EXCLUSIVE! "PATRICK McDERMOTT IS ALIVE!"

"Patrick McDermott, Olivia Newton-John’s missing boyfriend, is alive."

Sources close to the case have told Tabloid Baby that McDermott staged his death because of financial troubles, and that he has been sighted numerous times since his disappearance, in the Baja California region of Mexico.

This explosive news was uncovered over the weekend at the 60th annual Fred Hall Fishing Tackle & Boat Show in Long Beach, California, just miles from where McDermott was last seen on a charter fishing boat.

Representatives of the 22nd Street Landing in San Pedro, and its popular Freedom sportfishing boat, were staffing a booth at the show. Two of them (not those pictured) told Tabloid Baby that police told them McDermott is alive.

“Oh, he’s definitely alive,” one source said. “There have been sightings. Lots of them. He’s been seen in the Baja. In Todos Santos.”

Todos Santos is a quaint town on the west coast of the lower Baja peninsula, about one hour north of Cabo San Lucas. Its mostly dirt streets are home to over 6,000 inhabitants, including artists, surfers, and retirees. While it has attracted more residents and tourists, the town generally has escaped the influx of tourism.

Patrick Kim McDermott had boarded the Freedom fishing charter on June 30, 2005 for an overnight fishing trip. A marina manager claimed that some passengers saw McDermott disembark the next day.

He was reported missing on July 6 by his ex-wife. On July 11, relatives found his car in the parking lot at the San Pedro Marina. It was later discovered that McDermott left some of his belongings on the boat, including his wallet.

The U.S. Coast Guard is treating this as a missing person's case, but said it is looking into the possibility that McDermott may have faked his disappearance because of financial problems, and a court battle with his former wife, actress Yvette Nipar.

Olivia-Newton John has come under great criticism and scrutiny because she did not report her alleged boyfriend of nine years missing, nor acknowledge his disappearance for seven weeks— when journalists discovered her connection to the missing man.

Newton-John's silence-- and public appearances during those weeks-- was considered highly unusual at a time when her public statement could have aided in the search for the missing man. It also led to conjecture about the nature of Newton-John's relationship with McDermott, including the speculation that he was an employee, or "beard" to provide her with security after several threats on her life.

Newton-John immediately hired celebrity security consultant Gavin de Becker, ostensibly to help search for McDermott. After a swift spin campaign that obscured the nature of her relationship with McDermott and her actions in wake of his disappearance, she resumed her concert tour. In recent weeks, she was reported to have found a new “boyfriend.”

Over the past weekend, the 22nd Street Landing booth has been one of the most lively and popular stops at the fishing and boat show. One of its attractions is a raffle for a fishing trip on the Freedom. It was there that two of the staffers told Tabloid Baby that it's common knowledge among sportfishermen that McDermott is alive.

“He’s definitely alive,” one insisted. “Police know it. (He and Olivia Newton-John) broke up in January. He owed a lot of alimony and child support, so he faked his death.”

The person discounted the theories that McDermott was lost at sea or is in hiding in Australia. "No. No way. The Baja. They know it. He was seen in Todos Santos. There have been sightings.”

While its fishing waters are exceptional, Todos Santos is not known as a fishing town.

According to a promotional website: “Some come to surf the many fine breaks that the area offers. Some come to view the amazing variety of original art in the local galleries. Some come to experience the Tropic of Cancer and the iridescent sunsets. Some come to walk the nearly deserted beaches, not yet developed, no condos to be found. Some come to absorb the gentle pace-- the slow persistent calming pace of life. "Some come to visit, and never leave."


(Tabloid Baby continues to lead the way in keeping the Patrick McDermott story in the public eye, long after the “mainstream media” have moved on and followed the “entertainment” shows, incorporating his disappearance into Hollywood mythology— in this case, another obstacle for the brave performer Olivia Newton-John to overcome. We do not intend to add to his family’s pain in this tragic case, but in the spirit of Tabloid Baby’s original “Stories To Steal” site, hope to open avenues of investigation for intrepid reporters and editors to take in the pursuit of the truth. Or something close.)