Wednesday, November 11, 2020

The Disappearance and Death of Ethan Kazmerzak



Ethan Kazmerzak was only 22 years old when he vanished during the early morning hours of September 15th, 2013. He was last seen in Hampton, Iowa. On the evening of September 14th, Ethan was seen at a few different local pubs in the Hampton area. He later went to a party at a gravel pit pond located behind a house on 190th Street. Around 12:15am, Ethan called his mother and told her that he was on his way home. He never made it there, and was never seen or heard from again.

Ethan's vehicle vanished with him. Due to this, many theorized that Ethan might have driven his car into a body of water located in the rural area near the party. A pond near Olive Avenue was searched just days after Ethan's disappearance, but nothing was found. Divers returned to that same pond in November 2013 and still did not spot any evidence. Eventually, investigators began to separate from the that theory. In fact, during September 2019, reporters asked Hampton police Chief Bob Schaefer what he thought about the theory that Ethan had driven into water--to which he replied, "Based on what I know of that night, I don't think so."

Throughout the investigation into Ethan's disappearance, detectives chased many leads and conducted many interviews. Still, no trace of Ethan was found. Then, in October 2020, scuba diver and YouTuber Jason Leisek went diving into the pond near Olive Avenue--where searches for Ethan had previously taken place. During his dive, Leisek spotted a vehicle. The car was located about 90 feet from the edge of the water, and only approximately 8 feet from the pond's surface. All the windows on the vehicle were rolled up, but the front windshield was missing. Once the car was removed from the water, investigators discovered human remains inside. Police later announced that those remains were that of Ethan Kazmerzak.

It's unclear why the vehicle was not spotted during the professional investigative searches that occurred years earlier. The car was found relatively close to the pond's surface and was reportedly very easy for Leisek to spot. Due to this, some have theorized that the vehicle somehow entered the pond at some point after those 2013 searches were conducted. This has not been confirmed and the investigation is still ongoing. 

Investigators are encouraging anyone with information about Ethan's disappearance and death to come forward. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please go here to submit an anonymous tip. 

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72 comments:

  1. Jared didn't dive and find the car......He used sonar technology to locate it then, dove to confirm the type of car found.

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    1. Personally, it seemed like the sheriff had something to hide. Just a hunch, but also, when Jared dove to the front driver wheel didnt it look like there was something red on the tire?

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    2. That sheriff was way more open and honest than the linwood, NC case.

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    3. the sheriff is relatively new to the job so he has nothing to do with it. Why do people always jump to a police cover up..sheshhhh

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    4. Jessek Why is that important to you? Why does your head take you there?

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    5. Ethan fell asleep in the back of the car, the car rolled down into the lake so Ethan didn’t wake up he wasn’t aware gender why he was sat in the back seat

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    6. How many times did you practice that story?

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    7. This us a real fascinating one. It’s strange he u in the back seat. In a moving river, I know that people end up in the back seat due to water rushing towards the car. But this is a totally still small pond. No water movement. I like the person’s idea above, that he fell asleep in the back eat and the bloody car rolled into the water. Perhaps he had a bit to drink or smoke. Out cold. I know it’s a bit far fetched, but stranger things have happened and we do need a way to explore strangeness of Ethan being in the back seat in a still lake. It’s a long way out into the water though - like 90 feet - so, a car slow rolling in would be hard pressed maybe to go that far. Then of course ending one’s own life comes to mind. But - maybe ! - he actually was drunk and stoned from the party and that could explain a purposeful drive into the lake. Didn’t know what he was doing.

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    8. He could have been trying to get out and that's why he was in the back seat

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    9. Stop with the ridiculous speculations. Keep them to yourself if you're just guessing at things! It helps no one to throw suspicion on people. Grow up.

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    10. My thought was also that he maybe was trying to get out and that's why he was in the back seat. We may never know. So grateful for Adventures With Purpose!

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    11. When you die you blow up like a balloon, if he didn’t have his seatbelt on he would have floated up and when this cycle ends just simply drifted down into the back. May he rest in peace

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  2. It's pitch black out there. Wintertime too. That's flat, desolate land... He wore glasses and the glare from the moon alone is dangerous sometimes, combin3d with a fogged over windshield though? 🤔After some drinks and what hv u, it's easy to see how it happened. Ethan likely cruised straight into the pond and never saw it coming. Poor guy. Sad.

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    1. Good deduction on the first part... But the rest doesn't make much sense. In the video you can clearly see the car was in backwards... So did he drive ine backwards 30 feet deep? Then also the cherrif said his body was in the backseat which means he wasn't the driver neither do I think he would have died at a depth of 8 feet not being able to get out of the car... So In conclusion: He wasn't the driver, he must have been unconscious, front windshield missing? Something definitely doesn't add up. Also it was a party did no-one see him dive into the lake? Or anyone (the actual driver) coming out of the lake completely drenched!? Somethings fishy!

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    2. Upon entering the water, the car with its windows both up would float in plenty of time for the car to change directions somewhat. The fact that he was found in the back seat could be due to him unfastening the belt in an attempt to escape the car. Upon drowning and body beginning to degrade, he could have easily ended up in the back seat IMO.

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    3. Didn't the police say they found his remains in the back seat of the car? So either he wasn't driving or he tried to escape as the water was rushing in, and he ended up in the backseat.

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    4. Why would you stay where you are in a vehicle underwater? You would obviously try to break out of the car. Since he clearly wasn't able to break out, he died where he had last been inside the car. Also the body would most likely float around so when they had taken out the vehicle, he would've have moved from his original place. Then again, they have not specified that the body was wearing a seatbelt in the back seat, not to mention the popped windscreen.

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    5. yes that does make since, I would stay with the air and if you don't know how to swim, and had been drinking, your actions will not be predictable.

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    6. I've just been watching this on YouTube. Very sad story. I suspect it was purely accidental. The theory presented above by Almye M sounds quite plausible as does the theory for the reorientation of the vehicle.
      Regarding the missing windshield and location of body I suspect that he potentially released his seatbelt then attempted to kick out with windshield to escape, at some point the car may have either shifted and started rapidly filling through the new opening, the force and speed of all that water coming in may have washed him into the back of the vehicle. During this event he may have been knocked unconscious and sadly drowned. These events may also have transpired while the vehicle was submerged/submerging. The force and volume of water may have even pinned him back initially enough time to panic inhaling some water. It doesn't take much to overwhelm the respiratory system. I have no idea if or how intoxicated he was, that may be a factor affecting his survival. Even if he was 100% sober that cold water in the dark - terrifying. G-d rest his soul and much love and healing to his family. A very very sad freak-event accident.

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  3. He could’ve just swam out the busted windshield... why would he move to the back seat to escape?

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    1. If people take their seatbelt off before the car is submerged the force of the water rushing in may have pushed him to the back of the car.

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    2. I think these theories make sense if he was awake and/or alive when he went in the water. He may have passed out causing him to drive off and knock himself out. If he didn't have a seatbelt on it would have been a hard hit. Did he got the windshield and dislodge it enough to eventually pop out? And he would have floated around possibly to
      the back of the engine sink first. And bodies produce methane and other gases causing them to float if they don't have a wound for it to escape. I've seen way too many

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  4. As the engine compartment is the heaviest part of the car it would likely sink first as the car filled with water. The rear of the car would contain the most available air and float temporarily. With the front windshield busted out the water would have rushed in from that point pushing him into the back seat.

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    1. Your theory on the engine being the heaviest is quite sound, but as previously mentioned it was almost backwards... and the missing windscreen both say someone else was driving, Ethan in the back, and the windscreen popped before it went in to allow all the air out quickly and the driver has a ready to go escape route.. it is still very suspicious as to the car’s appearance after the pond was searched back in 2013. That smells dirty.. why did the land owner not want his face shown in the video footage, what does he know or is hiding...

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    2. Would you want your face shown to the internet, filled with crazy conspiracy nuts like you? I mean look at the ridiculous, uneducated comments on here already. Claiming someone busted out the windshield and then drove him into pond. Seriously? And people saying the sheriff might be involved and hiding something? Someone can post this stupid crap with no basis in fact and get enough people stirred up to cause problems for innocent people like the landowner and the sheriff. This is why people are hesitant to have their face and name plastered out there for millions to watch. It only takes .01% of those million viewers to be mentally disturbed enough to fuck up their lives over half-baked conspiracy theories.

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    3. nickstl77 - There's always some moron like you sitting around attacking people over questioning ANYTHING. STFU with your nonsense. If the world was full of people who act like you, then NO crime would ever get solved because people would only entertain the theories that suited them personally. This is a world full of possibilities. And it doesn't fit your egotistic buffet selective cherry picking of what you ASSUME is relevant and what is not. GROW UP.

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  5. They should check where the party was and who was the host , and than squeeze that party maker and ask him/her with who Ethan left the party or to whom he gave a ride after party has finished

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  6. They should check where the party was and who was the host , and than squeeze that party maker and ask him/her with who Ethan left the party or to whom he gave a ride after party has finished

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  7. They should check where the party was and who was the host , and than squeeze that party maker and ask him/her with who Ethan left the party or to whom he gave a ride after party has finished

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  8. I thought x file will come scully and mulder....

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    1. That would of made a good X-file and Mulder would of figured it out! lol

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  9. The best comment I read is Aimee M. To add to her comment ...He called his mom after midnight so we know it was dark. I bet he drove himself right into the pond. He seemed like a big guy so he probably struggled in the car trying to get out. RIP

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  10. I personally think that he was murdered and the car was hidden somewhere once the pond was searched and they knew it wouldnt be searched again someone drove the car to the pond with him in the back seat. Then they pushed the car into the water busting the windshield.

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    1. There was no mention of broken glass..the windshield more than likely blew out from the pressure inside.

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    2. That would be why the glass was broken out, intentionally so whoever drove him in there could swim out!!!

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  11. Drunk, passed out. Drove across field at high rate of speed, hit embankment and launched car. Hit water blowing out windshield and washing him into back.

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  12. I agree with the 1000000to1 comment. The car going off that elevated ground would have launched it. Windshields break easily when they're stressed in any way. Slamming down on the water would have done it. As the car was filling up with water it turned 180 degrees facing the other direction. Ethan's body floated for a while inside at the top of the car and eventually settled in the back seat. No mystery there.

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    1. There was no damage to the front of the car to support that theory.

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  13. Sadly the dive team gave wrong tag no.aux382 is the correct no. But anyway do wonder how they could have missed the car first time anybody swimming could have found it if car launched there would be tire dents in the ground which would be obvious to find he looked like a big man if windshield is gone he could easily open door unless electric locked wouldn't open i could think of more but isn't it obvious someone is hiding info that's why it's an ongoing investigation duh
    .

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    1. Also with it being late at night his headlights would be on. They wouldn't have immediately went off when he hit the water. As clear and shallow as the water was anyone going by it would see the lights for hours right? If there was a party going on back there and going by the pond was the only way out.. Just saying I know I would be curious about seeing lights at the bottom of a pond..

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  14. Why haven't we heard the cause of death yet?

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    1. That's what I was looking for. Maybe after he called his phone fell on the floor and he started looking for it and pressed his foot on the accelerator trying to reach it. It's sad regardless how it happened.

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    2. Obviously drowned unconscious

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  15. A car does not sink like a rock. If he was driving at even 15mph, the momentum would have carried the car a further 10-15 feet after initial contact with water. After, the weight of the engine/transmission, (front wheel drive Jetta), would have brought the nose of vehicle under first, trapping all air in the cabin and trunk. You can't indicate direction of travel by position of car, as the nose down sinking would cause vehicle to come to rest different ways. The side windows are held in place by tracks and are bolt to regulators. The windshield is glued into place as well as rear windshield, however the rear has additional trim holding it. The car was there for 7 years, this would deteriorate the front glue and allow the windshield to dislodge within 2-4 years. Body position doesn't indicate much since bodies float for quite a while after drowning, not too mention water currents in that time frame. My guess, kid had some drinks, unfamiliar with layout of area in dark of night, drove into pond. Doesn't get window down before power cuts to windows, can't get door open as @ 12 feet of water it would take roughly 800 pounds of force to open the door after submerged. This is why it is very important to have a seatbelt cutter and window breaker inside your car.

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    1. Everything you just said is what i was thinking throw in the fact he had been Drinking ..The pressure in the Car would have to even out in order for him to open the door ..V.W Have P.W and P.L so they would not work ..By the time that car have enough water in it to open the door it was resting on the bottom ..That could have been 3 to 4 min more then enough time to drowned

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  16. I been in the auto salvage business my whole life. VW windshields are glued in with Urethane, the whole windshield don't just fall out whole. I didn't see any other body damage on the vehicle suggesting it crashed and ended up in the pond. If the windshield had been replaced within a couple days before he disappeared it's possible it could have "popped" out due to inside air pressure when the car went down. And did they recover the windshield as evidence? Is it possible he got drunk and passed out in the back seat and someone else drove the car into the pond? Something don't smell right to me.

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  17. Stay away from alcohol and parties

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  18. The nearest road is 400 HUNDRED yards away. If he drove off that road and ended up, with a pristine car, in that pond...then he was a true magician.
    I double dare anyone to drive a car like that across 400 yards of open fields, without leaving a very visible trail, without damaging the car and just getting across without getting stuck.
    No, someone put him there foooor sure.

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    1. seeing that the searchers drove an RV towing a trailer right to the pond within a couple hundred feet of where the car was, i'd say your theory has holes.

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    2. Yes they did….and they left tire tracks…..no way Ethan’s car went into that water in 2013 without some evidence of tire tracks, whether it was an accident or not. If law enforcement saw no tracks into or around the water in 2013, that might explain why they didn’t find the car in 2013….because it wasn’t there. If law enforcement saw tracks into the water and still didn’t find the car, then they did a poor job of searching.

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    3. I do not know why but I feel "Good Kid" "Bullied Kid" from this narrative. Not saying this is fact but, him being a larger kid, glasses, probably smart, never hurt a fly, just trying to have fun or fit in. Maybe its all the movies, documentaries, and true crime stories I have seen where, the person gets invited out and unfortunately, people take bullying or a joke too far and something bad happens. Yeah, he told his mom he was coming home but who knows who could have been with or around him. Children don't want to scare their parents so he could have been in distress, scared, nervous, but what do bullied kids do, they take on the burden of being child and parent to alleviate the parent from hurt or in other words suffer in silence. Not the gospel but hey....those other searches coming up empty sounds strange too.

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    4. No. And no. And no. There are so many incidents of people dying this way. Do a bit of research about DUI and missing people and submerged vehicles. This is not a murder.

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  19. Can't believe their was no oil slick in the water 2 days after going missing? 1/2 year since "the car will tell the story". why is the investigation silent?

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  20. Thats a small ass pond. No way pro divers are going to miss a damn thing when they comb it. Dude was PUT THERE, period.

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  21. I 2nd the red markings on the driver side front tire. More ppl need to shed light on that clue. Clearly some type of altercation happened (I believe between him and others) and the group of individuals either bullied or threatened & fought him. Then I think they tried to cover it up to look like an accident. I believe the car was placed after the divers previously checked, and I'm thinking at least 3 guys were involved in this incident.I'm curious if it was a jealously thing of sorts or a hate crime. The sheriff seems perplexed about the find. Honestly if they keep digging more, I bet at least 5+ people that attended the party can attest if someone or a group had some beef against Ethan earlier that night. Someone was waiting to spring into him just as he was about the leave for the night after he made his call. Please keep the neighborhood talking. Someone will come forward.

    #JusticeWillCome

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    1. i gotta be honest that red looks like algae or oxidation to me more than anything, both could be expected after that much time under water

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  22. First I wanna give my condolences to Ethans family im happy they finally found him but so sad for their loss my heart and prayers go to them. Now as for this case there are a few things I find odd about it and I do think it was either an accidental homicide or just a homicide. I do think that they need to contact the person who told the guys Adventures with a purpose where at to look in the pond as they gave an EXACT location on where to look. The person said that they had seen something in a google earth image which is what prompted the Adventures with a purpose guys to research the pond for a third time. I dont see how "professionals" with diving experts and sonar equipment couldnt find the car back in 2013 and 2015 but someone saw it from google earth and the adventures guys found it with no hesitation now that is a little weird oh and the car was only 8 to 10 feet deep in the pond. My theory is that ethan was to drunk to drive (as he had gon to multiple bars that night and also the pond party)and so he laid down in the back seat and a friend was driving that was not as intoxicated as Ethan. They then crashed and the person driving kicked out the front windshield to get out but couldnt get ethan as he was passed out in the backseat where he was found. One other thing that I found extremely weird is in the video of the recovery of ethans car when the guy leisek of the adventures with a purpose was identifying the car he read off the license plate number and what he said was AUZ-387 but if you look closely it say's AUZ-382! and I must have looked at that part 20 times to be sure . so why did they give the wrong plate number??? And I waited for them to correct themselves and even the sheriff confirmed the plate number as AUZ-387 even I read the comments to see if the ever corrected the plate number and nothing so why lie??? This case is definitely a head scratcher and if they are still going over the case today then im pretty sure there was foul play involved if this was an accident we would know about it by now. Sad it took 7 years to find his car and body and I pray someone comes forward about what happened that night because someone knows and it wasn't just an accident.

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    1. No one said anything about seeing something on Google Earth in the pond where he was found. I read through the comments on that first youtube video and someone talked about seeing something on google earth but it was a different pond entirely. I did see a comment saying they should check the additional pond that the commenter saw on google earth, and then a reply said they agreed because this pond is where the party took place. I've actually looked at old google imagery from when the car would have been in the water and you can't see it. Also, according to the missing person flyer the plate ended in 382. This is clearly just someone with adrenaline pumping that misread a plate. Would it have been helpful if they had gone back and added a clip correcting it? Sure. Do I think that constitutes a lie? No. Hopefully more information will be released to settle some of the speculation, but after 7 years under water I can't imagine it's likely we'll never know exactly what happened here.

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    2. I would not count on this police department solving this ..They could not find a 18 ft Car in a Little pond that was in 8 ft of Water... So i am thinking Solving what happened Might be a little more then they can Handle Given the fact the car has been submerged in water for 7 yrs ..Not a lot of Clues left after a car sits in water for that long ..No finger prints Noe DNA ..iT SEEMS NOBODY IS TALKING ..So this is most likely going to be ruled a suicide or a accident

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    3. It's not clear water, it's Iowa pond water. You can't see more than a couple feet at best.

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  23. Person who owns this pound joked about putting me there years ago. Just saying Dink. Remember what you said to me?!

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  24. Person who owns this "pond" joked about putting me there years ago. Just saying Dink. Remember what you said to me?! Used to brag that it was deep enough to disappear a person.

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  25. My theory for what it is worth.
    Firstly can i offer my sincere condolences to Ethan's family. Can i also pass 'thanks' to the person (s) whom persuaded Mr Leisek and his team to investigate the pond further, most internet groups whom investigate missing persons usually follow the directive that 'Local Law Enforcement' had surveyed an area so no other search would have been of any use.
    My main thoughts are for Ethan, an 22 year old whom had lost his life far to early.
    I can not possibly say, without actually having been present at the time of the incident, what had happened but i can offer this theory.
    After phoning his Mother, realising he was far to intoxicated to drive Ethan fell asleep in the back seat of the car and remained asleep whilst it rolled backwards down the steep grass banking causing him to drown whilst asleep.
    The front windshield of the car could have come away from the body of the car after being submerged for 7 years.
    Once again my thoughts for Ethan and his Family.

    Kev. North East UK.

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  26. How could police not see the tire marks around the pond if they searched on April 15th - 2 days after the disappearance?

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  27. Where were all the other people that were at the party when this happened? How are there no witnesses? Was he the last one there? Too many things that don’t add up.

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    1. Um, He was driving home. Why would there be witnesses at the isolated pond on his route home? Why are you looking for something more complicated than that he had been drinking and drove into the pond? There is no record or report of him having any kind of trouble with anyone. He drove into the pond and drown. The most obvious explanation is usually the right one.

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    2. I just re-watched the episode. If I understood it correctly, the party was at this pond (or possibly the second one a bit further). I asked myself the same question: If the party was indeed at that one pond, how could no one have noticed? I mean a car crashing into a pond still makes hella lot of noise. If the party was at the second pond and music was blasting, maybe they didn't notice. I'd need to check the distance.

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    3. I WAS IN AREDALE THAT NIGHT AND ALMOST WENT TO THAT PARTY BUT FROM WHAT I KNOW THERE WAS PROBABLY SOME DRUGS INVOLVED AND A FEW PEOPLE NEW ABOUT THE SITUATION AND COVERD IT UP

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  28. Ok hold on, can we go back to the comment here from Sept. 4, 2021 by Unknown? They said the person who owns the land has threatened them with putting them in that lake and that it's deep enough to hide a body...

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