was rejected by C's insurance provider who stated the
glacia company was not at fault for their son's death while Bob and Linda ultimately
accepted that whatever happened to Duncan had been an accident they believed that both the stuar glacia
staff and inbrook police had acted negligently not not only had this caused the mcferson 14 years of undue angst and
financial hardship it also put the lives of other skiers at risk Linda told a journalist for German
magazine daytim the only crime for us is the way in which this case was investigated when asked on The Fifth
Estate how she would react if someone finally came forward and took accountability Linda responded
I don't think I'd be able to speak I'd just be so happy that I'd cry it would restore my faith in
humanity August 2024 marked the 35- year anniversary of Duncan McPherson's death
Bob and Linda are now in their 80s and they remain convinced that Duncan's death was covered up to protect the
stubai Valley's valuable tourism industry while while they have come to accept that they will never get the
Justice they so desperately desire from officials in Austria they still refuse to stay
quiet in August 2024 Linda told CTV news that without anyone coming forward to take responsibility
quote my next and only choice is to expose the corruption I won't quit there's always a way to move it
along a British documentary about Duncan's case is supposedly in the works with the couple vowing to continue their
Quest For Justice until they die while it's essential for Linda that someone be held accountable for the
failures in her son's case she only has to think of Duncan's warm and generous nature to be reminded of the good in
people when Linda had arrived in inbrook to identify her son's remains she asked
for a moment alone with him looking at Duncan's face she knew straight away that something wasn't right but she
focused on farewelling him as best she could Linda told Duncan I'm sorry you died so young but I
know you had a good life and you died doing something you loved and that gives me some peace
[Music] e

Case 303: Duncan MacPherson

When 23-year-old Canadian ice hockey player Duncan MacPherson accepted a coaching job in Scotland, he was ready for his next adventure. But when Duncan failed to show up for the first day of his new job, serious concerns were raised about his well being. A desperate search led his parents Bob and Lynda to the Austrian Alps, kicking off a series of events they could never see coming.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Elsha McGill Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

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Brief Summary

Duncan McPherson vanished in 1989; his body was found years later, raising questions about the investigation and possible cover-up.

Key points

Duncan's Brave Independence. From a young age, Duncan showed incredible bravery and independence, even taking the bus alone at age three.
The Nightmares Begin. Linda McPherson wakes up screaming, sensing something is wrong with her son Duncan.
The Search for Duncan. After days without contact, the McPhersons report Duncan missing, but face police indifference.
A Mother's Instinct. Linda believes Duncan stopped in Innsbruck, but police refuse to search for him.
The Discovery of Duncan's Car. Duncan's car is found at a ski resort, but he is nowhere to be seen.
The Search for Duncan McPherson. Duncan McPherson goes missing while snowboarding in Austria, sparking a massive search effort.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Something terrible has happened to Duncan.

Linda's instinct after a nightmare about her son.

2:55WatchNov 9, 2024

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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