If you're running naked from anywhere I can't imagine it would be for anything less than your life. He sounded like a good man who was true to himself. My heart goes out to his mother, his partner and to him.
@Persona Non Grata Europe is a huge place and every country has a completely different culture and attitude. For example, you will find many Eastern European countries are much more systemically homophobic, whereas if this happened in the Netherlands or something there would be a national outcry from both citizens and people in government if news like the police's behaviour in this case got out.
My sister made the documentary of this on the ID channel. She met his mother and spent months with her. This is an incredibly sad story. His mother goes to the last spot he was seen every year to light candles. This year was the first year she couldn’t go due to Covid and it was devastating to her. I really hope that one day soon the truth will come out so there can be closure.💛
If he fell in the water his body have to emerge at some point.canals normally have dirt racks to filter debris out of the water. Has anybody looked at unidentified bodies? Are there more gay men gone missing in vienna? What i am curious about is that normally if in western europe someone goes missing especially foreigners and catholic everybody is on high alert.vienna is commonly a safe place to be when gay. When all the prostitutes went missing when unterweger was around they did recognise a serial killer was on the stroll. Spontanious suicide? Where is the body though. The jealosy about the talent contest is like Kindergarten. Grown men getting mad about loosing a contest, excuse me? Maybe he got not farther than the door to the sauna. Never heard of this case and i live in neighbouring germany.
MelK I think the worst part (aside the guy “disappearance”) is the police work in the case, the investigation (or the no investigation) and the bad treatment to his mother and friends 🥺 It was inhuman, to say the least.
I knew I heard this story before! I’ve always remembered the part with his mom standing in front of the sauna holding the candle & a pic of her son. Heartbreaking. That has stayed with me. Please tell your sister thank you making such a powerful & a amazing doc for Aeryn & his mom. I believe the truth will come out. Have a good night💜🕯
Your sister did a fantastic job. That was a very well made documentary. Having a son myself and living 20 minutes from Ithaca, this hit me hard. My heart aches for this woman. Such a tragic story. I really hope she gets closure one day soon.
As a choir kid, the scene of him looking someone straight in the face and saying "It's. Called. Vibrato." had me yelling "DAYUMMNN!!" in my kitchen lol
As a mom of a gay son, this scares me so much. It's heartbreaking that someone could be so cruel over something that doesn't affect their lives in any way. I'll never understand it.
I'll keep you in prayer. 95% at least of my friends are gay or lesbian. I'm straight, but I learned the hard way that the if you're a friend of someone in the LGBT community, you'll never find someone more loyal.
you are a beautiful mother love you and your understanding im pan and am blessed to have supportive parents just know that your support mean the world to him!
Thanks for all the kind words. I wish you all love and support in your lives. I hate that some don't experience that kind of acceptance from their loved ones.
Yes! And Stephanie stating this is mom's version, etc was responsible reporting. However, let's assume for arguments sake that half of what mom said was factual. That's 50% too damn much! None of that crap should've been said. So unfortunate.
@@tracyrasmussen8117 literally. Even if all of what was said was mistranslation ( which I doubt ) the hand on her leg, getting in her space, the intimidation tactics. Out of order
Just wow. They're criminals theirselves! The language barrier shouldn't have been an excuse. Are they still getting away w whatever outcomes they want on crime in Vienna. They've no shame. I'm sorry for your loss kathy. As a mom I'm horrified.
As the mother of a gay child, I can't fathom her pain. I know I'd wanna burn that city down till I found my baby. Praying she gets the answers she deserves.
@@annemariebaird8427 exactly...it must've been so hard for her to leave without knowing what happened to him. My kids think I'm crazy cause I drill different safety protocols in their heads constantly. Like never let someone take you to a second location, fight with every ounce of your soul, scream fire instead of help, and I'll soon be buying them whistles and pepper spray. You really can't be too safe imo.
Absolutely correct...seems we watch the same videos on here, dont let the trolls on twky get to u...u have great ideas and they have nothing better to do than pick at u.
His mother telling his grandmother to act surprised so he could come out to her the way he wanted to was so sweet 🥺 such a little act but it made me tear up
Quick note: Everyone under the age of like 50 in DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) speaks English however some people are hesitant to speak English professionally, since they don’t want to be liable if they say something wrong. That being said, if you literally do not speak a word of German, they will switch over to English. In 2007 it’s beyond unfathomable that not a single member of the Wiener Polizei could speak decent enough English to talk to Kathy; they were just being a bunch of Arschlöcher.
I am from Frankfurt, major city in Germany, and I also know a lot of people, even my age (around 30) who cannot hold a conversation in English. If you did not go to high school until grade 12/13, which many people do not, you are very likely to only speak very basic English without being able to take part in a conversation. Also, what is this with expecting everyone to speak your language while abroad? I would not expect an US-American to speak German to me while overseas. If you want to communicate and it is important, get a translator. Also, the mother showing an old US police batch to the Austrian police, while not having any jurisdiction, probably came across as very aggressive and unfriendly to the Austrians. They are very proud people and the Viennese especially, a bit snobbish as well.
This is such a sad story. It definitely sounds like it was covered up. The fact that the embassy didn't do anything really infuriates me. He sounds like he was an amazing person.
Being a mother is a beautiful and most amazing thing ever and also the hardest job ever. When our kids are small we know where they are and we are able to protect them but once they grow up, we worry and love them even more. I feel like it was a cover up as well.
Your embassy will never get involved in something like that...we expect them to help us but they basically press palms, take photos with other diplomatic corps people...pretend to build financial opportunities for their home countries. Actually helping their citizens abroad - never count on them.
I remember this case. It was in the news when I was a teenager in 2007 here in germany. It's horrible how the austrian police treated his mother, so disgusting and infuriating. I hope all of them involved are now retired.
@@irenestrmnss4496 You're talking to a German. We know, trust me. Doesn't really matter in this case tho, that was nearly 80 years ago and these police officers are responsible for their own actions, they're their very own awful people.
I literally sat here with my mouth wide open, appalled at the treatment he received from these police officers. Utterly disgusted. And the treatment of his mother! What the actual f?
@@TacoNoodles1 I lived in Vienna and never made any such experiences, not even close, so no it's not typical. I've not found the people here any worse than USA or other countries I've lived in... still a terrible case.
@@natureandrelax3151 That the police here are incompetent? I never said anything about the people. I commented how police in especially Eastern Europe are incompetent , rude, and power sick. Thats just life experience. Youre stupid.
The documentary on this called "Gone The Disappearance Of Aeryn Gillern" is showing on Amazon Prime video as an FYI. Thanks, Stephanie for committing some time to this one and bringing it into our awareness.
As a gay person this is just horrifying to hear, I actually had to quit and stop watching. This is why I’m scared of travelling :( thank you for covering it with love and respect, I can tell.
@Sheetheadsz, I trust that you have read the comments here & have seen the outpouring of love for this amazing poor man, not only that he was gay but also that he was was a wonderful human being. My heart is with you & it makes me so very sad that you are unable to live your life with abandon, as you so deserve to do. We do not judge a person either by the colour of their skin or their sexuality but, rather, by the content of their character. The number of those that judge & hold prejudice are very small when compared to the vast majority of us that are accepting. I send you much love & strength from Ireland, ❤️
Most European countries are amazing and very liberal. However, always check before going. Governments change and issues arise, Poland is a great example
This case is so, so heartbreaking. In my opinion, it seems like the only way it will be solved is if new police officers reopen the case--hopefully, the younger ones won't be so homophobic and will actually take the case seriously. It will also be necessary that they're willing to investigate their co-workers and former police officers. This whole thing reeks not just of prejudice but of a serious cover-up.
@Get Real Austrian here. Where in Europe have you been? There are some countries, like Poland and Hungary whwere it's forbidden for the press to cover gay parades, but in most countries there are very strict anti discrimination laws. In Vienna on Pride Day all the official buildings are flying the rainbow flag and the public transport ( tram and bus) have it during the whole pride month. I'm not saying all is perfect for the LGBTQI comunity there are still quite a lot of things that could be better but at least in middle and western Europe it's gotten better, I don't dare to speak for the east though
It really disturbs me that no one from the US Embassy stood with that mom when she went to the police dept. I just don't understand. It almost sounds like someone from the law enforcement family there was involved.
Definitely. There was a similar case in Japan (book about it is called people who eat darkness) and the parents of the girl missing got lucky cause they had a vague connection that made British government contact the Japanese prime minister very publicly, so the police were basically forced to act. They still fucked up but they eventually found the perp and body
I bet the embassy didn't provide any input because they are well aware of the appetites of those in power of that area. Heck, they probably didn't want to be outed themselves.
I'm a translator and interpreter, I would never tell anyone they should sign something because I read it and it's fine, wtf? Also, language services MUST be provided if an accused does not inderstand the language, and I live in a third world country, I thought it was the norm in Europe
It was different era, police was ruled by mafia and the interpreter was scared of her own life as well. You know how the police treated the Aeryn just because he was gay. You dont want a police man to hate you, some of them can be sociopaths / psychopaths as well. Sadly they can use the power they have to make you shut up. :-(
Julienna SK I think you misread Julie’s comment. She wasn’t being a troll at all, quite the contrary. She was asking what languageS, as in plural, the commenter spoke, and seeing as this comment was clearly written in English, she was inquiring about the OTHER languages they spoke given that “spenx09” said they work as a translator and interpreter (thus meaning she speaks multiple languages), hence Julie saying “obviously perfect English” (which was intended as a compliment towards “spenx09”). There was zero trolling involved, just an inquisitive and complimentary comment/question.
I cannot imagine the sadness Aeryn's mother felt upon having to pack up her son's home and having to leave Austria with absolutely NO answers and NO help from the police. This case is SO tragic and heartbreaking. I can't imagine how tough it is when your child is halfway across the globe and then you're dealing with his disappearance.
I used to live in Vienna and visited Kaiserbründl several times. To me, it is kind of strange for Aeryn going there regularly and even having there a "private cabin". First of all Kaiserbründl is more popular among older (lets say mature) gay men. It is no way a meeting point for trained (sexy) guys like Aeryn was. So, I cannot really understand his motivation going there regularly. Did he have maybe a secret relationship with one of the "important guys" you mentioned? Someone from Austrian church? I spent 7 years in Vienna and I can tell, it is not an easy task being a foreigner there. The Austrian society is sooooo conservative and right wing. And if you are "different", you face racism on a daily basis. It is more a "keep yourself under the surface" society. That is why the incidents Aeron had (like in the metro) and his mom had with the police do not really surprise me. I have been there so many times. Additionally, in Vienna there is CCTV in every corner. And Kaiserbründl is in the 1th district (city center) which is the most valuable neighbourhood. So, I don't buy the story of Austrian police at all. After watching your video I talked to an Austrian friend of mine and he told me that insiders in the gay scene were talking about Aeryn having some sort of involvement in the political matters, too. Do we know what he was doing in UN in particular? I believe he was murdered in the sauna and actually never left it.
@@StephanieHarlowe There is only one small fitness room with 2-3 equipment (more for gay cruising purposes) so I cannot imagine Aeron having a training session there. There are way better options like John Harris gym with sauna just around the corner in the 1th district (very popular among gays). Kaiserbründl is an option for quick sex but definetly not a nice place to hang around. There must be a proper reason for him to pick it. And except some special days (like pride day etc.) there are always a few people inside Kaiserbründl. To be honest, I found it always kind of creepy there (especially the darkrooms). You never know who is inside. I also did not really enjoy the touchy older men who sometimes could cross the line.
@@squenzboi I was thinking similarly to you. I think the fact that he took a hiv test proves to me that he had sex outside of his relationship with his boyfriend. If you are in a monogamous relationship I think there is no need to get regular testing. The only reason why you would test for hiv is maybe when you think your partner could be cheating on you but then you wouldn’t tell your partner “I took the test and it’s negative”. So I think he had some outside relations with some of the older gay men on this establishment and something went wrong there. Maybe he saw someone there who he wasn’t supposed to see there
I don't think getting an HIV test necessarily means that you are promiscuous. I am a single gay man in my early fifties and I'm not wired for having one night stands so haven't had sex with someone else for a few years. I still get tested for HIV every year as part of my annual check-up. Not because I'm gay, but because there are other ways to get it. I know of a heterosexual woman who stopped at an accident scene to help and when she was doing CPR on one of the injured men, he coughed and a tiny droplet of blood got in her eye. She contracted HIV. A really sad and depressing story today and my heart goes out to Aeryn’s brave mother. Shame on the Austrian police and the appalling treatment she endured at their hands. My experience is that one can experience institutionalised homophobia even in cities that we think of as open-minded. I went to the police station in Green Point with a friend visiting from London one night to report the theft of his iPad. Green Point is basically the heart of the gay village here in Cape Town and is full of gay venues. Because of this we probably expected that the officers staffing this particular station would be culturally sensitive since they would often deal with tourists from all over the world who chose to come and spend their foreign pink currency here on our doorstep. But we were astounded by the blatant homophobic attitude of the desk sergeant who refused to let us open a docket. The more we tried to explain what happened, the more this "public servant" wanted to know from us if why we were not worried that God was going to send us to hell and how does it work anyway with two guys and it says in the Bible that it is unnatural. We later heard that the thief was well-known to this very Christian, but totally corrupt policeman and they were part of a syndicate where hot young straight guys would seduce gay men at the various venues into compromising situations and then suddenly take off with whatever they could grab while the victim was prevented from giving chase by the fact that his pants were around his ankles. The syndicate specifically targeted slightly older guys because they were perceived to be more surprised by and appreciative of young, straight-acting hunks showing an interest in them and on average they also had more expensive phones and watches and so on. I can believe that Aeryn may have been murdered to protect someone high up in the church or the state who was completely closeted. These closeted individuals in high positions can be unscrupulous when they fear that their naughty little secrets may be exposed. Even if that means taking a life. It is somehow reminiscent of the vile acts committed by the fascist grandfathers of these same bigoted cops with their delusions of superiority in this same part of the world during the second World War.
@David mack I thought the same thing. If this person had the clout to cover a murder why not just offer the victim protection from the cops in exchange for silence? After a dislocated shoulder, I would have. Please don't leave out clergy. Wasn't Ayron booted/encouraged from seminar for being gay? Wouldn't he recognize higher ups in a place like that? And the crying man's walk through confession (yes I said it) IMO seems like Ayron was walked to that room, maybe with intimidation in mind and... went too far? Also spontaneous suicide sounds like something clergy would say. IMO that is. Sorry if I butchered the spelling of the victim's name. Hope his mom gets closer.
They searched under his bed and in the couch? Did they even bother to check the pockets of any pants in the laundry? Oh no, wait, Im thinking of loose change, those are all places you look for loose change, not people.
I’d seen a documentary a few years ago with his mom telling the story. His poor mom. Thank you for covering this you gave many more details and more quirks of his personality.
After hearing the story of Aeryn's detention by police and the brutality and homophobia he suffered in their hands I'm only left with one thought... The only reason he would have ran out from the sauna naked is if he thought he would be a victim of a hate crime and that his life was in danger. And if I had to further speculate, maybe he was in an open relationship with his partner and was engaged in some sort of romantic activity in the sauna... Or he saw something he wasn't supposed to see. Maybe a high profile person engaged in such an activity. The only reason you would run away from someone who approached you in such a way is if you believe they would hurt you. This takes me back to my first point, in relation to the police assault he suffered - maybe he recognised the person as one of the officers from that incident. Or someone who had threatened him in the past.
Thats what I was thinking! It does make sense that he could have seen someone in power in that place, maybe was threatened? I mean why would he literally be running, naked! Like he dropped everything and ran for his life. And then whatever happened to him was covered up, for fear of outing or whatever, the person in power. That's the one theory that makes a lot of sense to me. The disgraceful police though, the way he was treated in the past by them, and the way they treated his poor mom!! What the actual f*ck!
Maybe the person he had come across in the sauna area was one of the policeman who had treated him so harshly? Maybe he’d recognized him.. or they recognized one another? It’s somewhat common for people who aren’t “out” to behave even more violently.
I just read the end of your comment! The beginning of your comment brought me to the same idea as you.. (I got excited, and hadn’t finished reading the whole thing when the idea struck me)
He’s HUMAN, regardless of his “lifestyle “ this man is human. Cops (not all cops) are assholes. This man deserves justice, deserves to be home with his mother (alive or dead), he needs to be HOME! This story breaks my heart as a mother.
You say cops are assholes but then write (not all cops). You are part of the problem we have in this country. Maybe 1 percent of the police officers in the entire United States are corrupt or bad , so why do you automatically put out all cops are assholes ?,when you could of just said the cops in this case were assholes.
@@alinaalfonso2057 the fact that ur more concerned about the phrasing of her comment instead of the absolute reform the police need is the problem. she literally went out of way to clarify NOT ALL COPS and you're still commenting. you're just looking through comments trying to pick arguments. get off the internet if you can't handle people's opinions
"Prolet" comes from proletarian/peasant and is mostly used to refer to someone who is loud, obnoxious, uneducated. Basically a unrefined brute. It's not a hugely offensive term.
I have to disagree, at least in my Euro country it's considered very offensive, it's an antiquated term used by the rich to diminish and humiliate poor and working class people, which unfortunately sounds like what Aeryn tried to do there. If you use that term in my city on the wrong person you will get your shit pushed in hard, while no one really cares if you use a slur or an f-word.
I heavily leaned toward hate crime due to his orientation but then after hearing this was a frequently gay populated sauna with many high end folks who had anonymity makes me feel like it's where publicly straight men may have engaged in gay activity in secret and Aeryn may have been an item of desire who declined their advances and was threatened. My other speculation is because of their sponsorship and his win, someone may have been jealous and a sore loser. Could be something totally different. Regardless what REALLY happened, this shit is shady.
Obviously. All of the potential occurrences are speculation because, unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever really know what happened. Regardless, shady things happened, a man is still missing, and a mother lost her son.
@@tonydio666 isn't everything speculation when nobody knows the truth?it's more often than not that people speculating leads to the truth or at the very least leads to get others thinking.
I cant imagine treating a victim’s mother in this manner. None of the timeline makes any sense either. Sending Aeryn’s mother all the peace and love I can offer.
I’m from Austria, near Vienna, and regarding the language: you could compare the difference of “our German” vs. “Germany German” to British and American English. So it’s definitely the same language, just a different accent and some different words, similarly to GB vs. USA
True. Honestly, the Austrian dialect is closer to High German than some German dialects (like Plattdeutsch or Erzgebirgisch (dialects spoken around the Northern Sea coast and the Ore Mountains)
@@leilaniz5909 It's not a scary place at all, we don't have much crime, etc. Some parts of Vienna, like in any city, I wouldn't go for a walk there at night. But that's it. Also, I don't know why the police acted like this, most policemen/women here are ok.
@@leilaniz5909 yeah, it’s not scary at all. Compared to most parts of the USA, the crime rate is really low. Also, it’s quite a tolerant and LGBTQ+ friendly city.
Just have to say this: I am in Austria and the research you have done on a case that is on a different continent, in a language you dont speak, is extraordinary! Some of the little details you told I didnt know, and I live here all my life. Absolutely amazing and incredible well done! I am so impressed.
And a „Prolet“ is someone who behaves in an incredible obnoxious way: like drinking too much beer, making questionable jokes, just someone who behaves under a level that is acceptable. Difficult to explain.
I was haunted after I watched a documentary on his disappearance and couldn’t stop thinking about him for weeks after. He seemed like such a cool, intelligent, and dynamic man.
I watched this video in 2010 and it still haunts me every once in a while it pops in my head for no reason and makes the hair on back of my neck stand up.
Man! What's bugging me is why wasn't the US Embassy able to help Kathy out?! Whenever I've traveled abroad, I was always told to go to the US Embassy is anything goes wrong. Not sure what they could have done, but I like to think it could have helped put pressure on the Austrian PD to get more information.
Definitely. I have heard of the from multiple people I know that has traveled a lot. They have mentioned going to the embassy for help in certain things.
From r/German : "Proll" comes from "Prolet", which itself comes from "Proletarier", which originally referred to (wage-)laborers in Marxist theories. You might have heard the phrase "Workers of the world, unite!" In the original German it was "Proletarier aller Länder vereinigt Euch!" Nowadays, "Prolet" (or "Proll", or "Prollo") is used as an insult for a certain kind of people... Typically male (never heard it used for a woman), low education, probably sexist, racist, and homophobic, probably only has two hobbies: getting wasted and having sex, crude humor, and no regard for other people.
Please please PUH-LEAZE give us your take on Melissa Platt. It's infuriating how her obvious prolonged domestic abuse murder was dismissed as a series of falls. It's one of the most infuriating cases I've ever heard of.
I have heard about this case before and have always believed that Aeryn was never in the canal and that someone in that sauna, someone very powerful had something to do with his demise. The redditor's theory is definitely plausible & what I believe happened. I wish for his mother's sake, he could be found & laid to rest. It's sad that in this day & age that there's still so much hate & discrimination towards anyone.
Holding my tears as I listen. He sounds like a special and intriguing person. Such kind eyes and smile. My heart hurts for him and his sweet and determined mother who was treated horribly by the police. They did not take care of her, nor did they treat this case with respect. It screams hate crime and coverup. I hope they find justice and peace.
Incredibly heartbreaking 💔 God bless his mother, she loves her son so very much and seems like an amazing woman who supported Aeryn in everything he chose. Aeryn seemed like he was very humble and kind. No doubt he touched so many lives. His eyes were so kind. RIP Aeryn 💫 Thank you Stephanie for the research and all the passion you put into your channel.
Everything inside me trembles and screams that police officers did it. This whole story sounds like a manhunt, starting from his escape from sauna ending at this joke aka. investigation/cover up. If someone runs without clothes it's a run for life. The threat was inside that place.
Or maybe the cops really had zip to do with it, but didn't find this man worthy of their time to investigate. Ignorance at its finest with that group of LE. Its just so barfy.
I feel like someone powerful was in the sauna & tried to hit on him & got mad that he didn't want to do anything with them & did something to him. There's definitely witnesses that are probably scared to talk.
Yes. I think they threw him in the Danube, after a police officer had murdered him at the bathhouse. Definitely cover up. The police kept making lies the way criminals do. Never a straight story no pun intended.
I love his mom's reaction to his coming out. My son came out a couple of years ago. I knew, as well, and it hurt me that he ever considered I'd be anything but supportive. But even though I knew before he told me, I didn't ask him until HE decided to talk to me about his sexuality. I admit my husband, a very masculine combat veteran, was in denial for a while that his first-born son was gay, though he, too, came around and stands ready to defend and protect our child against bigots at any moment. When I hear of parents who deny their children, turn their backs on them, and reject them when they identify as part of the LGBTQ community, it breaks my heart and I just want to hug them and be their "mom" myself. All children deserve support and unconditional love, no matter who they are.
My daughter just came out as bi to me last year. She has a girlfriend of 6 months and they are so great together. EVERYONE deserves love and to be loved and to be happy.
I just want to thank you for the audio quality. I know it sounds silly but I have a migraine disorder and I often stop listening to podcasts or TH-camrs that are amazing at telling the stories but just become to painful me to continue to listen or able to follow the story. I’m not complaining and I understand it takes time and money but I just wanted to say thank you for always working toward bettering your channel and our world by sharing these stories. 💜
Oh youre so right. Those scenes killed me. I cried the most when she spoke of having to make the difficult decision to part with some of his things. My heart broke for her being so far away from her home- trying to find him- wanting to stay as long as possible - but ultimately not being able to. :(
I live in Vienna and had just seen a documentary about this recently. I was at Pride this year and asked both guys at the booth for Loewnherz bookstore about this. They both just said it was horrible ,but they didn't give anymore. I said one can't run naked from the sauna to the canal without anyone noticing. They said they think the mom still comes in October to the doorway of the church. If she does, now that I know I will reach out to her as work just down the street. I feel so bad for her.
@@tonydio666 just cause they cant get in legal trouble for it doesnt mean it shouldnt literally be a hate crime but ok? cops just get to dehumanize people because it's part of the job description to not be held accountable but that doesnt mean the ridiculous way they treated this case is okay ? it's homophobic clearly and it SHOULD be a literal crime
I live on a remote Scottish island where you barely see 500 cars a week never mind every 15 minutes and even I couldn’t run along the road naked without at least 1 person seeing me. There’s something very off about this!!
I was thinking this exact thing myself, honestly. Like you couldn't run through Kirkwall in the buff without all of Orkney hearing about it within five minutes, nevermind the middle of Vienna.
God this is infuriating and heartbreaking. his poor mother and partner... its nauseating how blatantly it was covered up and it seems like there's nothing to do about it
I am from Austria, and this treatment is unheard of! This guy who handeld this case should be hold accountable! I just can say that Aeryn loved Vienna dearly because he could live there unbothered being gay! I saw the Docu Gone where his mom tells his story from start to finish and it made me cry! I feel so bad... but years later good police guys picked his case up again and new witnesses came up (from the Kaiserbründl Sauna) but still it stayed a huge mystery! I am very sad about all this!
I was hoping that people had started talking. I thought Aeryn was not cared about by Police because he was gay and jewish (the way his mom Cathy described his knicknacks in his house as tchatckies). I wondered if a gay Police Officer was involved, fro. Thr new taskforce. Or, someone related in some way to a powerful person. What is so sad about aeryn is that he wasbt found to be memoralised and buried by his mom. Taken home with her.
No way ! That’s brilliant I’ve missed this !!! Stephanie definitely needs her own Netflix true crime show she is simply the best out there for depth of investigation and making these peoples stories come alive and all dealt with such compassion!! X
The American Embassy should of help his mum or tried to find some one in authority to attend meetings with the police. They intimidated and practicly abused the poor lady.I would not want to visit Vienna after hearing this.
In Poland in times of PRL there were something that sound familiar. "Spontaneous serial killer" So many ppl vanished or were found "suicide " - and totally couldn't, absolutely all facts were mix up. It was well known because the ppl that were missing/suicide were against russia occupation in Poland. Unfortunetly after they move out the old school in politics, police system stayed and it is disgusting.
lol I was alive in the 70s and 80s. That story wouldn't have flown back then either, at least not in the US. I was a criminology student back in 96. Our Dept was planning on sending 20+/- students to Britain to do a longitudinal study in the year following their handgun ban. I figured going to London for a year or so would be a great adventure and getting my name on a major study would kick off my career. Well, when British officials found out part of the study was going to be an attempt to standardize the definition of homicide we were totally stonewalled. We were told we were free to analyse government supplied stats all we wanted but we would not get access to any case files. So goes it in Britain and many European countries. Of course it varies from country to country but, in general, they define homicide differently than we do in the US, they are under pressure to keep the stats low, and, with more of a collective mindset, they are less likely to put a great deal of resources into an individual case. My guess is that's what happened in Ayren's case. He wasn't from their country, there wasn't an obvious suspect, the body wasn't easily found at the crime scene. This would not be an easy case to solve and they saw an easy out with their BS "suicide" story. No real investigation means no suspect. No suspect means no intent to kill. No intent keeps it off their stats. Unfortunately, him being gay didn't help matters but I really doubt that was a driving factor in them sweeping this case under the rug. I ended up becoming a forensic psych so I don't work in the criminology field but I do keep up with it and the frustration his mother had trying to get a proper investigation done is not exclusive to his case. It's also the same type of frustration people face when trying to do proper studies on violent crime in much of Europe.
I am sitting here watching this with my kitty, she isn’t feeling well. As soon as she heard Stephanie’s voice she laid her head down and fell asleep. Her tummy is unhappy, instead of running off when she gets sick she runs to me. She is my furry baby.
Take care of that sweet kitty. My tabby, "Cheeto" is my lifesaver. I also feed four ferals. Diva, Blondie. princess and Spot. I love cat people, hoping she feels better I truly do))
I just want you to know that I appreciate you. Even though these stories are hard sometimes.. it's much better for my mental health than listening to the news ❤🤣
Love this comment! Thank goodness for my fav true crimers to keep me entertained. I just can’t bring myself to turn on the tv and take the chance of seeing a glimpse of devastating “news.” ✌️❤️
You can tell he’s sweet by how he’s taking pictures with his cat 🥺 AND that he wanted to be a priest but wouldn’t bc he didn’t want to be hypocritical 🥰🥰
Yes, the picture with the kitten is very telling of him as a person. I´ve always found that men who like cats are extremely kind and gentle. I think it might be because cats are such sensitive animals and you can´t really play rough with them like with dogs so it takes certain qualities to really bond with a cat. You have to be gentle and sensitive to their needs.
Maybe he got into an altercation with someone of high power in the sauna and he threatened to expose there sexuality, maybe even one of the police officers from 2003. Had some so called "friendly banter" and the officer didn't take it well. Also as its an officer it would be so easy to cover up!
@@theoretic7856 Delve into enough crime stories for decades and a common pattern emerges that makes this *speculation* not so wild. Seems there are more cover ups with folks in certain positions of power and *Richness* than not.
@@SimplyJessIsMe It doesn't matter if you study true crime for a million years saying something with absolutely no evidence is always wild speculation and it doesn't serve anyone. It especially doesn't help solve the case. It's tantamount to me saying what if the rich store owner did it because he didn't like the brand of bread he bought. It doesn't help anyone, and worse there is no evidence to support the claim. That's why it's wild speculation. There isn't one piece od evidence pointing to him being killed because he threatened to expose a cops sexuality.
@@theoretic7856 Not so wild. You would have to be an incredibly dense individual to watch this and NOT come to the conclusion that: 1) the police didn't care, AT ALL, or 2) they were covering something up. Blatantly ignoring medical and phone records? And possible video evidence from the sauna?! Lying about procedure that they did not perform? Proposing that completely bogus theory DESPITE medical and phone records to the contrary??? Now that was wild speculation. Just an insult to his poor mother. Clearly they didn't investigate anything (or they don't care about evidence??). Given this, it does become a possibility that the police are covering something up. Why are the police behaving so incompetently and even obstructing the "investigation"? Or they just don't give a shit. And/or they are incompetent at their job...but the entire police force?? The latter becomes a less likely option; surely they must have SOME competent police officers on the force. Unless the entire police force is completely corrupt, homophobic and nationalistic. Even the Viennese citizens state corruption is not a surprising occurrence. Also the author didn't explicity state that it was anyone directly in the police, just suggested a possible coverup with someone of high-influence involved (as the video also suggested): "...altercation with someone of high power....MAYBE even one of the police officers from 2003". Maybe, maybe, a police officer. I say this is a logical possibility based on the case evidence, or lack thereof due to no investigation. Also, have you never heard of legal precendent? Definition: "Precedent refers to a court decision that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal isssues." Circumstances surrounding previous crimes are paramount for judicial decisions and laws. Prior crimes, and particularly the cirucumstances surrounding the crime, play a CRUCIAL role in shaping present day statutes and court decisions. @Jess Trudeau was correct in her assessment and to use precendent as a means to explain a possible outcome. Again, possible. No one is saying this is the absolute truth. Also, fixed patterns of behavior, which become known as habits, can be used as admissible evidence in court. I could go on and on citing examples to demonstrate how narrow-minded and egostistical your comments are (appear to show a lack of insight and willingness to consider ideas other than your own), but I'll stop here as this is long enough already. I'm kind of flabbergasted as to how you would think this possible theory is "wild speculation"..did you not watch the video?! I think an important question arises: If the police weren't covering something up, what is the motive behind their abhorrent behavior? Other than possible reasons I already mentioned above. I'd love to know the answer to this, but only the police know, and they clearly aren't going to be providing any further insights.
@@SimplyJessIsMe Yes, exactly. You have the right mindset, factoring in precedent to help propose possible theories. Ignore the narrow-minded, egotistical comments from @ Theo Retic
It seriously makes my blood boil. It makes me feel so sorry for his Mom. Her love for him is so apparent. He seemed like a wonderful guy who had a happy life and was going to have a great future.
Viennese here, and first off I'm so sorry of how police treated this case and Cathy especially, it's truly a shame... I'm just gonna comment on some things throughout the video that with some viennese insight: - Yes we speak german. Although our german is, in terms of dialect, different from the german they speak in Germany. Every state in Austria has a different dialect, and sometimes I have trouble understanding people from different states even though we're all austrian lol. But we all grew up watching german TV from Germany so everyone speaks "Hochdeutsch" (high german) too. - Yes every austrian kid grows up learning english. If you don't speak english at the end of high school, you failed high school. ( BUT- I suspect this might have been a different case in the past, I truly don't know if there's a possibility if the cops really didn't know how to speak english... If you've been born in the 90's or later you sure as hell need to be at least mediocre in speaking english.) - Viennese people are considered RUDE AS HECK in europe. We were voted to be the second rudest City recently (with Paris being Nr. 1), and people were actually outraged we didn't make it to Nr. 1, so that says a lot about Vienna as a City lol. But I must say, Viennese rudeness is considered normal in Vienna, no one acts like they care because we genuinely don't and no one puts up a facade. (Not trying to defend that, it's just facts.) - Imagine that Viennese rudeness, which already exists between our own people, directed at a foreigner. Disaster is predetermined. Especially with cops. There's an unmatched god complex towards everyone who is not one of them, and I've witnessed this, not first hand, but towards friends of mine who look foreign or have foreigner names. It's free real estate to them, and it's sick. Cops however have always treated me kindly because I'm white, female and speak fluent german. - Getting dragged off by the ticket guy to the police station? This is NOT normal! I have never heard of that in 25 years of me living in Vienna. The ticket people very well know that they are NOT allowed to touch people. Yes, police can be called if the person who was caught is not cooperative, but even that is usually close to never the case. This is so weird to me, and I've had so many friends of mine being fined for not having a valid ticket. - PROLET is a derogatory term which derives from the word proletariat, meaning lower- or working class. A Prolet, despite it's literal meaning, is someone who is antisocial, rude, lazy, dumb and not well integrated into "good" society. - Having had to report a crime myself once in the first district, where this case happened, I can attest to the fact that the inner city cops just... give off this vibe of being extremely bothered by any inconvenience you cause them. Even if you're the one who'se trying to report a crime. A lot of sh*t happens in the first district, and cops literally don't care what's going on anymore. I just realised how long this comment got, sorry for that, I was drinking champagne while watching this and just gradually added more and more comments as I progressed in the video lol. Much love from Vienna
This clearly has so much to do with the shotty police work and certain members of the police force not being truthful. It's also very disheartening, being a gay female who felt like I couldn't come out until I was 30 years old, to know that this kind of hate is just all over the world. I hope he is found safely, or at least at all, for the sake of his poor mother.
Yup. My heart seriously breaks for you that you had to hide who you are for that long. I was just thinking how I hope this generation doesn’t have to do that. It’s not fair. I couldn’t imagine if I had to hide who I am. That’s just a basic part of humanity.
@@teresahowick5197 thank you. But when I look at the grand scheme of it all, I was very lucky. I don't feel like I lost anyone in my life because of my lifestyle so I feel extremely lucky about that. Some of my family doesn't understand it because of their religious views, and that's okay. We can still happy family, and they don't have to attend our wedding. I know that's so many people, especially younger ones, still have a hard time feeling like they can be who they are. It's the saddest thing. I hope one of these yours we all can live in a world free of judgment and Hate. Thank you for your words. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
I contacted that mother several years ago about this case, I felt so bad for her and what she went through. She wrote back to me, and I wished so much someone would have helped her.
This is the hardest episode to watch. I'm sick to my stomach with so much anger. I grew up in the Steubenville diocese. Wish I had the pleasure to meet this amazing man.
Stephanie, thank you for highlighting another little-known case. What a horrible waste of a life of a what appears to be a gentle soul, who was both genuine and talented. Am anxious to hear more. Sending out love to his mother, family, and partner.
I’ve gotta say Stephanie, that you did an amazing job of telling us about Aeryn and really shined a light on his personality which really drives home what a loss it is to this world. It’s so important to honor the victim instead of just focusing on just the crime itself. Thank you, awesome video.
Catching up on all the videos I have missed! It's like when I first discovered your channel in 2019, and I had so many videos and hours to (binge) enjoy your content. Who is excited for the next few days of work and listening to my favorite youtube channel? That's right, this girl!
This is extremely eye-opening about exactly how world-wide the epidemic of police misconduct targeting LGBT people is. It's scary to think that if anything happened to my gay brother in another country, it might not be taken seriously. Thank you for making this video. I hope that his mother finds justice soon.
As a teenager I went to Vienna in late 90s. My personal experience : loved the city with beautiful architecture, and was shocked by local people’s racism and kind of superiority. Witnessed a numerous situation when white kids were teasing and throwing food at Asian kids. Had a very similar experience on a train. When misplaced my ticket and was petrified by a lady who was checking the tickets. At the end I did find my ticket but she was shouting at me and mum was telling her to calm down in German but was pushed away. As years gone by I almost forgot about it but after watching this video it made me so sad as I can relate a bit to the way they treat foreigners or people of different race. Sad really sad, I hope it’s different now
I visited Vienna, Austria in 2016 and it was nice but at them bottom of my "Best trips abroad" list. Customer service happened to be bad most of the time and a waiter tried to swindle money from my parents at a restaurant. I hope things have changed now but I think this goes on to show that Vienna is not the best option for non-German speaking tourists. Edit: typo
My partner and I visited Austria also a few years ago and even though we didn't have such a bad experience at that extent, I recall a couple of xenophobic hints by the locals, but again, it was not in Vienna but a periferic, small town.
Can we just take a minute to appreciate that Stephanie redoes the intro for Coffee and Crime Time everytime? I know it is the same M.O. but the work that goes on to redoing it every time in addition to the crazy detailed content is *chef's kiss"
So I’ve been binging Crime Weekly and I’m obsessed! I’ve been a huge fan of yours for a long time and legit freaked out when I recognized Derrick’s voice. I’m a HUGE Big Brother fan. So excited to listen to more from you guys!
So glad you’ve covered this case. I’ve read a lot on arrans case and feel for his poor mum whose searched tirelessly for her son. I definitely think that this has been a cover up. Police were so disrespectful to his mum. My daughter came out to me at 14 and was worried about telling her grandma. I had the same response as arrans mum. Grandma already knows but if you want to tell her she will act as if she’s surprised❤️
Imagine how you feel when you learn that everyone you love already knew something about you before you told them and they never said anything and magnify it by a billion to match what that must have been like for them coming out.
@@portlandsamber That's just what it was like when I came out to my mum! I was young and scared, and already being bullied at school because I didn't dress or act like a "normal" girl, so I was obviously gay... and they didn't even know about my secret girlfriend! XP I was terrified, but my mum just laughed and hugged me, and said something like, "Oh honey, I know, and it's fine! Did you think I haven't seen your haircut?" XD It's been over 20 yrs, and my mum is still very awesome.
Anger! 😡 Wtf!!!!!! I wanted to be a detective growing up. My dad was a police officer and he told me to never get into it because of all the shady shit he had to deal with. Her lost his job for being an honest cop. 👊 Not all are bad. But damn.
This story breaks my heart. My son and I are extremely close and this is my worst nightmare. I pray that she will find out what happened so she knows he’s at peace, because I can’t imagine any scenario would bring her any.
This story breaks my heart. As a gay man myself, I can say that the police's disregard and/or disdain for gay men as reported in this story is far more common than most people would believe. I hope Aeryn's mom gets closer soon. I cannot imagine the pain she must suffer each and every day since he vanished.
The so called "investigation" into this, and the treatment of Aeryn's mother is beyond me, just absolutely sickening, and the review of the police was pathetic. I can't imagine how devastating having to go through all that was for her, and the pain sitting in her life now.
"Prolet" is a low key badword in Austria. Meaning "proletarian, lower class member, peasant". (Not generally recognised as a real insult.) As an austrian the behavior of the Vienna police made me cringe so hard ... :-( How embarassing. And yes, lots of homophobes and xenophobes in my native country.
I vaguely recall a documentary that I saw many years ago, about this gentleman. I don't recall all the details, but I remember feeling so sorry and empathetic as I watched the program.
So interesting to watch you take on a case that took place in my city! I’m at the 20 minute mark and as always loving it so far - just some information about the language issues: Viennese German is standard German - you could compare the different dialects of German (with few exceptions) to different accents in the US, IE West coast vs Texan etc. English as a language is mandatory in schools and nowadays MOST people are relatively proficient but I would not at all be surprised if police officers in the 90ies just did not speak it well or even at all! Also, Viennese police is known for being extremely impolite and rude - so no surprise there either (also Austrian criminal law treats victims as second parties of a crime and by extension their family and friends are seen as witnesses rather than active participants of an investigation that they should relay information to). Unfortunately, to this day they’re also known for being homophobic and I imagine this was even worse 20 years ago.
As a Catholic who also loves Latin, Mass, and had multiple friends who went to Steubenville🙌❤️, I wish I could have had the chance to meet Aeryn. ❤️ I really respect his decision not to join the priesthood and his fierce loyalty to protect others. From what was shared about Aeryn protecting others, I instantly thought of what Chris Kyle’s Dad described as a “sheepdog”. “there are those who have been blessed with... the overpowering need to protect the flock. These men are the rare breed that live to confront the wolf. They are the sheepdogs.” Bless Aeryn for being a protector and being a loving gentle giant. ❤️🙏🙌 My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. 😔❤️🙏
I simply don't know how you find the time to put out all this great content. Not just the best storyteller and researcher, but the variety of cases always keeps me guessing what sort of case you will go for next.
chiming in as someone born in vienna (rn i don’t live in austria but i still deeply love my country) the language spoken in austria is german, viennese is just a regional accent like a boston accent or a southern accent (it does sound pretty different from german but it is still considered german). culturally speaking though viennese people aren’t known for being very friendly to strangers the way americans are so i’m not surprised the detectives didn’t greet the mother, that’s no excuse for how they treated this investigation and it’s very clear to me that there was some homophobia involved. sadly austria is still pretty behind when it comes to civil rights like that. also i’m 100% sure the detectives at least spoke some english, english is taught in schools and they would definitely be able to at least communicate basics to her.
Half of my family is Austrian, and I also have lots of friends there. Not one person I know in Austria, has ever said «our language is German». It’s Austrian. Just like the language in Scotland is called Scottish, and the language of Ireland is called Irish. Although the languages of Norway, Sweden and Denmark are also very similar, they are also called Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. People of a certain age in Austria, grew up with English/American movies being dubbed, so the knowledge of the English/American language among Austrians a few years back, was def not that great.
@@ziggywalsh5562 eh i agree that most austrians consider their language not german but as someone who has lived there and speaks the language the simplified explanation is still that it’s german. austrian german is just a dialect. but i do agree that the scottish parallel is pretty accurate (though whatever most people’s consider scottish is actually an accent not its own language, scots as in the language is apparently still decently difficult for english speakers to understand)
The 3 dislikes are the detectives who are smoking cigarettes while watching this video
😂😂😂😂 This comment
Nailed it! 🎯
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Not THEIR dialect
☠️☠️☠️
If you're running naked from anywhere I can't imagine it would be for anything less than your life. He sounded like a good man who was true to himself. My heart goes out to his mother, his partner and to him.
@Persona Non Grata Europe is a huge place and every country has a completely different culture and attitude. For example, you will find many Eastern European countries are much more systemically homophobic, whereas if this happened in the Netherlands or something there would be a national outcry from both citizens and people in government if news like the police's behaviour in this case got out.
@Jade Oscill But and this is a genuine question, would someone none native to the city know about it and be willing to do it?
Persona Non Grata No, Europe might like you to believe that. They have their own very dark history & it's fairly recent too as you probably know.
My sister made the documentary of this on the ID channel. She met his mother and spent months with her. This is an incredibly sad story. His mother goes to the last spot he was seen every year to light candles. This year was the first year she couldn’t go due to Covid and it was devastating to her. I really hope that one day soon the truth will come out so there can be closure.💛
Ooooo :-(
If he fell in the water his body have to emerge at some point.canals normally have dirt racks to filter debris out of the water. Has anybody looked at unidentified bodies? Are there more gay men gone missing in vienna? What i am curious about is that normally if in western europe someone goes missing especially foreigners and catholic everybody is on high alert.vienna is commonly a safe place to be when gay. When all the prostitutes went missing when unterweger was around they did recognise a serial killer was on the stroll.
Spontanious suicide? Where is the body though. The jealosy about the talent contest is like Kindergarten. Grown men getting mad about loosing a contest, excuse me? Maybe he got not farther than the door to the sauna. Never heard of this case and i live in neighbouring germany.
MelK
I think the worst part (aside the guy “disappearance”) is the police work in the case, the investigation (or the no investigation) and the bad treatment to his mother and friends 🥺 It was inhuman, to say the least.
I knew I heard this story before! I’ve always remembered the part with his mom standing in front of the sauna holding the candle & a pic of her son. Heartbreaking. That has stayed with me. Please tell your sister thank you making such a powerful & a amazing doc for Aeryn & his mom. I believe the truth will come out. Have a good night💜🕯
Your sister did a fantastic job. That was a very well made documentary. Having a son myself and living 20 minutes from Ithaca, this hit me hard. My heart aches for this woman. Such a tragic story. I really hope she gets closure one day soon.
As a choir kid, the scene of him looking someone straight in the face and saying "It's. Called. Vibrato." had me yelling "DAYUMMNN!!" in my kitchen lol
Me toooo!!! I loved it!
Lol
I love how he set someone straight (no pun intended). He sounded like a really cool guy.
I have NO training and even *I* knew that!! 😂😂 i would've burst out laughing!!
SAME!
As a mom of a gay son, this scares me so much. It's heartbreaking that someone could be so cruel over something that doesn't affect their lives in any way. I'll never understand it.
I'll keep you in prayer. 95% at least of my friends are gay or lesbian. I'm straight, but I learned the hard way that the if you're a friend of someone in the LGBT community, you'll never find someone more loyal.
Same, the only concern i have for my son is the homophobic a holes in this world.
you are a beautiful mother love you and your understanding im pan and am blessed to have supportive parents just know that your support mean the world to him!
Thanks for all the kind words. I wish you all love and support in your lives. I hate that some don't experience that kind of acceptance from their loved ones.
It's why I can't watch this...
"Prolet" is a German curse or swearword and it means something like "peasant". It stems from the word proletarian and it is used in a derogatory way.
Thank you for clarifying. I was hoping someone had answered this.
Came here to say this
Dito
I came to the comments just to see the answer for this lol
also in Dutch proleet means like unmannerd person
The way the police treated his mother is so disturbing
Yes! And Stephanie stating this is mom's version, etc was responsible reporting. However, let's assume for arguments sake that half of what mom said was factual. That's 50% too damn much! None of that crap should've been said. So unfortunate.
@@tracyrasmussen8117 literally. Even if all of what was said was mistranslation ( which I doubt ) the hand on her leg, getting in her space, the intimidation tactics. Out of order
Well... that’s exactly how the police works in countries such as Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, etc.
Just wow. They're criminals theirselves! The language barrier shouldn't have been an excuse. Are they still getting away w whatever outcomes they want on crime in Vienna. They've no shame. I'm sorry for your loss kathy. As a mom I'm horrified.
@Eventual Visitor curious were you born in the US?
As the mother of a gay child, I can't fathom her pain. I know I'd wanna burn that city down till I found my baby. Praying she gets the answers she deserves.
Awww! Exactly, it must have been almost impossible for her to leave
Amen sister!!! 💯
Amen. My son is gay. I can’t even imagine.....no words.
Such a tragedy 💔
@@annemariebaird8427 exactly...it must've been so hard for her to leave without knowing what happened to him. My kids think I'm crazy cause I drill different safety protocols in their heads constantly. Like never let someone take you to a second location, fight with every ounce of your soul, scream fire instead of help, and I'll soon be buying them whistles and pepper spray. You really can't be too safe imo.
The only good cop in this story was Aeryn's Mother.
Absolutely correct...seems we watch the same videos on here, dont let the trolls on twky get to u...u have great ideas and they have nothing better to do than pick at u.
Goes to prove Austrian cops are still of Nazi mentality.
Im proud of his mom. Fighting for her son ALONE..
His mother telling his grandmother to act surprised so he could come out to her the way he wanted to was so sweet 🥺 such a little act but it made me tear up
Yes! So true. She's the parent we should all aspire to be...
Same
I could imagine doing the same thing with my Mum n Daughter 🤗🤗🤗
Yes,that one got me too!!
It's so sweet his grandmother must have ment a lot to him
Mr. gay austria, model, speaks latin, dresses nice, athlete, and aspiring catholic priest? I love him
Right!? He sounds like such a smart and interesting person! I'd of loved to have a conversation with him...
The world is a sadder place for having lost him.
Exactly!
I wish Aaron had come to England - we have so many gay priests who are fully loved and accepted
@@antipsychotic451 Wow you really don’t see the irony in your statement at all do you? 😂😂
Quick note: Everyone under the age of like 50 in DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) speaks English however some people are hesitant to speak English professionally, since they don’t want to be liable if they say something wrong. That being said, if you literally do not speak a word of German, they will switch over to English. In 2007 it’s beyond unfathomable that not a single member of the Wiener Polizei could speak decent enough English to talk to Kathy; they were just being a bunch of Arschlöcher.
I don’t agree with this 🤷🏼♀️ I’m German and 30 and I know a lot of people who don’t understand English. 🤔
Arsclockes? Beautiful word. Does it mean arseholes? Because that would be very correct to describe these policemen
@@jenwilson5766 I stand corrected. If you're in a major city like Vienna...
@@mariapalomba1162 yup 💩👌
I am from Frankfurt, major city in Germany, and I also know a lot of people, even my age (around 30) who cannot hold a conversation in English. If you did not go to high school until grade 12/13, which many people do not, you are very likely to only speak very basic English without being able to take part in a conversation. Also, what is this with expecting everyone to speak your language while abroad? I would not expect an US-American to speak German to me while overseas. If you want to communicate and it is important, get a translator. Also, the mother showing an old US police batch to the Austrian police, while not having any jurisdiction, probably came across as very aggressive and unfriendly to the Austrians. They are very proud people and the Viennese especially, a bit snobbish as well.
A „Prolet“ is an insult here in Austria that people use in a degrading way for people of lower classes or for people with poor or no education.
@@rv7788 yes!
Hey thanks! Was really hoping someone in the comments would come through! You rock!
What a lovely man.
I just went through the comments searching for exactly this response! Thank you!
Thank you for enlightening us💕 I knew there would be someone in this special group of people that would know the meaning. Thank You again 💕
This is such a sad story. It definitely sounds like it was covered up. The fact that the embassy didn't do anything really infuriates me. He sounds like he was an amazing person.
Being a mother is a beautiful and most amazing thing ever and also the hardest job ever. When our kids are small we know where they are and we are able to protect them but once they grow up, we worry and love them even more.
I feel like it was a cover up as well.
They were clearly homophobic bigots & didn’t give a shit about this guy & they definitely let it show. It’s very sad, I wish his mum could sue them.
@@thequeenofwitches7943 i
Your embassy will never get involved in something like that...we expect them to help us but they basically press palms, take photos with other diplomatic corps people...pretend to build financial opportunities for their home countries. Actually helping their citizens abroad - never count on them.
Austrian police: “Are you proud your son was named Mr. Gay Austria?”
Mom: “Extremely proud”
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
So sad, sad life and sad end....
@K M ?
@@catherineb196 I think it's word play, that they are using the term 'gay' in it's old context when it meant 'happy' or 'joyous'.
👏👏👏👏
There are many proud Austrians. Heck, they even have an entire PINK Christmasmarket just for it!
I remember this case. It was in the news when I was a teenager in 2007 here in germany. It's horrible how the austrian police treated his mother, so disgusting and infuriating. I hope all of them involved are now retired.
Or fired. The treatment they gave this case, and his mother is horrible.
They didn’t let her have any water, not a tissue for her tears! They didn’t let her use the bathroom! Only when she was throwing up!
Or dead
REMEMBER HITLER WAS FROM AUSTRIA
@@irenestrmnss4496 You're talking to a German. We know, trust me. Doesn't really matter in this case tho, that was nearly 80 years ago and these police officers are responsible for their own actions, they're their very own awful people.
I literally sat here with my mouth wide open, appalled at the treatment he received from these police officers. Utterly disgusted.
And the treatment of his mother! What the actual f?
typical for europe. i know i live here and lived in vienna
@@TacoNoodles1 I lived in Vienna and never made any such experiences, not even close, so no it's not typical. I've not found the people here any worse than USA or other countries I've lived in... still a terrible case.
@@TacoNoodles1 to
@@TacoNoodles1 what a stupid comment
@@natureandrelax3151 That the police here are incompetent? I never said anything about the people. I commented how police in especially Eastern Europe are incompetent , rude, and power sick. Thats just life experience. Youre stupid.
The documentary on this called "Gone The Disappearance Of Aeryn Gillern" is showing on Amazon Prime video as an FYI. Thanks, Stephanie for committing some time to this one and bringing it into our awareness.
Im watching it tonight! Thanks for letting us know!
I've watched it twice. It's so good in a sad way.
As a gay person this is just horrifying to hear, I actually had to quit and stop watching. This is why I’m scared of travelling :( thank you for covering it with love and respect, I can tell.
Well you have friends all over the world now, so let us know where you want to travel and we've got your back!
@Sheetheadsz, I trust that you have read the comments here & have seen the outpouring of love for this amazing poor man, not only that he was gay but also that he was was a wonderful human being.
My heart is with you & it makes me so very sad that you are unable to live your life with abandon, as you so deserve to do.
We do not judge a person either by the colour of their skin or their sexuality but, rather, by the content of their character.
The number of those that judge & hold prejudice are very small when compared to the vast majority of us that are accepting.
I send you much love & strength from Ireland, ❤️
Most European countries are amazing and very liberal. However, always check before going. Governments change and issues arise, Poland is a great example
Just let us know you are traveling and we'll keep watch on your travels and raise the alarm if you find yourself in trouble. Hugs
@@malbowman9789 well said my friend! Couldn’t agree more!!
It’s so sad that his adopted city, that he loved so much, treated him and Kathy so poorly.
This case is so, so heartbreaking. In my opinion, it seems like the only way it will be solved is if new police officers reopen the case--hopefully, the younger ones won't be so homophobic and will actually take the case seriously. It will also be necessary that they're willing to investigate their co-workers and former police officers. This whole thing reeks not just of prejudice but of a serious cover-up.
All cops means all cops.
@Get Real Austrian here. Where in Europe have you been? There are some countries, like Poland and Hungary whwere it's forbidden for the press to cover gay parades, but in most countries there are very strict anti discrimination laws. In Vienna on Pride Day all the official buildings are flying the rainbow flag and the public transport ( tram and bus) have it during the whole pride month. I'm not saying all is perfect for the LGBTQI comunity there are still quite a lot of things that could be better but at least in middle and western Europe it's gotten better, I don't dare to speak for the east though
It really disturbs me that no one from the US Embassy stood with that mom when she went to the police dept. I just don't understand. It almost sounds like someone from the law enforcement family there was involved.
Definitely. There was a similar case in Japan (book about it is called people who eat darkness) and the parents of the girl missing got lucky cause they had a vague connection that made British government contact the Japanese prime minister very publicly, so the police were basically forced to act. They still fucked up but they eventually found the perp and body
Seems it was covered up at a high level.
I bet the embassy didn't provide any input because they are well aware of the appetites of those in power of that area. Heck, they probably didn't want to be outed themselves.
That's what I'm thinking. It's a hate crime and they had it out for him and it's being covered by lots of people in important places. Sad.
"I'll pray." Umm..could you do something constructive.for my son's case while you are praying?
I'm a translator and interpreter, I would never tell anyone they should sign something because I read it and it's fine, wtf? Also, language services MUST be provided if an accused does not inderstand the language, and I live in a third world country, I thought it was the norm in Europe
What languages do you speak (obviously perfect English..)
@@juliesuzanne8011 she speaks English, if you cannot recognize it... troll
It was different era, police was ruled by mafia and the interpreter was scared of her own life as well. You know how the police treated the Aeryn just because he was gay. You dont want a police man to hate you, some of them can be sociopaths / psychopaths as well. Sadly they can use the power they have to make you shut up. :-(
Julienna SK I think you misread Julie’s comment. She wasn’t being a troll at all, quite the contrary. She was asking what languageS, as in plural, the commenter spoke, and seeing as this comment was clearly written in English, she was inquiring about the OTHER languages they spoke given that “spenx09” said they work as a translator and interpreter (thus meaning she speaks multiple languages), hence Julie saying “obviously perfect English” (which was intended as a compliment towards “spenx09”). There was zero trolling involved, just an inquisitive and complimentary comment/question.
@@Julienna different era in Vienna? what was it like?
I cannot imagine the sadness Aeryn's mother felt upon having to pack up her son's home and having to leave Austria with absolutely NO answers and NO help from the police. This case is SO tragic and heartbreaking. I can't imagine how tough it is when your child is halfway across the globe and then you're dealing with his disappearance.
I think he recognized someone high up in the Church at the sauna and they disappeared him.
Wow!! That's the best and most logical scenario, imo..
That's a very possible scenario
I used to live in Vienna and visited Kaiserbründl several times. To me, it is kind of strange for Aeryn going there regularly and even having there a "private cabin". First of all Kaiserbründl is more popular among older (lets say mature) gay men. It is no way a meeting point for trained (sexy) guys like Aeryn was. So, I cannot really understand his motivation going there regularly. Did he have maybe a secret relationship with one of the "important guys" you mentioned? Someone from Austrian church? I spent 7 years in Vienna and I can tell, it is not an easy task being a foreigner there. The Austrian society is sooooo conservative and right wing. And if you are "different", you face racism on a daily basis. It is more a "keep yourself under the surface" society. That is why the incidents Aeron had (like in the metro) and his mom had with the police do not really surprise me. I have been there so many times. Additionally, in Vienna there is CCTV in every corner. And Kaiserbründl is in the 1th district (city center) which is the most valuable neighbourhood. So, I don't buy the story of Austrian police at all. After watching your video I talked to an Austrian friend of mine and he told me that insiders in the gay scene were talking about Aeryn having some sort of involvement in the political matters, too. Do we know what he was doing in UN in particular? I believe he was murdered in the sauna and actually never left it.
Do they have a gym and work out equipment there? Maybe he just liked to work out and then use the sauna area?
@@StephanieHarlowe There is only one small fitness room with 2-3 equipment (more for gay cruising purposes) so I cannot imagine Aeron having a training session there. There are way better options like John Harris gym with sauna just around the corner in the 1th district (very popular among gays). Kaiserbründl is an option for quick sex but definetly not a nice place to hang around. There must be a proper reason for him to pick it. And except some special days (like pride day etc.) there are always a few people inside Kaiserbründl. To be honest, I found it always kind of creepy there (especially the darkrooms). You never know who is inside. I also did not really enjoy the touchy older men who sometimes could cross the line.
@@squenzboi I was thinking similarly to you. I think the fact that he took a hiv test proves to me that he had sex outside of his relationship with his boyfriend. If you are in a monogamous relationship I think there is no need to get regular testing. The only reason why you would test for hiv is maybe when you think your partner could be cheating on you but then you wouldn’t tell your partner “I took the test and it’s negative”. So I think he had some outside relations with some of the older gay men on this establishment and something went wrong there. Maybe he saw someone there who he wasn’t supposed to see there
I don't think getting an HIV test necessarily means that you are promiscuous. I am a single gay man in my early fifties and I'm not wired for having one night stands so haven't had sex with someone else for a few years. I still get tested for HIV every year as part of my annual check-up. Not because I'm gay, but because there are other ways to get it. I know of a heterosexual woman who stopped at an accident scene to help and when she was doing CPR on one of the injured men, he coughed and a tiny droplet of blood got in her eye. She contracted HIV.
A really sad and depressing story today and my heart goes out to Aeryn’s brave mother. Shame on the Austrian police and the appalling treatment she endured at their hands. My experience is that one can experience institutionalised homophobia even in cities that we think of as open-minded.
I went to the police station in Green Point with a friend visiting from London one night to report the theft of his iPad. Green Point is basically the heart of the gay village here in Cape Town and is full of gay venues. Because of this we probably expected that the officers staffing this particular station would be culturally sensitive since they would often deal with tourists from all over the world who chose to come and spend their foreign pink currency here on our doorstep. But we were astounded by the blatant homophobic attitude of the desk sergeant who refused to let us open a docket. The more we tried to explain what happened, the more this "public servant" wanted to know from us if why we were not worried that God was going to send us to hell and how does it work anyway with two guys and it says in the Bible that it is unnatural.
We later heard that the thief was well-known to this very Christian, but totally corrupt policeman and they were part of a syndicate where hot young straight guys would seduce gay men at the various venues into compromising situations and then suddenly take off with whatever they could grab while the victim was prevented from giving chase by the fact that his pants were around his ankles. The syndicate specifically targeted slightly older guys because they were perceived to be more surprised by and appreciative of young, straight-acting hunks showing an interest in them and on average they also had more expensive phones and watches and so on.
I can believe that Aeryn may have been murdered to protect someone high up in the church or the state who was completely closeted. These closeted individuals in high positions can be unscrupulous when they fear that their naughty little secrets may be exposed. Even if that means taking a life.
It is somehow reminiscent of the vile acts committed by the fascist grandfathers of these same bigoted cops with their delusions of superiority in this same part of the world during the second World War.
@David mack I thought the same thing. If this person had the clout to cover a murder why not just offer the victim protection from the cops in exchange for silence? After a dislocated shoulder, I would have.
Please don't leave out clergy. Wasn't Ayron booted/encouraged from seminar for being gay? Wouldn't he recognize higher ups in a place like that? And the crying man's walk through confession (yes I said it) IMO seems like Ayron was walked to that room, maybe with intimidation in mind and... went too far?
Also spontaneous suicide sounds like something clergy would say. IMO that is.
Sorry if I butchered the spelling of the victim's name. Hope his mom gets closer.
They searched under his bed and in the couch? Did they even bother to check the pockets of any pants in the laundry? Oh no, wait, Im thinking of loose change, those are all places you look for loose change, not people.
😂
Right?!? 🙄
I’d seen a documentary a few years ago with his mom telling the story. His poor mom. Thank you for covering this you gave many more details and more quirks of his personality.
You are so welcome! Hopefully we found out what happened to this amazing man
What’s the name?
@@NotSoNormalNerd It’s called, Gone The Disappearance Of Aeryn Gillern
@@andreashields6983 I absolutely love the way they spelled his name ❤
That documentary was really good
After hearing the story of Aeryn's detention by police and the brutality and homophobia he suffered in their hands I'm only left with one thought... The only reason he would have ran out from the sauna naked is if he thought he would be a victim of a hate crime and that his life was in danger.
And if I had to further speculate, maybe he was in an open relationship with his partner and was engaged in some sort of romantic activity in the sauna... Or he saw something he wasn't supposed to see. Maybe a high profile person engaged in such an activity.
The only reason you would run away from someone who approached you in such a way is if you believe they would hurt you. This takes me back to my first point, in relation to the police assault he suffered - maybe he recognised the person as one of the officers from that incident.
Or someone who had threatened him in the past.
I agree with you.
I agree except I think someone was trying to coerce him into doing something and that's why he ran because he said no
Thats what I was thinking! It does make sense that he could have seen someone in power in that place, maybe was threatened? I mean why would he literally be running, naked! Like he dropped everything and ran for his life. And then whatever happened to him was covered up, for fear of outing or whatever, the person in power. That's the one theory that makes a lot of sense to me. The disgraceful police though, the way he was treated in the past by them, and the way they treated his poor mom!! What the actual f*ck!
Maybe the person he had come across in the sauna area was one of the policeman who had treated him so harshly? Maybe he’d recognized him.. or they recognized one another? It’s somewhat common for people who aren’t “out” to behave even more violently.
I just read the end of your comment! The beginning of your comment brought me to the same idea as you.. (I got excited, and hadn’t finished reading the whole thing when the idea struck me)
Those police spent more time over a travel pass than a missing person case thats horrible!
He’s HUMAN, regardless of his “lifestyle “ this man is human. Cops (not all cops) are assholes. This man deserves justice, deserves to be home with his mother (alive or dead), he needs to be HOME! This story breaks my heart as a mother.
@@antipsychotic451 comments like this are the reason why there will be no meaningful change in policing.
You say cops are assholes but then write (not all cops). You are part of the problem we have in this country. Maybe 1 percent of the police officers in the entire United States are corrupt or bad , so why do you automatically put out all cops are assholes ?,when you could of just said the cops in this case were assholes.
@@alinaalfonso2057 the fact that ur more concerned about the phrasing of her comment instead of the absolute reform the police need is the problem. she literally went out of way to clarify NOT ALL COPS and you're still commenting. you're just looking through comments trying to pick arguments. get off the internet if you can't handle people's opinions
Being gay isn't a lifestyle choice. It's how people are born.
"Prolet" comes from proletarian/peasant and is mostly used to refer to someone who is loud, obnoxious, uneducated. Basically a unrefined brute. It's not a hugely offensive term.
Boy, that was a fitting term he chose.
I came to the comment section to figure this out. Thank you
I have to disagree, at least in my Euro country it's considered very offensive, it's an antiquated term used by the rich to diminish and humiliate poor and working class people, which unfortunately sounds like what Aeryn tried to do there. If you use that term in my city on the wrong person you will get your shit pushed in hard, while no one really cares if you use a slur or an f-word.
@@Lesnooch oh my, never heard of it, that's so interesting. What country are you from, if you don't mind me asking?
To my knowledge, “prolet” is slang meaning “lowbrow”... A negative connotation indicating an uneducated person unworthy of concern.
As a born and bread Viennese, I am extremely appalled by how they handled this case !
I heavily leaned toward hate crime due to his orientation but then after hearing this was a frequently gay populated sauna with many high end folks who had anonymity makes me feel like it's where publicly straight men may have engaged in gay activity in secret and Aeryn may have been an item of desire who declined their advances and was threatened. My other speculation is because of their sponsorship and his win, someone may have been jealous and a sore loser. Could be something totally different. Regardless what REALLY happened, this shit is shady.
Speculation.
Obviously. All of the potential occurrences are speculation because, unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever really know what happened. Regardless, shady things happened, a man is still missing, and a mother lost her son.
@@tonydio666 isn't everything speculation when nobody knows the truth?it's more often than not that people speculating leads to the truth or at the very least leads to get others thinking.
@@tonydio666 She literally says it's speculation in her comment so idk what your point is
i'd be interested in knowing whether or not his partner knew about his time at the sauna and if he saw other people
I cant imagine treating a victim’s mother in this manner. None of the timeline makes any sense either. Sending Aeryn’s mother all the peace and love I can offer.
This case has more holes than a colander. I can't imagine losing my son in this manner.
I’m from Austria, near Vienna, and regarding the language: you could compare the difference of “our German” vs. “Germany German” to British and American English. So it’s definitely the same language, just a different accent and some different words, similarly to GB vs. USA
True. Honestly, the Austrian dialect is closer to High German than some German dialects (like Plattdeutsch or Erzgebirgisch (dialects spoken around the Northern Sea coast and the Ore Mountains)
Sounds like a scary place honestly
@@leilaniz5909 It's not a scary place at all, we don't have much crime, etc. Some parts of Vienna, like in any city, I wouldn't go for a walk there at night. But that's it. Also, I don't know why the police acted like this, most policemen/women here are ok.
@@leilaniz5909 yeah, it’s not scary at all. Compared to most parts of the USA, the crime rate is really low. Also, it’s quite a tolerant and LGBTQ+ friendly city.
Sehr gute Erklärung!
Hast mir meine gespart. 😁
Just have to say this: I am in Austria and the research you have done on a case that is on a different continent, in a language you dont speak, is extraordinary! Some of the little details you told I didnt know, and I live here all my life. Absolutely amazing and incredible well done! I am so impressed.
And a „Prolet“ is someone who behaves in an incredible obnoxious way: like drinking too much beer, making questionable jokes, just someone who behaves under a level that is acceptable. Difficult to explain.
That story about him coming out to his grandma and mom is so cute 😭❤️
Def made me smile
I was haunted after I watched a documentary on his disappearance and couldn’t stop thinking about him for weeks after. He seemed like such a cool, intelligent, and dynamic man.
I watched this video in 2010 and it still haunts me every once in a while it pops in my head for no reason and makes the hair on back of my neck stand up.
Man! What's bugging me is why wasn't the US Embassy able to help Kathy out?! Whenever I've traveled abroad, I was always told to go to the US Embassy is anything goes wrong. Not sure what they could have done, but I like to think it could have helped put pressure on the Austrian PD to get more information.
Definitely. I have heard of the from multiple people I know that has traveled a lot. They have mentioned going to the embassy for help in certain things.
From r/German : "Proll" comes from "Prolet", which itself comes from "Proletarier", which originally referred to (wage-)laborers in Marxist theories. You might have heard the phrase "Workers of the world, unite!" In the original German it was "Proletarier aller Länder vereinigt Euch!"
Nowadays, "Prolet" (or "Proll", or "Prollo") is used as an insult for a certain kind of people... Typically male (never heard it used for a woman), low education, probably sexist, racist, and homophobic, probably only has two hobbies: getting wasted and having sex, crude humor, and no regard for other people.
Danke fur die linguistische Hintergrund. I hope we have a world left by the time capitalism is finished.
Please please PUH-LEAZE give us your take on Melissa Platt. It's infuriating how her obvious prolonged domestic abuse murder was dismissed as a series of falls. It's one of the most infuriating cases I've ever heard of.
Danelle Hallan just did a video on her. I have it on my “listen to” list. Never heard her name before but you’ve peeked my interest!
@@StephanieLeigh83 recommend, so sad
@@StephanieLeigh83 piqued*
Very sad case.
@@StephanieLeigh83 It's a great video. Georgia Marie did one a month or so ago. Everyone needs to know about this miscarriage of justice.
I have heard about this case before and have always believed that Aeryn was never in the canal and that someone in that sauna, someone very powerful had something to do with his demise. The redditor's theory is definitely plausible & what I believe happened. I wish for his mother's sake, he could be found & laid to rest. It's sad that in this day & age that there's still so much hate & discrimination towards anyone.
Holding my tears as I listen. He sounds like a special and intriguing person. Such kind eyes and smile. My heart hurts for him and his sweet and determined mother who was treated horribly by the police. They did not take care of her, nor did they treat this case with respect. It screams hate crime and coverup. I hope they find justice and peace.
Incredibly heartbreaking 💔 God bless his mother, she loves her son so very much and seems like an amazing woman who supported Aeryn in everything he chose. Aeryn seemed like he was very humble and kind. No doubt he touched so many lives. His eyes were so kind. RIP Aeryn 💫
Thank you Stephanie for the research and all the passion you put into your channel.
Thank you for being here!
Lmao at grandma pretending to be surprised. That was cute
Sooo cute and sweet!
Everything inside me trembles and screams that police officers did it. This whole story sounds like a manhunt, starting from his escape from sauna ending at this joke aka. investigation/cover up. If someone runs without clothes it's a run for life. The threat was inside that place.
The sauna also had cameras in it. If they asked to see the footage, I bet they would say oh they weren't working that night. 🙄
That’s what I think
Or maybe the cops really had zip to do with it, but didn't find this man worthy of their time to investigate. Ignorance at its finest with that group of LE. Its just so barfy.
I feel like someone powerful was in the sauna & tried to hit on him & got mad that he didn't want to do anything with them & did something to him. There's definitely witnesses that are probably scared to talk.
My thoughts exactly.
Same thought
Them detectives are a joke and don’t have a clue, they need to do humanity a favour and get different jobs.
Yes. I think they threw him in the Danube, after a police officer had murdered him at the bathhouse. Definitely cover up. The police kept making lies the way criminals do. Never a straight story no pun intended.
I love his mom's reaction to his coming out. My son came out a couple of years ago. I knew, as well, and it hurt me that he ever considered I'd be anything but supportive. But even though I knew before he told me, I didn't ask him until HE decided to talk to me about his sexuality. I admit my husband, a very masculine combat veteran, was in denial for a while that his first-born son was gay, though he, too, came around and stands ready to defend and protect our child against bigots at any moment. When I hear of parents who deny their children, turn their backs on them, and reject them when they identify as part of the LGBTQ community, it breaks my heart and I just want to hug them and be their "mom" myself. All children deserve support and unconditional love, no matter who they are.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
My son has a transgender girlfriend. They have been together nearly 15years and he is so lucky to have found her as she is a unique gem. Beautiful and
Kind
My daughter just came out as bi to me last year. She has a girlfriend of 6 months and they are so great together. EVERYONE deserves love and to be loved and to be happy.
@@sheenaalexis8710 absolutely
I just want to thank you for the audio quality. I know it sounds silly but I have a migraine disorder and I often stop listening to podcasts or TH-camrs that are amazing at telling the stories but just become to painful me to continue to listen or able to follow the story. I’m not complaining and I understand it takes time and money but I just wanted to say thank you for always working toward bettering your channel and our world by sharing these stories. 💜
I'm so sorry about your migraines, I know first hand they can be torture. Hope you are well!
Same. Hyperacusis and headaches means very few things are listenable. Fortunately, Stephanie is one of those things ♡
His mom speaking about dismantling his home is so damn sad..
Oh youre so right. Those scenes killed me. I cried the most when she spoke of having to make the difficult decision to part with some of his things. My heart broke for her being so far away from her home- trying to find him- wanting to stay as long as possible - but ultimately not being able to.
:(
I live in Vienna and had just seen a documentary about this recently. I was at Pride this year and asked both guys at the booth for Loewnherz bookstore about this. They both just said it was horrible ,but they didn't give anymore. I said one can't run naked from the sauna to the canal without anyone noticing.
They said they think the mom still comes in October to the doorway of the church. If she does, now that I know I will reach out to her as work just down the street. I feel so bad for her.
I’ve been aching to see someone cover this!! You’re such an amazing woman!! This case needs more attention.
This was a hate crime period point blank.
It's not a hate crime. There is no proof that this lovely man was killed for being gay. It is a very poor investigation.
@@lolas185 police purposefully not investigating thoroughly because he was gay is definitely a hate crime
@@byrnetdown6076 Do you even know the definition of a hate crime or are you grasping for straws?
@@tonydio666 just cause they cant get in legal trouble for it doesnt mean it shouldnt literally be a hate crime but ok? cops just get to dehumanize people because it's part of the job description to not be held accountable but that doesnt mean the ridiculous way they treated this case is okay ? it's homophobic clearly and it SHOULD be a literal crime
Vienna is full of gays, highly doubt it. I think the officers were just generaly uninterested in the case, I think a lot was lost in translation here.
I live on a remote Scottish island where you barely see 500 cars a week never mind every 15 minutes and even I couldn’t run along the road naked without at least 1 person seeing me. There’s something very off about this!!
I was thinking this exact thing myself, honestly. Like you couldn't run through Kirkwall in the buff without all of Orkney hearing about it within five minutes, nevermind the middle of Vienna.
God this is infuriating and heartbreaking. his poor mother and partner... its nauseating how blatantly it was covered up and it seems like there's nothing to do about it
I am from Austria, and this treatment is unheard of! This guy who handeld this case should be hold accountable! I just can say that Aeryn loved Vienna dearly because he could live there unbothered being gay! I saw the Docu Gone where his mom tells his story from start to finish and it made me cry! I feel so bad... but years later good police guys picked his case up again and new witnesses came up (from the Kaiserbründl Sauna) but still it stayed a huge mystery! I am very sad about all this!
I was hoping that people had started talking. I thought Aeryn was not cared about by Police because he was gay and jewish (the way his mom Cathy described his knicknacks in his house as tchatckies).
I wondered if a gay Police Officer was involved, fro. Thr new taskforce. Or, someone related in some way to a powerful person.
What is so sad about aeryn is that he wasbt found to be memoralised and buried by his mom. Taken home with her.
I was so excited when I saw your cameos on the Netflix series based on the Cecil hotel. Congratulations !
No way ! That’s brilliant I’ve missed this !!! Stephanie definitely needs her own Netflix true crime show she is simply the best out there for depth of investigation and making these peoples stories come alive and all dealt with such compassion!! X
How do I find it? Do I just search Cecil Hotel?
The American Embassy should of help his mum or tried to find some one in authority to attend meetings with the police. They intimidated and practicly abused the poor lady.I would not want to visit Vienna after hearing this.
Yeah! What the heck?! Why didn’t they get involved?
No disrespect to people who work at them but American embassies are known for being pointless.
Spontaneous suicide is not a thing. This whole story sounds like it’s from the 70s/80s
Right?!? And a bunch of "investigators" sitting around counting their chest hairs trying to prove who's the biggest man. Barf!
In Poland in times of PRL there were something that sound familiar. "Spontaneous serial killer" So many ppl vanished or were found "suicide " - and totally couldn't, absolutely all facts were mix up. It was well known because the ppl that were missing/suicide were against russia occupation in Poland. Unfortunetly after they move out the old school in politics, police system stayed and it is disgusting.
lol I was alive in the 70s and 80s. That story wouldn't have flown back then either, at least not in the US.
I was a criminology student back in 96. Our Dept was planning on sending 20+/- students to Britain to do a longitudinal study in the year following their handgun ban. I figured going to London for a year or so would be a great adventure and getting my name on a major study would kick off my career.
Well, when British officials found out part of the study was going to be an attempt to standardize the definition of homicide we were totally stonewalled. We were told we were free to analyse government supplied stats all we wanted but we would not get access to any case files.
So goes it in Britain and many European countries. Of course it varies from country to country but, in general, they define homicide differently than we do in the US, they are under pressure to keep the stats low, and, with more of a collective mindset, they are less likely to put a great deal of resources into an individual case.
My guess is that's what happened in Ayren's case. He wasn't from their country, there wasn't an obvious suspect, the body wasn't easily found at the crime scene. This would not be an easy case to solve and they saw an easy out with their BS "suicide" story. No real investigation means no suspect. No suspect means no intent to kill. No intent keeps it off their stats. Unfortunately, him being gay didn't help matters but I really doubt that was a driving factor in them sweeping this case under the rug.
I ended up becoming a forensic psych so I don't work in the criminology field but I do keep up with it and the frustration his mother had trying to get a proper investigation done is not exclusive to his case. It's also the same type of frustration people face when trying to do proper studies on violent crime in much of Europe.
Akin to spontaneous combustion!❤️
I was thinking this the whole time, that it literally sounds like it happened decades ago.
I am sitting here watching this with my kitty, she isn’t feeling well. As soon as she heard Stephanie’s voice she laid her head down and fell asleep. Her tummy is unhappy, instead of running off when she gets sick she runs to me. She is my furry baby.
Take care of that sweet kitty. My tabby, "Cheeto" is my lifesaver. I also feed four ferals. Diva, Blondie. princess and Spot. I love cat people, hoping she feels better I truly do))
I live in Vienna since 6 Years: Prolet is always used in a derogatory way and means lower working class or uneducated :) hope this helps ♥️
I just want you to know that I appreciate you. Even though these stories are hard sometimes.. it's much better for my mental health than listening to the news ❤🤣
Anything is better for your mental health than listening to the news, tbh. It is BAD. Thank you so much Madi!
Love this comment! Thank goodness for my fav true crimers to keep me entertained. I just can’t bring myself to turn on the tv and take the chance of seeing a glimpse of devastating “news.” ✌️❤️
Good for you! It ain’t called PROGRAMIng for nothing. TeLIEvision is nothing more than a tool used to implement mind control.
You can tell he’s sweet by how he’s taking pictures with his cat 🥺 AND that he wanted to be a priest but wouldn’t bc he didn’t want to be hypocritical 🥰🥰
Yes, the picture with the kitten is very telling of him as a person. I´ve always found that men who like cats are extremely kind and gentle. I think it might be because cats are such sensitive animals and you can´t really play rough with them like with dogs so it takes certain qualities to really bond with a cat. You have to be gentle and sensitive to their needs.
Maybe he got into an altercation with someone of high power in the sauna and he threatened to expose there sexuality, maybe even one of the police officers from 2003. Had some so called "friendly banter" and the officer didn't take it well. Also as its an officer it would be so easy to cover up!
Wild speculation with nothing to support it isn't helpful.
@@theoretic7856 Delve into enough crime stories for decades and a common pattern emerges that makes this *speculation* not so wild. Seems there are more cover ups with folks in certain positions of power and *Richness* than not.
@@SimplyJessIsMe It doesn't matter if you study true crime for a million years saying something with absolutely no evidence is always wild speculation and it doesn't serve anyone. It especially doesn't help solve the case. It's tantamount to me saying what if the rich store owner did it because he didn't like the brand of bread he bought. It doesn't help anyone, and worse there is no evidence to support the claim. That's why it's wild speculation. There isn't one piece od evidence pointing to him being killed because he threatened to expose a cops sexuality.
@@theoretic7856 Not so wild. You would have to be an incredibly dense individual to watch this and NOT come to the conclusion that: 1) the police didn't care, AT ALL, or 2) they were covering something up. Blatantly ignoring medical and phone records? And possible video evidence from the sauna?! Lying about procedure that they did not perform? Proposing that completely bogus theory DESPITE medical and phone records to the contrary??? Now that was wild speculation. Just an insult to his poor mother. Clearly they didn't investigate anything (or they don't care about evidence??). Given this, it does become a possibility that the police are covering something up. Why are the police behaving so incompetently and even obstructing the "investigation"? Or they just don't give a shit. And/or they are incompetent at their job...but the entire police force?? The latter becomes a less likely option; surely they must have SOME competent police officers on the force. Unless the entire police force is completely corrupt, homophobic and nationalistic. Even the Viennese citizens state corruption is not a surprising occurrence. Also the author didn't explicity state that it was anyone directly in the police, just suggested a possible coverup with someone of high-influence involved (as the video also suggested): "...altercation with someone of high power....MAYBE even one of the police officers from 2003". Maybe, maybe, a police officer. I say this is a logical possibility based on the case evidence, or lack thereof due to no investigation. Also, have you never heard of legal precendent? Definition: "Precedent refers to a court decision that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal isssues." Circumstances surrounding previous crimes are paramount for judicial decisions and laws. Prior crimes, and particularly the cirucumstances surrounding the crime, play a CRUCIAL role in shaping present day statutes and court decisions. @Jess Trudeau was correct in her assessment and to use precendent as a means to explain a possible outcome. Again, possible. No one is saying this is the absolute truth. Also, fixed patterns of behavior, which become known as habits, can be used as admissible evidence in court. I could go on and on citing examples to demonstrate how narrow-minded and egostistical your comments are (appear to show a lack of insight and willingness to consider ideas other than your own), but I'll stop here as this is long enough already. I'm kind of flabbergasted as to how you would think this possible theory is "wild speculation"..did you not watch the video?!
I think an important question arises: If the police weren't covering something up, what is the motive behind their abhorrent behavior? Other than possible reasons I already mentioned above. I'd love to know the answer to this, but only the police know, and they clearly aren't going to be providing any further insights.
@@SimplyJessIsMe Yes, exactly. You have the right mindset, factoring in precedent to help propose possible theories. Ignore the narrow-minded, egotistical comments from @ Theo Retic
It seriously makes my blood boil. It makes me feel so sorry for his Mom. Her love for him is so apparent. He seemed like a wonderful guy who had a happy life and was going to have a great future.
Viennese here, and first off I'm so sorry of how police treated this case and Cathy especially, it's truly a shame...
I'm just gonna comment on some things throughout the video that with some viennese insight:
- Yes we speak german. Although our german is, in terms of dialect, different from the german they speak in Germany. Every state in Austria has a different dialect, and sometimes I have trouble understanding people from different states even though we're all austrian lol. But we all grew up watching german TV from Germany so everyone speaks "Hochdeutsch" (high german) too.
- Yes every austrian kid grows up learning english. If you don't speak english at the end of high school, you failed high school. ( BUT- I suspect this might have been a different case in the past, I truly don't know if there's a possibility if the cops really didn't know how to speak english... If you've been born in the 90's or later you sure as hell need to be at least mediocre in speaking english.)
- Viennese people are considered RUDE AS HECK in europe. We were voted to be the second rudest City recently (with Paris being Nr. 1), and people were actually outraged we didn't make it to Nr. 1, so that says a lot about Vienna as a City lol. But I must say, Viennese rudeness is considered normal in Vienna, no one acts like they care because we genuinely don't and no one puts up a facade. (Not trying to defend that, it's just facts.)
- Imagine that Viennese rudeness, which already exists between our own people, directed at a foreigner. Disaster is predetermined. Especially with cops. There's an unmatched god complex towards everyone who is not one of them, and I've witnessed this, not first hand, but towards friends of mine who look foreign or have foreigner names. It's free real estate to them, and it's sick. Cops however have always treated me kindly because I'm white, female and speak fluent german.
- Getting dragged off by the ticket guy to the police station? This is NOT normal! I have never heard of that in 25 years of me living in Vienna. The ticket people very well know that they are NOT allowed to touch people. Yes, police can be called if the person who was caught is not cooperative, but even that is usually close to never the case. This is so weird to me, and I've had so many friends of mine being fined for not having a valid ticket.
- PROLET is a derogatory term which derives from the word proletariat, meaning lower- or working class. A Prolet, despite it's literal meaning, is someone who is antisocial, rude, lazy, dumb and not well integrated into "good" society.
- Having had to report a crime myself once in the first district, where this case happened, I can attest to the fact that the inner city cops just... give off this vibe of being extremely bothered by any inconvenience you cause them. Even if you're the one who'se trying to report a crime. A lot of sh*t happens in the first district, and cops literally don't care what's going on anymore.
I just realised how long this comment got, sorry for that, I was drinking champagne while watching this and just gradually added more and more comments as I progressed in the video lol.
Much love from Vienna
REMEMBER HITLER WAS FROM AUSTRIA
That is just sad 😔 all the way around.
This clearly has so much to do with the shotty police work and certain members of the police force not being truthful. It's also very disheartening, being a gay female who felt like I couldn't come out until I was 30 years old, to know that this kind of hate is just all over the world. I hope he is found safely, or at least at all, for the sake of his poor mother.
Yup. My heart seriously breaks for you that you had to hide who you are for that long. I was just thinking how I hope this generation doesn’t have to do that. It’s not fair. I couldn’t imagine if I had to hide who I am. That’s just a basic part of humanity.
@@teresahowick5197 thank you. But when I look at the grand scheme of it all, I was very lucky. I don't feel like I lost anyone in my life because of my lifestyle so I feel extremely lucky about that. Some of my family doesn't understand it because of their religious views, and that's okay. We can still happy family, and they don't have to attend our wedding. I know that's so many people, especially younger ones, still have a hard time feeling like they can be who they are. It's the saddest thing. I hope one of these yours we all can live in a world free of judgment and Hate. Thank you for your words. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
@@CC-xn5xi absolutely! Can't help how you feel!
I contacted that mother several years ago about this case, I felt so bad for her and what she went through. She wrote back to me, and I wished so much someone would have helped her.
I'm SO happy to see Aeryn's story getting out to a wide audience. Bravo, Stephanie!
This is the hardest episode to watch. I'm sick to my stomach with so much anger. I grew up in the Steubenville diocese. Wish I had the pleasure to meet this amazing man.
Stephanie, thank you for highlighting another little-known case. What a horrible waste of a life of a what appears to be a gentle soul, who was both genuine and talented. Am anxious to hear more. Sending out love to his mother, family, and partner.
I feel like the man who showed his mom around the bathhouse while crying knew something, and was possibly there when the argument happened.
Definitely. Something horrible went down.
@@Glitterbeauties agreed. Looked like a guilty conscience confession to me.
Yes. And he's a coward for not telling her.
Congrats on 400k! You deserve every single one and a million more❤️
Thank you so much!
I’ve gotta say Stephanie, that you did an amazing job of telling us about Aeryn and really shined a light on his personality which really drives home what a loss it is to this world. It’s so important to honor the victim instead of just focusing on just the crime itself. Thank you, awesome video.
Stephanie saying "if the kids are watching some stupid show on tv" is the most relatable thing I've heard this year 🤣❤
Catching up on all the videos I have missed! It's like when I first discovered your channel in 2019, and I had so many videos and hours to (binge) enjoy your content. Who is excited for the next few days of work and listening to my favorite youtube channel? That's right, this girl!
It’s nice to see him getting coverage!!!!!
I agree!
This is extremely eye-opening about exactly how world-wide the epidemic of police misconduct targeting LGBT people is. It's scary to think that if anything happened to my gay brother in another country, it might not be taken seriously. Thank you for making this video. I hope that his mother finds justice soon.
As a teenager I went to Vienna in late 90s. My personal experience : loved the city with beautiful architecture, and was shocked by local people’s racism and kind of superiority. Witnessed a numerous situation when white kids were teasing and throwing food at Asian kids. Had a very similar experience on a train. When misplaced my ticket and was petrified by a lady who was checking the tickets. At the end I did find my ticket but she was shouting at me and mum was telling her to calm down in German but was pushed away. As years gone by I almost forgot about it but after watching this video it made me so sad as I can relate a bit to the way they treat foreigners or people of different race. Sad really sad, I hope it’s different now
Wow, for real? Jeez
I visited Vienna, Austria in 2016 and it was nice but at them bottom of my "Best trips abroad" list. Customer service happened to be bad most of the time and a waiter tried to swindle money from my parents at a restaurant. I hope things have changed now but I think this goes on to show that Vienna is not the best option for non-German speaking tourists. Edit: typo
My partner and I visited Austria also a few years ago and even though we didn't have such a bad experience at that extent, I recall a couple of xenophobic hints by the locals, but again, it was not in Vienna but a periferic, small town.
Can we just take a minute to appreciate that Stephanie redoes the intro for Coffee and Crime Time everytime? I know it is the same M.O. but the work that goes on to redoing it every time in addition to the crazy detailed content is *chef's kiss"
So I’ve been binging Crime Weekly and I’m obsessed! I’ve been a huge fan of yours for a long time and legit freaked out when I recognized Derrick’s voice. I’m a HUGE Big Brother fan. So excited to listen to more from you guys!
So glad you’ve covered this case. I’ve read a lot on arrans case and feel for his poor mum whose searched tirelessly for her son. I definitely think that this has been a cover up. Police were so disrespectful to his mum. My daughter came out to me at 14 and was worried about telling her grandma. I had the same response as arrans mum. Grandma already knows but if you want to tell her she will act as if she’s surprised❤️
Aeryn*
Imagine how you feel when you learn that everyone you love already knew something about you before you told them and they never said anything and magnify it by a billion to match what that must have been like for them coming out.
@@portlandsamber That's just what it was like when I came out to my mum! I was young and scared, and already being bullied at school because I didn't dress or act like a "normal" girl, so I was obviously gay... and they didn't even know about my secret girlfriend! XP I was terrified, but my mum just laughed and hugged me, and said something like, "Oh honey, I know, and it's fine! Did you think I haven't seen your haircut?" XD
It's been over 20 yrs, and my mum is still very awesome.
Anger! 😡
Wtf!!!!!! I wanted to be a detective growing up. My dad was a police officer and he told me to never get into it because of all the shady shit he had to deal with. Her lost his job for being an honest cop. 👊 Not all are bad. But damn.
Coffee currently in hand. Best Saturday morning surprise when you post!
This story breaks my heart. My son and I are extremely close and this is my worst nightmare. I pray that she will find out what happened so she knows he’s at peace, because I can’t imagine any scenario would bring her any.
This story breaks my heart. As a gay man myself, I can say that the police's disregard and/or disdain for gay men as reported in this story is far more common than most people would believe. I hope Aeryn's mom gets closer soon. I cannot imagine the pain she must suffer each and every day since he vanished.
The so called "investigation" into this, and the treatment of Aeryn's mother is beyond me, just absolutely sickening, and the review of the police was pathetic. I can't imagine how devastating having to go through all that was for her, and the pain sitting in her life now.
"Prolet" is a low key badword in Austria. Meaning "proletarian, lower class member, peasant". (Not generally recognised as a real insult.)
As an austrian the behavior of the Vienna police made me cringe so hard ... :-( How embarassing. And yes, lots of homophobes and xenophobes in my native country.
Awww, that's sad to hear! Bad people are everywhere unfortunately
@@StephanieHarlowe Bad people and bad cops are everywhere.
I can't even imagine what his poor mother went through
I'm soooo happy you did this case! My heart breaks for his mother. Thank you so much!
I vaguely recall a documentary that I saw many years ago, about this gentleman. I don't recall all the details, but I remember feeling so sorry and empathetic as I watched the program.
So interesting to watch you take on a case that took place in my city! I’m at the 20 minute mark and as always loving it so far - just some information about the language issues:
Viennese German is standard German - you could compare the different dialects of German (with few exceptions) to different accents in the US, IE West coast vs Texan etc.
English as a language is mandatory in schools and nowadays MOST people are relatively proficient but I would not at all be surprised if police officers in the 90ies just did not speak it well or even at all!
Also, Viennese police is known for being extremely impolite and rude - so no surprise there either (also Austrian criminal law treats victims as second parties of a crime and by extension their family and friends are seen as witnesses rather than active participants of an investigation that they should relay information to). Unfortunately, to this day they’re also known for being homophobic and I imagine this was even worse 20 years ago.
Thank you for this!
I thought this case happened in like 2007 tho?!?!
@@mistyxmarlboro It did they are just describing the disgusting austrian police and their horrible behavior
As a Catholic who also loves Latin, Mass, and had multiple friends who went to Steubenville🙌❤️, I wish I could have had the chance to meet Aeryn. ❤️ I really respect his decision not to join the priesthood and his fierce loyalty to protect others.
From what was shared about Aeryn protecting others, I instantly thought of what Chris Kyle’s Dad described as a “sheepdog”. “there are those who have been blessed with... the overpowering need to protect the flock. These men are the rare breed that live to confront the wolf. They are the sheepdogs.” Bless Aeryn for being a protector and being a loving gentle giant. ❤️🙏🙌 My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. 😔❤️🙏
So happy you covered this story. As a mother it is heart breaking, she is an amazing woman...
I simply don't know how you find the time to put out all this great content. Not just the best storyteller and researcher, but the variety of cases always keeps me guessing what sort of case you will go for next.
Visiting Austria is now off my bucket list !!!!
COME TO NORWAY INSTEAD !!!🙋♀️🌍
chiming in as someone born in vienna (rn i don’t live in austria but i still deeply love my country) the language spoken in austria is german, viennese is just a regional accent like a boston accent or a southern accent (it does sound pretty different from german but it is still considered german). culturally speaking though viennese people aren’t known for being very friendly to strangers the way americans are so i’m not surprised the detectives didn’t greet the mother, that’s no excuse for how they treated this investigation and it’s very clear to me that there was some homophobia involved. sadly austria is still pretty behind when it comes to civil rights like that. also i’m 100% sure the detectives at least spoke some english, english is taught in schools and they would definitely be able to at least communicate basics to her.
Half of my family is Austrian, and I also have lots of friends there. Not one person I know in Austria, has ever said «our language is German». It’s Austrian. Just like the language in Scotland is called Scottish, and the language of Ireland is called Irish. Although the languages of Norway, Sweden and Denmark are also very similar, they are also called Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. People of a certain age in Austria, grew up with English/American movies being dubbed, so the knowledge of the English/American language among Austrians a few years back, was def not that great.
@@ziggywalsh5562 eh i agree that most austrians consider their language not german but as someone who has lived there and speaks the language the simplified explanation is still that it’s german. austrian german is just a dialect. but i do agree that the scottish parallel is pretty accurate (though whatever most people’s consider scottish is actually an accent not its own language, scots as in the language is apparently still decently difficult for english speakers to understand)
@@ziggywalsh5562 I say that I speak German. I wouldn't call it Austrian, because it's only dialects after all.