Grammarly Advertiser (0:00)

If you want to see more companies make things in America, consider buying more things from companies who are already doing that very thing. Companies like American Giant. These guys have been making T shirts, sweatshirts, flannels and blue jeans in America for the last 14 years with cotton grown right here in the USA. That means good jobs for lots of hard working Americans in factory towns all over the country. Check out their stuff in stores everywhere or pick up something awesome@american-giant.com Professionals spend nearly half the work week on written communication, so focus is important. With Grammarly as your AI writing partner, focus and quickly get through work with relevant real time suggestions and it works across 500,000 apps and websites so you can sound more confident and persuasive wherever you write. 93% of professionals report that Grammarly helps them get more work done. Download Grammarly for free@Grammarly.com podcast that's Grammarly.com.

Vicki Petratus and Emily Webb (0:59)

Podcast some stories are so profound, so unimaginable, that they stay with us forever The Unthinkable is the latest podcast from Casefile Presents. Hosted by two of Australia's leading voices in true crime, Vicki Petratus and Emily Webb, the series delves into tales of ordinary people who have faced extraordinary, often devastating events and emerged forever changed. From survivors of traumatic events to victims of relentless stalking, and even those who've confronted some of Australia's most notorious criminals, the Unthinkable explores the depths of human resilience. The first two episodes feature the incredible story of Louisa Hope, a woman who survived Sydney's Lindt Cafe siege in 2014. Both episodes will be available for free on Sunday, November 10, wherever you get your podcasts, with episodes dropping weekly after that. Be sure to follow the Unthinkable so you don't miss an episode. Stay tuned until the end of today's episode to hear the trailer. Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre for suggested phone numbers, for confidential support and for a more detailed list of content warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. When 23 year old Duncan McPherson 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 three years old when he first insisted on taking the bus 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 defenceman for the Saskatoon Blades, where he earned the nickname McPherson. 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 five 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 Dundee Tigers ice hockey team in Scotland and left Canada for Europe on Wednesday, August 2, 1989. On Friday, August 11, Duncan's mother, Linda McPherson, 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 cried. The Last time Linda McPherson 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 Peshwood. 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 travelling 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 12, 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 gnawing fear only intensified when the McPhersons still hadn't heard from Duncan by Monday, Aug. 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 travellers. 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's who lived in Europe. He was trying to track Duncan down because he'd just spoken to the Dundee Tigers team manager. It looked like Duncan had never made it to Scotland. It was an anxiety filled 24 hours for Linda and Bob McPherson until they finally made contact with Duncan's friend George Peshut 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 Nuremberg. He told the McPhersons that he and Duncan had spent a couple of days together before George had to go away for training camp on August 7th. Duncan wanted to visit some friends and do some travelling, so George lent him his car, a red Opal Corsa. The plan was for Duncan to be back in Nuremberg by August 11th 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 Corsa were not. After making a few more calls, the MacPhersons discovered that on Monday, August 7, Duncan had left Nuremberg and driven three hours north to the Bavarian town of Fusan. 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 water without speaking a word of German. Duncan stayed at Roger's house that night, then hit the road again at around lunchtime the following day of Tuesday, August 8th. Roger told the McPhersons he wasn't entirely sure of Duncan's plans from there. Fussen is just one kilometre north of the Austrian border and only a few hours drive from Italy. Duncan had mentioned wanting to visit a friend in the Italian city of Bolzano, 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 trustworthy young men. 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 debailled on his job commitment without so Much as a phone call. He also had a lot of respect for George Peshut and would never run off with his car without seeking permission. First. The McPhersons contacted their bank to find out when Duncan had last cashed one of his travellers cheques. They were told it was Monday, August 7, the day Duncan visited Roger in Fusan. This meant that 10 days had passed without Duncan accessing any of his money. The MacPhersons anxiety spiked as they considered all possibilities. What if Duncan had accidentally driven George's car off the road and he was concealed in a ditch or mountainside somewhere? What if he'd 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 mafia? After two more days passed with no word from Duncan, on Sunday, August 20, the MacPhersons 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 McPhersons 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 MacPhersons 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 McPhersons 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 realised that the only way to ensure the search for their son was taken seriously was to fly to Europe and 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 two weeks. Their first stop was to the Missing Persons unit of the Nuremberg police. Like the rcmp, the officer in Charge assured the worried parents that Duncan was likely off chasing romance. At 6 foot 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 travellers checks. Still, this raised no alarm bells for the police officer. He assured the McPhersons that the girl Duncan was with was probably rich. Frustrated that they weren't being taken seriously, Linda 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 schoolteacher 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 convinced that they'd find Duncan no matter what. Duncan had cashed his last traveller's cheque at a travel agency in Nuremberg. The McPhersons 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 five days later on Saturday, 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 MacPhersons drove to Fussen, 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 Fusin'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 world class skiing, while northern Italy offered windsurfing, 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 five hour drive south of Fusen. Bob and Linda McPherson 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 Corsa. 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 Interpol 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. Linda and Bob continued to go over every possible scenario in a desperate bid 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 Lyme disease transmitted by tick bite. Lyme disease is typically characterised 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'd told Linda that a recruiter from the Central Intelligence Agency had tracked him down and asked if he'd 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 seemed unlikely, the McPhersons 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 Dundee Tigers in Scotland. He had 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 two days after Duncan was last seen leaving Fusan and two days before his flight to Scotland. The MacPhersons had no idea what to think. Every possibility was on the table, from foreign intelligence to amnesia to foul play. Yet they were no closer to a breakthrough. 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 Fusan to Italy, their route had taken them through the Austrian city of Innsbruck. Known as the capital of the Alps. It was a charming city nestled amongst 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 two hour drive from Fusen. Given that Duncan had just two days after leaving Roger before he was due back in Nuremberg, 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 Innsbruck for the night before seeing the sights. The following day, Linda and Bob returned to Innsbruck 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 Innsbruck. 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. Innsbruck, which had twice hosted the Winter Olympics, had hundreds of hotels and guest lodgings. Making enquiries 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, Innsbruck Police reassured the McPhersons that Duncan was likely off 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 MacPhersons remained convinced that Duncan would have travelled to Innsbruck. They spent the next few days driving around town and the surrounding mountains, putting Duncan's missing person posters up and and making inquiries of their own. Upon learning of their story, the head coach of the Innsbruck 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 MacPhersons asked anyone who might have seen Duncan or his vehicle to come forward. Finally, someone did. Casefile will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. This episode of Casefile is sponsored by BetterHelp. This month is all about gratitude, but there's one person we often overlook and forget to thank ourselves. Remember, we're all doing our best in a challenging world. Take this as a reminder to show appreciation to those around you. And don't forget yourself. The team at Casefile firmly believes in the benefits of therapy. It's not just for those who have experienced major trauma. Therapy can teach you coping skills, help you set boundaries and provide a space to explore your thoughts and feelings without judgment. It can also help you recognize the progress you're making, no matter how small. If you've been thinking about starting therapy, consider giving BetterHelp a try. It's an online platform designed to be convenient, flexible and tailored to your schedule. You simply fill out a brief questionnaire and BetterHelp will match you with a licensed therapist. Plus, if you feel the need to switch therapists, you can do so at any time with no extra cost. Let the gratitude flow with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.comcasefile today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp with Robinhood Gold. You don't need a silver spoon to weed up the financial favours of the 1%. Robinhood Gold allows others to get the rates and perks usually reserved for the high society. Now the resourceful individual with Robinhood Gold can earn the very liberal rate of 4.5% APY on uninvested cash and be rewarded with a handsome 3% retirement boost. Used on an IRA account, Robinhood Gold provides the privileges of a high net worth. For any net worth, these generous benefits are now available for only $5 per month. The new gold standard is here with Robinhood Gold. Sign up@robinhood.com Gold terms apply. For product specific disclosures, visit Robinhood.com Gold investing involves risk rate may change. Gold membership is offered by Robinhood Gold llc. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support casefile to continue to deliver quality content. Sebastian Wagner, 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 Glacier, 40 km south of Innsbruck. The Stubai Glacier is situated at the end of the stubai Valley, roughly 3,000 metres 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 summertime, 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 Corsa before. It had been sitting in the parking lot of the Stubai Glacier 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 ajar, allowing the officers to reach inside and open it up. In the glovebox they found Duncan McPherson's passport and uncashed travellers checks. A plastic bag of fruit sat rotting on the back seat, along with Duncan's backpack, a sweater, ice skates and a hand drawn 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 Mephisto 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 nearby trails. Police immediately made inquiries with the accommodation providers in the area. Duncan McPherson hadn't been registered as a guest at any of the major hotels or the small alpine huts. Nor did anyone recognise him from his photograph. Bob and Linda McPherson arrived at the Stubai Glacier the day after Duncan's car was found. Upon learning that the vehicle had been in the area for weeks, they were stunned. The Stubai Glacier 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 6pm The McPhersons 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 McPhersons 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 Hinterhosel, a Stubai Glacier snowboard instructor who also worked at the hotel part time. Walter said he'd just seen the missing person poster taped to the window of the McPherson's rental car and recognised Duncan's photo. While most of the ski runs on the Stubai Glacier were closed in August due to lack of snow. One small bunny hill with a rope toe left remained open, known as the Schauffelferner. Walter Hinterhozel claimed that on the morning of Tuesday, August 9, he had given Duncan a two hour snowboarding lesson on the Schuffle Fenner. 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 windsurfing on Lake Garda. Before then, Walter recommended that Duncan visit Austria's Lake Aachen instead. It was less than an hour from Innsbruck 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 Shuffle Fairness Ski run was located 3,770 vertical feet above the parking lot. The only way to reach it was to ride the gondola or hike it on Foot. The MacPhersons rode the gondola 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 out of bounds area to the east. The McPhersons 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 groomer 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 the slope but didn't find any trace of Duncan. Walter Hinterholzel's girlfriend, who was also employed by the Stubai Glacier, recalled seeing Duncan on the tow lift at 2:30pm 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 practising 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 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 glacier on August 9th. In the summer, the melting ice created deep whirlpools around the waterfall. Police theorised 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 McPherson at the Stubai Glacier 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 Stubai Glacier 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 McPherson were outraged by this conclusion. Without Duncan's body, how could the police be sure that he was even dead, let alone that he'd 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 Innsbruck police investigation, the McPhersons were dubious about their claims that they'd found no record of Duncan having stayed anywhere in Innsbruck. Throughout August, Bob and Linda conducted their own inquiries and discovered that Duncan had indeed spent the night of Tuesday, August eight 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 McPhersons couldn't help but wonder if the police had overlooked a simple detail like Duncan's hostel registration. What else had they missed? Ron Dixon, the owner of the Dundee Tigers ice hockey team, was confident he'd spoken to Duncan on Thursday, August 10, the day after he'd been snowboarding at the Stubey Glacier. A recently purchased cassette tape found in Duncan's car was traced to a music store in Innsbruck where an employee remembered serving Duncan. She couldn't be sure exactly when, but she remembered one distinct detail. Duncan hadn't been alone, but with a dark haired 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 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 realisation dawned on Linda. Walter Hinterhozel, the snowboard instructor, had told the McPhersons 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 government 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 Stubai 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 8, 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 Stubai Glacier 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 Linda McPherson 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 MacPhersons left Austria, the manager of one of the alpine huts in the Stubai 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 25, a dishevelled looking English speaking foreigner had shown up at the hut in the middle of the night. He'd trekked 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 McPherson. 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 McPhersons 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 claim to be one of the last people to speak with Duncan before he went missing, the McPhersons 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 McPhersons did some digging and discovered that Ron Dixon had a shady past. Rumours swirled about his dodgy real estate ventures and a criminal record that included a prison sentence for manslaughter. The McPhersons 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 Stubai Glacier. In the summer of 1990, they returned to Austria, bringing Duncan's beloved dog Jake with them. For weeks, they camped in the Stubey Valley and hiked the surrounding trails on the lookout for any sign of Duncan. They returned every summer for the next three years, but came no closer to finding him. In late 1993, a German television program called Bitter Melderdig aired a segment about Duncan's disappearance, urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward. A woman named Lina, not her real name, was watching the show when something occurred to her. Lina lived in the Austrian city of Klagenfoort, roughly 320 kilometres southeast of Innsbruck. Four 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 Klagen. Fortunately, speaking only North American English, he had no identification on him and claimed he couldn't remember his name, where he came 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 Klagenfoort, where he went by the name Mark Schurfmann. Over time, Lina 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 an otherwise normal life. But when Leena saw the bitter meldedic segment about Duncan McPherson's disappearance, it gave her pause. Mark Schurfman had emerged from the woods exactly one month after Duncan McPherson was last seen at the Stubai Glacier, only a few hundred kilometres 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, Lina 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 McPherson's 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 Macphersons contacted Foreign affairs who arranged to have someone from the Canadian embassy in Austria visit Mark Schurfman. Everything Lina said was true. Mark and Duncan did share many similarities. The embassy officials even took Mark to an ice skating rink to put his skills to the test. It turned out he was a talented skater. A picture of Mark was faxed to the MacPhersons in Canada. They gathered around the fax machine along with some of Duncan's friends, anticipation soaring as the image emerged. But Mark Schurfman 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's who was living in Austria went to visit Mark just in case. But to the crushing disappointment of many, he confirmed that Mark Schurfman and Duncan McPherson were definitely not the same person. In the summers that followed, Bob and Linda spent their life savings 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 and they did their best to get on with their lives even though their sun was never far from their mines. That summer the temperature soared to record heights in Innsbruck. So much of the winter snow melted that even the Schufflefenner ski run had to be closed down. On Friday, July 18, 2003, a Stubai Glacier employee was walking along the empty ski run collecting rubbish when they noticed something sticking out of the snow approximately 35 metres east of the ski lift at the McPhersons home in Saskatoon. The phone rang the next day. It was a friend of theirs from Innsbruck. They've found Duncan, he said. Casefile will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. We all dread the what's for dinner? Question. I know I do. Ordering takeout is often the default option, but it's hardly satisfying and you always end up spending more. If you'd rather enjoy a home cooked meal without the stress of planning ahead, Home Chef makes it simple and helps save you money. Home Chef brings fresh ingredients and easy Chef designed recipes straight to your door. Whether you want classic meal kits with pre portioned ingredients, 30 minute recipes or quick microwave meals, Home Chef makes it simple to enjoy tasty, stress free meals for the whole family. Home chef offers over 30 meal choices each week and caters to many dietary needs. They even have a tasty, kid friendly menu that's perfect for picky eaters making dinner time stress free. Besides being convenient, Home Chef is also budget friendly. Customers save an average of $86 a month on groceries. Olivia Lavoise, host of Casefile Presents series the Bakersfield 3 is loving home Chef for its convenience and the high quality of ingredients supplied. She says it's also introduced her to new recipes she wouldn't have otherwise made. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners 18 free meals plus free dessert for life and of course, free shipping. On your first box, go to homechef.com casefile that's homechef.com casefile for 18 free meals and free dessert for life. You heard that right. Homechef.com casefile must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.