On Monday, police re-opened an investigation after a disturbing video appearing to show a man holding a girl captive in his bathroom was thought to be linked to a seven year-long missing persons case.
The video, titled Hi Walter! I got a new gf today!’, shows a man named ‘Patrick’ addressing his friend ‘Walter’ and discussing a new woman he met and brought home. The footage quickly turns dark after he opens a cupboard door to show a woman gagged and bount bent over on the floor.
Uploaded in October 2009, the video was thought to be linked to the disappearance of Kayla Berg – who went missing in August of the same year.
The horrifying video has since been removed for’violating YouTube’s policy on violent or graphic content.’ But internet communities recently discovered it, and it popped up on Reddit and in a detailed Imgur thread a few days ago.
Then, yesterday, the Antigo Police Department in Wisconsin announced it was investigating the video because ‘it has recently gone viral and many believe it is connected to our missing person Kayla Berg.’
The department explained in a Facebook post:
The Antigo Police Department has recently been made of a YouTube video titled: Hi Walter It’s Me Patrick Video- I have a…
Posted by Antigo Police Department on Monday, October 10, 2016
But while many people believed the contents of the video were real, police have now confirmed that the footage is in fact not linked to the disappearance of Kayla Berg – it’s fake.
And both people in the video are actors:
Before the latest police announcement, Berg’s mother, Hope Sprenger, told WAOW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin that she had watched the video.
Sprender said it ‘sounded like her, looked like her. It gave me chills. It made me sick to my stomach,’ the Guardian reports.
The Antigo Police Department has been investigating the Hi Walter, its Patrick, I have a new girlfriend video that was…
Posted by Antigo Police Department on Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Antigo police chief Eric Roller had earlier told the Associated Press that he had been made aware of the video through a citizen tip, although it was posted seven years ago. He said: “There are some similarities. It could be real and it could be staged. We have to take it seriously.”
The video had about 940,000 views on YouTube before it was taken down on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, however, not before the family had to relive another lead – our thoughts go out to Kayla’s friends and family.
