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This episode of Casefile is sponsored by gab. The youth mental health crisis is everywhere and social media is a major driver. Teens spend an average of 9 hours a day on screens outside of school. That's basically a full time job just scrolling. Nearly half of girls and a third of boys feel overwhelmed by social media and one in four say it makes them feel worse about their lives. Even more alarming, teens on their phones more than five hours a day are twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts. That's why GAB created a smarter solution. Their Tech in Steps approach offers age appropriate phones and watches that grow with your child. From GPS watches for little kids to feature limited phones for teens, the parental controls allow you to set boundaries, monitor usage and adjust access as they grow. Why give your child a device made for adults when there's one built just for them? Use our code for the best deal and some well earned peace of mind, visit gab.com casefile and use code casefile for a special offer that's gabb.com casefile 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. On the morning of Sunday, August 22, 1982, a white two seat Cessna C150 aircraft with red trims departed from Vancouver, Canada. At the controls was 19 year old Yaroslav Ambrozik Yarik for short and better known to friends and family simply as Jerry. Beside him in the passenger seat sat his High school sweetheart, 18 year old Diane Babcock. After flying over the rugged forested mountain ranges east of the city, the Cessna landed at the regional airport in Penticton, an inland city between Okanagan and Skaha Lakes. From the airport lobby, an upbeat Diane phoned her family to let them know that she and Gerry had arrived safely. The weather was nice and they planned to visit Skaha's lakefront for a swim before returning to Vancouver later that afternoon. Jerry and Diane returned to the Cessna at around 4.30pm before taking off again, Gerry filed a detailed flight plan with Penticton Air Traffic Control, outlining their route home. The couple planned to head west over the small town of Princeton, then north toward the community of Spuzzum. From there, they would cross Harrison Lake and the nearby resort village of Harrison Hot Springs, before continuing to Pit Meadows at the eastern edge of metropolitan Vancouver and finally land in the city itself. The journey spanned roughly 200 miles and would take about two and a half hours. The skies above Penticton were clear just before 6pm when Gerry received clearance for takeoff. With Diane beside him, he taxied onto Runway 34, climbed steadily into the air, and banked left toward Vancouver. The Cessna reached cruising altitude and stayed on course for 10 minutes until it soared out of range of Penticton's air traffic control radar. Foreign the following Afternoon of Monday, August 23, 1982, Penticton Police received reports of a missing Cessna C150 that was overdue on its flight to Vancouver. Two teenagers from Vancouver's lower mainland were on board, the pilot, Jerry Ambrozek, and his passenger, Diane Babcock. The couple had departed Penticton the previous evening without incident, but hadn't been seen or heard from since. Gerry's car was still parked at Vancouver Airport, where the Cessna was conspicuously absent. The trip had been intended as a one day adventure for Gerry and Diane, a last fling of sorts before school resumed in the autumn. Gerry was planning to study geographics at university, while Diane had enrolled in a psychiatric nursing program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She was volunteering at a children's hospital. In the meantime, the Ambrozic and Babcock families had mixed feelings about the flight. Diane's father was particularly uneasy about the idea. On the morning of the trip, he warned her to be careful. However, Diane and Jerry had both been excited, expressing no apprehension at all. Gerry even turned down his mother's request to attend church that morning, explaining it would cut into his time with Diane and delay their return until after nightfall. The start of their journey home had been relatively smooth. Penticton lies between two long lakes nestled on a narrow valley floor. After takeoff, the Cessna ascended over the city, gliding above the surrounding lakes, vineyards and orchards that stretched across the open, rolling hills. The scenery was as easy to navigate as it was picturesque. Beyond the Valley, though the landscape quickly became far more treacherous. Approaching Princeton, the rolling hills gave way to forested ridges and sharp, eroded cliffs. The terrain tightened further at spasm, with jagged peaks and sheer rock faces plunging towards the roaring Fraser River. Cedar, hemlock and fir trees covered the slopes, while moss and ferns created a damp, darker atmosphere inside the Deep Cut gorge. Further west, Harrison Lake stretched out like a fjord, its deep blue waters framed by more steep, forested mountains. At its southern tip lay the small resort town of Harrison Hot Springs, the only sign of civilisation in the otherwise vast wilderness. Beyond the mountains, the land flattened into Fraser Valley, where patchwork farmland spread across the plain. From there, the eastern suburbs gave way to Vancouver itself, with its sprawling grid of streets and neighbourhoods stretching out to the Strait of Georgia. Although conditions were ideal when the Cessna took off, it hadn't been spotted over any settlements along its intended route, which immediately raised concerns. Its last confirmed sighting came from the air traffic controller at Penticton who oversaw its departure. But troubling reports were emerging elsewhere. The first waypoint on Jerry's flight plan was Princeton, west of Skaha Lake. Yet multiple witnesses on the ground reported seeing the Cessna veering south towards a narrow, windy valley. This was significant because the area was in a no fly zone. The Cessna allegedly passed over the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, which was equipped with monitoring devices that detected aircrafts entering its airspace. Early that evening, a disturbance resembling a small airplane was recorded in the zone, but it quickly vanished without a trace. Gerry hadn't radioed any flight service stations, nor did he broadcast a mayday call, the International Aviation Signal, for a life threatening emergency. The only plausible explanation for the Cessna's sudden disappearance seemed to be that it had run into trouble, leaving Gerry and Diane with no chance or ability to call for help. While piloting an aircraft was an unusual hobby for a teenager, Gerry held a private pilot's licence. With about 18 months of flying experience, including a solo flight, he was working towards earning his commercial licence with ambitions to fly for an airline. One day, every Monday night, Gerry attended flight school at Vancouver Airport, studying everything from aircraft mechanics to emergency landings. He was well acquainted with the Cessna C150, a simple, compact and reliable training aircraft. Its high wing design provided excellent visibility below and to the sides, while its fixed tricycle landing gear made ground handling straightforward. Jerry's instructor described him as an average pilot who had not been night or mountain checked, meaning he hadn't received specialised training to fly at night or safely navigate mountainous terrain. Even so, he had previously flown to Penticton, completed another cross country trip and earned a top score for flight planning. His instructor believed Gerry was fully capable of completing the Penticton round trip, though acknowledged that a young pilot could easily veer off course by misreading their compass. The Cessna wasn't equipped with a fixed emergency locator transmitter or elt, making immediate efforts to locate it challenging. In the event of a crash, this distress beacon automatically transmits a signal to help rescuers find the aircraft, even if no one survives. Because the Cessna was primarily used for training and typically remained within a 25 mile radius of Vancouver, regulations didn't require it to have an elt. Portable ones were available, but Gerry and Diane hadn't taken one on their flight. Consequently, rescuers had to meticulously comb both the couple's flight path and the surrounding terrain in case the aircraft had travelled off course. Armed forces aircraft searched from the skies between Penticton and Vancouver, supported by volunteer, private and commercial planes. Meanwhile, military and provincial emergency program personnel trekked the traversable areas below. The search had to be conducted three times over, with negative results, before it could be called off, a process that could take three to four weeks, depending on equipment availability and weather conditions. The situation was undeniably grim. A controlled emergency landing was nearly impossible in the mountains, gorges and forests. A hard crash into trees, cliffs or water was unlikely to spare the Cessna's occupants, who had only seatbelts for protection. Even in summer, the high mountain elevations were cold, damp and unpredictable. Anyone who did survive the impact would still face hypothermia, exposure or dehydration within hours or days. Landing in one of the few open valleys offered the only realistic chance of survival. Yet the Cessna wasn't spotted in any of them. A water landing on a lake might have been survivable if the plane hadn't sunk quickly, but the glacial water would have brought on hypothermia within minutes. Survival also heavily depended on a timely rescue, and the wilderness was vast. Even with the dozens of aircraft searching, the wreckage could remain hidden in the dense terrain for days, weeks or longer. Without a distress signal or radio contact, the odds of being discovered in time were slim. Searchers deployed an electrical parabolic microphone, a device previously used to locate missing children and other lost individuals. If the Cessna had crashed and anyone remained alive on board, the microphone could amplify even the faintest sounds of life. It was used to detect irregular noises throughout the search zone, but produced no worthwhile results. By Monday, August 30, the search had been underway for a week, covering more than 13,000 square miles. No clues and no traces of the Cessna. Jerry Ambrozic or Diane Babcock had been found. That morning at 10 o', clock, Vancouver teenager Tomash Pawlowski received an unexpected phone call. Better known as Tom, he was Gerry Ambrozic's longtime best friend. Both had immigrated to Canada from Poland and their families standing within the local Polish community had brought them together. Their close bond, combined with their names led to people playfully comparing them to the famous cartoon cat and mouse duo, Tom and Jerry. Tom was also close friends with Diane Babcock, and the trio formed a tight knit group that spent most of their time together. On Monday, August 30, Tom's home phone rang with a collect call from someone who had given the operator the name Luis Gomez. Although Tom didn't know anyone by that name, he accepted the call and was stunned to hear a familiar voice. It was Jerry. Tom couldn't believe it was really him. After all, Gerry and Diane had now been missing for a week. The voice sounded strange, but after hearing a few words, Tom was certain it was his friend on the other line. The pair normally spoke English, but Jerry switched to their native Polish during the call, making him difficult to understand. Tom missed much of what he said and had to ask him to repeat himself. When Gerry mentioned being in New York City, Tom was baffled. Flying straight east from Vancouver to New York is roughly 2,500 miles. The journey would require days of careful route planning, numerous fuel stops, perfect weather and a high level of expertise. The idea that Jerry could have pulled it off seemed absurd. When Tom asked how he had gotten to New York, Jerry changed his story. He now claimed that he didn't know his exact location, only that it was a very small town. As for why he hadn't returned home, Jerry explained that there had been an accident. He described the Cessna crashing into a lake and flipping over, with Diane trapped by her seatbelt inside. He tried to rescue her, but water rushed into the cabin and rapidly sank the plane. Helpless, Gerry swam to shore as Diane went down with the Cessna. Although Tom wasn't sure what to make of the story, Jerry sounded genuinely distraught and possibly in shock. Tom tried to reassure him by insisting there was nothing he could have done for Diane, but this only seemed to irritate Jerry. He insisted that he loved Diane and accused Tom of not understanding. Everything is finished, Jerry said he was unwilling to return home, certain his parents would soon forget him. However, when the conversation turned to Diane's parents, his voice grew more upset. While Tom was still on the phone, Jerry's father Tadeus Shambrozic walked through the door. Coincidentally, he had just retrieved Jerry's abandoned car from the airport with Tom's father and brought it to the Palewski residence. After realising who Tom was talking to, Tadeusz took over and immediately asked his son what had happened. Initially silent, Jerry eventually spoke up and admitted that he felt like a murderer. Because Diane was dead, Tadeusz urged him to come home. When Jerry resisted, his father promised to find him a lawyer. After speaking with his father for three minutes, Jerry appeared receptive to the idea of returning. But when Tom picked up the phone again, Jerry accused him of betrayal, believing Tom had deliberately involved Tadeush in the call. Tom denied this, insisting it had been unplanned and reassuring Jerry that they were still best friends. But Jerry was now withdrawn and no longer wanted to talk. He promised to call back later, said bye and ended the 15 minute call. @ this stage, nothing had been found in or around any bodies of water between Penticton and Vancouver to support Jerry's account. And despite sounding cooperative with his father, he didn't return home. Though he did keep his other promise. The next day, at around 5pm, Jerry called Tom Pawlowski again and the pair had another long conversation. Jerry was just as frantic and difficult to understand as before. But this time he managed to convey a few crucial details. Despite previously claiming to be in New York City, Jerry clarified he was actually in Whitefish, a resort town in the Rocky Mountains of northwest Montana. While much closer than New York, Whitefish was still nearly 500 miles east of Vancouver. It was reachable in the Cessna, but would be pushing the aircraft's fuel limits. Whatever the case, Jerry's whereabouts implied he had travelled east from Penticton rather than west, as originally planned. Surprisingly, he wanted Tom to contact the police to tell them where to search for the downed Cessna. He didn't know its exact location, but said it was in Little Bitterroot Lake, a small mountain lake outside the town of Marion, less than an hour southwest of Whitefish. Tom kept his word and relayed the information to the authorities, who were in utter disbelief. The notion that the missing teenagers had flown nearly four hours to Montana, attempted a perilous water landing that killed Diane, and that Gerry was now phoning a friend to confess it all sounded absurd. To prove he was telling the truth about the calls, Tom submitted to a polygraph test and passed. Although Jerry's first call couldn't be traced, records revealed that someone using the name Luis Gomez had been systematically attempting to reach individuals with the surname Pawlowski. In the days following August 22, before eventually connecting with Tom. The second call was traced to a telephone booth at a bus depot in New York City, not Whitefish, as Gerry had claimed. Why he was in New York remained a mystery. He had no friends or relatives in the city. His only connection was through Tom, whose mother lived there. However, she had a different surname and her details were not listed in the telephone book, making it unlikely that Jerry could locate her. Following Tom Pawlowski's tip off, authorities descended on Little Bitterroot Lake. Nestled in a remote valley, the lake stretches roughly one mile long and a quarter mile wide. Its edges are fringed with rocky outcrops, dense undergrowth and occasional wetlands, while its clear waters mirror the steep forested slopes that rise around it. A few cabins are scattered among the trees, most of which serve as seasonal or vacation homes rather than permanent residences. Although investigators remained sceptical of Gerry's story, inquiries with Montana authorities revealed some unusual information. They'd just recently begun investigating an oily sheen on the surface of Little Bitterroot Lake. There had also been reports of a strange man seen wandering along the shoreline. John Taylor lived north of the lake. At around 11 o' clock the morning after the August 22nd flight, John noticed that an old shag rug was missing from his front porch, along with a brand new hammock he'd left folded on an outdoor table. After speaking with his wife, the couple concluded that the items had been taken. While searching the area for the missing items, John encountered a young man. He was wearing a dark hat and white shorts with no shirt. It was odd attire for the depths of the cold forest, where the weak August sunlight barely filtered through the trees. Weirder still, he was soaking wet and carrying a duffle bag. The young man told John that he was just passing through, which struck John as peculiar, given that he lived on a dead end road in the remote wilderness. The young man politely asked if he could build a fire in a neighbour's fire pit. John said it wasn't a good idea and suggested he use a pit on a vacant lot about 900ft away. The stranger thanked him and went on his way. A short time later, John passed the lot and saw the young man standing beside the fire he had lit. A total of six people reported seeing the young man around Little Bitterroot Lake in the week following August 22nd. He was spotted sitting alone on cabin porches and repeated the line that he was just passing through. When asked by inquisitive teens about some cuts visible on his legs, he claimed a Bear had chased him over a hill. When these witnesses were shown a photograph of Jerry Ambrozic, they confirmed to varying degrees that he was the person they'd encountered. However, some noted a discrepancy. The man they saw had no moustache, whereas Jerry did in the photo, at no time was a young woman seen with him. Because the local community kept their surroundings pristine, investigators quickly noticed a few out of place items. One was a green plastic garbage bag sealed with black tape but torn open at the side. They also found the clear plastic cover of a disposable razor. Among the remnants of the stranger's campfire were the charred remains of a radio microphone cord and a gust lock used to keep a parked plane from moving in the wind. Both items were from a Cessna C150. Local reports from the night of August 22nd varied. Some residents heard nothing unusual, while others recalled a loud noise like metal or tin falling rapidly. According to Jerry Ambrozek, the answer to the mystery lay at the bottom of Little Bitterroot Lake. The task ahead was arduous. Chilly, blustery weather made entering the choppy water a challenge. The lake was fed primarily by snowmelt from the surrounding ridges, making it freezing cold. Its bottom was also extremely rugged, resembling a mountain range with the deepest point reaching 260ft. A layer of silt blanketed the lake's floor, ranging from 2 to 16ft thick. Based on the probable flight path from Canada, the Cessna likely approached a Little Bitiroot Lake from the north and went down somewhere in the south. Authorities spent a week scouring the southern half of the lake, but found no trace of the aircraft. A local sheriff told the media they would search until we feel we have done the best we can to search the whole lake. Still, the possibility that Jerry had deliberately misled them lingered. After all, he'd lied to Tom regarding his whereabouts, suggesting he was trying to throw authorities off his trail. If Jerry's account was true, he might have been so shaken by the crash and Diane's death that he wasn't thinking clearly or acting rationally. But investigators couldn't dismiss the possibility that the Cessna had never crashed at all. While Diane's loved ones clung to hope that she was still alive, others, sceptical of Gerry's story, wondered whether the Little Bitterroot Lake lead was a calculated diversion to obscure the truth of what what really happened to the pair. As the investigation deepened, more peculiar clues and theories emerged. A witness at Vancouver airport recalled seeing Jerry and Diane at the fuel station before takeoff. They were studying a map and were overheard mentioning a destination, possibly starting with K or C and ending in the letter A, which didn't align with anywhere listed on their flight plan. Right before takeoff, Gerry hurried back to his car to collect a duffel bag, joking to the witness as he passed by, I can't forget this. It's very important. He and Diane were also observed reorganising items from the plane into bags, leading investigators to speculate whether they had been transporting something unusual, possibly even smuggling. Another theory came from classmates and friends of the couple. Gerry and Diane had been going steady for about 15 months and were, by all accounts, happy together. Though discreet about their romance. However, their parents weren't as thrilled by the pairing. The Ambrozics had hoped Jerry would date a Polish girl, while the Babcocks rarely engaged with a Jerry at all. They appeared in denial about their relationship, insisting the pair were just close friends and objecting to how late Gerry sometimes brought Diane home. The couple were compared to Romeo and Juliet, the timeless tragedy of young lovers doomed by their disapproving families. This fuelled speculation that Gerry and Diane had fled Vancouver to be together, free from parental expectations. Perhaps Gerry had concocted a scheme to convince the world Diane had perished, hoping the search would be called off. Diane's father strongly rejected this theory, telling the media that the teens had no reason to elope. He insisted that if they had truly wanted to be together, they would have been able to do so with support in Vancouver. Some remained unconvinced by his assertions, wondering if his diplomatic words were merely a desperate attempt to persuade Dianne to return home. If Gerry and Diane had truly run away for good, they'd left behind no clear evidence of it. Gerry had rented the Cessna for just one day. He and Dianne had packed lightly, only taking a change of clothes, swimwear and lunch, while everyday essentials such as their toothbrushes remained at home. They carried only small amounts of cash, with no savings, credit cards or other financial means to support an extended absence. They had never expressed any desire to run away together to anybody else and were making plans for a future in Vancouver. Yet rumours surfaced that Jerry had recently tried to sell his car and some personal belongings. And a review of Diane's finances suggested she had close to $1,600 in her possession, which she hadn't disclosed to anyone. Even though she had this money, she hadn't paid for her schoolbooks or tuition. So what was she saving it for? By Monday, September 13, the search of Little Bitterroot Lake had entered its 13th fruitless day. That same day, Tom Pawlowski received another collect call from Luis Gomez. Casefile will be back shortly. 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Go to homechef.com casefile that's homechef.com casefile for 50% off your first box and free dessert for life homechef.com casefile must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Casefile to continue to deliver quality content as expected, Jerry Ambrozic was on the other line. Roughly 90% of the call was in English, with the Jerry speaking Polish the rest of the time. Hi, how are you doing? He began. Tom immediately asked why he hadn't returned yet, to which Jerry replied, I told you I'm not coming back. Did they find the plane? Jerry asked. No, not yet, tom responded, adding, I told them where it was. They can't find it. Jerry insisted it was in Little Bitterroot Lake, saying, looking from the lake, I guess it's well south, south, east or north, close to the south part of the lake or something, but it's pretty well right in the middle. He was confident that if authorities sent in divers, they would find it. Tom explained they had been searching the southern area for several days with no success. You're kidding, jerry replied. I'm serious, tom assured him. When Tom mentioned Diane, Gerry remarked, well, she's dead. If they find the plane, she'll be inside. Throughout the call, Gerry opened up more about what had allegedly happened on Sunday, August 22. He admitted that he and Diane had been planning to leave Vancouver and had spent months secretly planning their escape. After considering several options, they decided to use a plane as it would get them over the US Border more easily. They could then travel further and be harder to trace. They had no intention of returning to Canada, going so far as to provide a fake flight route home to avoid suspicion and give the impression that they must have crashed somewhere along the way. They'd hoped that after a week of searching, everyone would assume they were dead and give up looking for them. They planned to take the Cessna as far as its fuel would allow, then put it down on a lake before continuing their escape on foot. Gerry's flight instructor had once explained that in the event of an emergency water landing, a plane could float for 10 to 30 minutes. This would provide the couple enough time to gather their belongings, disembark, and reach the shore in an inflatable two man raft, leaving the Cessna to sink and vanish. Once on land, Gerry and Diane intended to hitchhike to New York City, reasoning that its size would allow them to blend in unnoticed. Once they had gathered enough supplies, they would proceed to their ultimate goal of relocating somewhere remote to live off the land. Using topographical maps, they'd calculated the maximum distance they could cover from Penticton and identified large bodies of water within range. Timing was everything. If they left too early, much of the journey would be in daylight, increasing the risk of detection. Too late and the darkness would make it nearly impossible to safely navigate through the mountains or pick out landmarks below. They settled on Flathead Lake in Montana, far enough away to give them a substantial head start and so far off course that no one would suspect they could have ended up there. Although they understood the risks of a water landing and had no opportunity to practice it, they spent countless hours discussing every detail, including their exit strategy. Jerry used his flight training to practice aerial manoeuvres and emergency recoveries, such as stalls, spirals, and engine failures. To prevent their families from suspecting that their trip would last longer than expected, they deliberately left behind many essentials. Each packed only a small bag of items to get them through their first few days on the run, including a razor, hair dye, and and a hair perming kit to alter their appearances. After touching down in Penticton, the couple wandered over to a grassy patch near the Runway and spread out their spare clothes as a makeshift picnic rug. For the next several hours, they ate lunch, watched aircraft come and go, and studied their navigation maps while going over their plan one last time. Back at the Cessna, they sealed their travel bags in garbage bags and changed into their swimwear in preparation for the lake crossing. Once in the air and out of range of Penticton's air traffic control radar, Jerry and Diane followed their secret route south, navigating with the Cessna's flight instruments to remain below US Border radar and away from checkpoints and observation towers. However, as they approached Flathead Lake on the night of Sunday, August 22, the numerous lights from nearby residences deterred them, and they quickly switched to a more remote location. They settled on Little Bitterroot lake, which was 25 miles closer and secluded enough to avoid detection. It was also small enough that swimming to shore would be feasible if necessary. No one nearby would have heard the plane approach. As Jerry killed the engine during the final descent, he planned to stall the plane and glide it gently onto the water's surface. But the Cessna was now low on fuel and the pitch black night severely limited visibility. As Jerry descended from the north, he realised his timing was off and feared he was coming in too close to the southern shore. He unfastened his seatbelt, trusting that his tight grip on the controls would keep him in place, and attempted to slow the plane by dragging the tail along the water, a technique he'd learnt in flight school. But he miscalculated. The Cessna's wheels hit the water first, which felt like hitting a brick rock, and caused the aircraft to immediately flip over, propelling Jerry through the plastic windshield. The next thing he remembered was tasting blood as he desperately tried to orientate himself in the dark, freezing water. He had sustained injuries, including a bleeding nose, cuts on his legs and a suspected broken rib. Meanwhile, Diane called out for help. Gerry shouted to her, asking if she was ok. Yarek, she replied. I can't get my belt off. He then realised she was trapped inside the Cessna, strapped into her seat. The seatbelt consisted of a harness across her chest and a strap across her waist, secured by a buckle she couldn't release. Jerry himself wasn't even sure how to unlock the mechanism, and despite having been told the plane would float on water for up to 30 minutes, it began sinking within seconds. Likely concussed, disoriented and blinded by the dark, Jerry struggled to find his bearings. He crawled over the aircraft towards the passenger door. But just as he managed to open the door, water rushed into the Cessna's cabin as if a dam had burst. It surged around Jerry's head, filling his mouth and blinding him. Frantically, he reached inside for Diane, but couldn't feel her. He suddenly realised the impact had flipped the plane, reversing the pilot and passenger side. Diane was suspended upside down on the other side of the cabin. Within 20 seconds, the Cessna sank beneath the surface of the lake, taking Diane with it, referring to the botched landing as the stupid thing. Jerry admitted on the phone to his friend Tom Pawlowski that it was mostly his fault. Yet he also criticised the Diane, adding, her big fault is she couldn't even take the seatbelt off. Gerry noted how there was so much emphasis on the importance of seatbelts, yet the one time he didn't wear his and Diane did, it saved his life and killed her. Crazy, isn't it? He told Tom. Real ironic. After watching the Cessna vanish, Gerry treaded water in a circle for what felt like an eternity, hoping Diane would eventually resurface. She Never did. Once the adrenaline wore off, Jerry realised he was numb with cold. Remarkably, the garbage bag containing his duffel of belongings floated out of the Cessna. He used it to stay afloat as he swam the mile to shore. Sitting alone in the woods, freezing and in shock, he felt as though he was stranded in the middle of a desert with no compass or water. He visited a nearby cabin, stole a rug and hammock to keep warm, then spent the rest of the night curled up and struggling to sleep. The next morning, Jerry encountered a local man who advised him to light a fire at a nearby pit. He used it to incinerate most of the evidence of his and Diane's plan that had been in his duffle bag, including their navigational maps and items removed from the Cessna's glove compartment. He also burnt his id, having decided to continue with the original plan as intended, even without Diane. His bag contained a few items to kickstart his journey, including cash. He'd saved up some spare clothes, a few cans of food and a razor. He used to shave off his moustache. Despite his desire to leave everything behind, he couldn't abandon Diane at the bottom of the lake. He therefore kept one map showing the Cessna's location, and after wandering aimlessly through the forest for several days, he began his journey to New York. Once in the city, he used a phone booth to call various Pawlowski listings in the phone book until he finally reached Tom. After sharing details of the incident and Diane's whereabouts, Jerry left New York and travelled nearly 1400 miles southwest. Along the way, a man who had given him a ride stole his bag, leaving him with virtually nothing. He eventually arrived in Dallas, Texas, destitute and homeless, but soon met someone who offered him a place to stay. Gerry told Tom that while he wanted Diane to be found, he had no intention of ever returning to Vancouver. He was certain that once police found the Cessna with Diane's body inside, he would be charged with murder, despite being innocent. I didn't do anything, he said. I told you, it's not like I killed her. They know the plane crashed and she died. They can see that there are no wounds on her or anything showing I killed her. It was an accident, but it doesn't make sense that you're running. Tom countered, implying that if it truly was an accident, Jerry had nothing to fear. Jerry remained determined to start a new life, saying, I think I'll like it this way. I don't know why, but it seems kinda, I guess, adventurous or something. You know, I was always a freak for that he even expressed a desire to write a book, telling, I'll bring it back to you in 20 years. OK, you can read it, the whole story, detail by detail. Although Gerry sometimes sounded indifferent about what had happened to Diane, he also expressed sadness about her loss and being by himself. It's like half of you dying, he confided. He admitted to feeling remorse over her death and blamed himself as he had encouraged her to wear her seatbelt. When Tom mentioned that Diane's parents still hoped she was alive, Jerry replied, so do I. Though he couldn't imagine facing them again. Even though he didn't believe he had done anything wrong, he knew he would feel guilty if he returned home. To Tom, it seemed as though Jerry was still in a state of shock. He even admitted to trying to erase the incident from his subconscious memory as a way to cope. Tom continued to urge Jerry to turn himself in. The police were working overtime and it was only a matter of time before they tracked him down. The case was even making the news, prompting Jerry to exclaim, hey, I'll be famous. Tom pressed on, saying, they'll find you. They will sooner or later. Jerry replied, sooner or later, Tom. Before jokingly suggesting he'd bet money that they wouldn't. Tom appealed to Jerry by describing the toll the situation was taking on his mother. She had stopped working and eating and her health was deteriorating. Jerry was sympathetic but resolute. When Tom warned that his family would never stop searching for him, Jerry replied confidently, and they'll never find me. During the final minutes of the call, Jerry assured Tom that once the Cessna was found, the truth would come to light and he would be vindicated. Ok, well, I'll see you later then, he concluded. Yeah, Tom replied. The pair exchanged goodbyes and wished each other well in Polish before ending their nearly one and a half hour conversation. Unbeknownst to Jerry, the police had put a tap on Tom's phone and recorded their entire conversation. They wondered if Diane's death truly was an accident. Why would Jerry be so adamant about staying away? If his goal was to go into a self imposed exile and begin a new life, then his actions seemed contradictory. Surely the longer the case dragged on, the more attention it would attract, therefore reducing his chances of remaining undetected. Meanwhile, the search at Little Bitterroot Lake continued. Echo sounders, devices used to detect objects underwater, had uncovered something in the depths towards the southern end. Searchers placed six buoys around the location, but divers were unable to locate anything during two separate dives. A salvage expert experienced in recovering underwater objects was called to the site. He brought in sophisticated electronic sonar, which created a detailed image of the water over a wide area, including objects on or near the bottom. The sonar equipment detected an object about 250ft below. The search crew dragged an anchor across the spot and hauled it back up. It came back streaked with red and white paint, the colours of the missing Cessna. A remote controlled submersible camera was then lowered into the water, transmitting a live feed to a monitor on a pontoon boat above. The camera's propellers stirred up the thick silt, clouding visibility and resulting in no further breakthroughs. The camera was redeployed the following day of Thursday, September 16th, three days after Jerry Ambrozek's third call. This time, the unmistakable outline of the missing Cessna came into view, resting intact on the lake bed. Apart from the pilot's side door being open and some damage to the tail fin, the aircraft looked almost undisturbed, positioned upright as if it had simply been parked there. The camera soon revealed the body of 19 year old Diane Babcock inside the Cessna's cabin, perfectly preserved due to the cool temperatures of the water. Salvage crews raised the aircraft and just as Jerry had described, Diane was strapped into the passenger seat. Her long hair was caught in the closed passenger door. Her shoulder harness hung loose, but her lap belt remained fastened, twisted with the buckle reversed holding her securely in place. An autopsy determined that Diane had sustained a bruised forehead, a broken collarbone and a neck fracture likely caused by the shoulder strap during impact. Though her cause of death was drowning. The autopsy also revealed that in the days before the flight, Diane had undergone an abortion. This came as a surprise as she had not mentioned it to her family. Also recovered from the Cessna was an inflatable raft, tools, survival gear, sleeping bags and a backpack in a green garbage bag that contained the few belongings Diane had packed for the trip, including a change of clothes, some food and a roll of toilet paper. Among these items were a bottle of hair dye and a hair perming kit. They lent credence to Gerry's account that the pair had planned to disguise themselves and start a new life together. Speculation had run rife that the Cessna might have been carrying illicit drugs or other incriminating items, suggesting an alternative explanation for the. However, no such evidence was found. U.S. federal aviation inspectors thoroughly examined the aircraft and discovered no signs of mechanical failure or any other factor that could explain the crash. They ultimately concluded that the Cessna had gone down as the result of a botched landing attempt. Just as Jerry had described, the aircraft was not designed for water landings. And it appeared that Jerry had misjudged both his altitude and angle of descent. Even expert pilots attempting night landings on smooth, reflective water found the task extremely challenging. Not everyone was convinced it was an accident. Diane's family couldn't reconcile that their intelligent and compassionate daughter would choose to run away. Diane was preparing to go to school the next day. Her mother pointed out. The Babcocks made public appeals for Jerry's return, believing he's the only one who really knows what happened. They wondered why he was still running if he had nothing to hide. He had volunteered information about Diane's whereabouts, details that might never have surfaced had he remained silent. Doing so placed him at the centre of a police investigation. But that hadn't deterred him. This made for a puzzling contradiction. Another pressing question remained. What motive could Gerry have had to harm Diane? There were no reports of any conflicts between the couple. There was no life insurance policy or inheritance involved, no shared finances, property in dispute or children to fight over. And was it really plausible that a 19 year old could or would plan such an elaborate crime months in advance? Using an aeroplane as a murder weapon was a unique idea, but it was fraught with uncontrollable variables that would make predicting and executing such a scheme nearly impossible. Then there was the fact that Jerry had invited Tom Pawlowski on the Penticton trip, a detail the two referenced during their recorded phone call. Why would Gerry consider bringing another person along if he intended to kill Diane? Whatever the case, many felt that if Gerry had any compassion, he would return to Vancouver and face the music. Authorities were divided in their assessments of the case. Canadian officials accepted Gerry's account and although they initially pursued him for the theft of the Cessna, they ultimately dropped the matter. In contrast, American authorities remained highly suspicious and weren't willing to let the case go. Firstly, his account appeared far from a tale of star crossed lovers fleeing disapproving parents. On the recorded call to Tom Pawlowski, Jerry admitted, it's not that we wanted to run away from home, we just wanted to get away. He vented that he had suffered for the past 18 years, claiming his parents yelled at him daily, constantly badgered him to get a job and criticised everything he did. They never spoke openly and affectionately like a normal family, leaving many things unsaid. Jerry emphasised that his desire to leave was entirely his own and had little to do with Diane or their relationship. According to Jerry, she had tagged along because she was in love with him, or something like that. She had told him she couldn't Live without him, and in his words, all this shit like that. To Gerry's critics, it sounded like his primary motivation was to escape his home life, not to elope with Diane. In his account, she came across as the devoted, almost desperate partner who was deeply in love with him. While he seemed far less invested in their relationship. Critics also questioned why Diane had struggled to release her seatbelt, which functioned no differently to a standard car seatbelt. The buckle wasn't jammed and there was no evidence of any malfunction. Diane's fingers were carefully examined for bruises, cuts or broken nails, signs that she had desperately tried to free herself, but none were found. Speaking about the case for dateline's program at the Bottom of the Lake, Detective Pat Walsh said, imagine being in a craft that's sinking and you're holding your breath and you're scrambling. You know the belt stuck. You can't get that belt free. I'd probably break my fingers, if nothing else, by straining, pulling just on the belt fruitlessly until you have to give it up. There was none of that. In Walsh's view, Gerry could have rescued Diane if he intended to. He also doubted Jerry's claim that his belongings had conveniently floated free from the sinking plane, suggesting instead that Jerry retrieved the bag himself while ignoring Diane's pleas for help. Then his first act upon reaching the shore was to burn evidence hinting at a cover up. American police believed that Jerry deliberately allowed Diane to die. They issued a warrant for his arrest, intending to charge him with negligent homicide. The last call Jerry made to his friend Tom Pawlowski was traced to a phone booth outside a grocery store in Dallas, Texas, exactly where Jerry claimed to be. Beyond that, the lead went cold. Although the search for him began with urgency, it lost momentum within weeks. Jerry neither contacted Tom again nor reached out to anyone else. With no further clues in Dallas, investigators began to suspect he had fled the city, possibly to Mexico. Then, in late 1982, four months after the ill fated flight, Gerry's parents received a Christmas card from him, postmarked Dallas, confirming he'd remained in the city. The card depicted a cat outside in the snow, peering into a cosy home with a lit fireplace and Christmas stockings hanging across the mantel. Inside, a handwritten message in Polish. Family. In the first place, I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Everything is well with me. I'm healthy, and I'm sure I'll somehow make it on my own. After sending the card, Jerry went silent again. As time passed, media coverage dwindled reduced to occasional mentions on anniversaries of the incident or sporadic televised features. Seeking information from the public, American authorities sometimes received potential tips from Interpol, with possible sightings of Jerry reported around the globe. However, none proved credible. The Babcocks called the detectives who were handling their daughter's case every week for years, seeking updates that never came. The mystery persisted through the 1990s and into the 2000s, with speculation swirling over the question, whatever happened to Jerry Ambrozic? As original case detectives retired and the investigation slipped down the list of priorities, a Montana police spokesperson assured the press, nobody's given up on it. It's just that we haven't had a break. Casefile will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsor.