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E213: Iwona Wieczorek
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Iwona Wieczorek began the night of July 16th, 2010 going out with a group of friends. She ended her evening in the early morning hours of July 17th walking home alone. She was caught on CCTV footage at 4:12am not far from her final destination. Just after, she walked off screen… and has never been seen again.
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Transcript
The Unpredictability of Life
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Part of what's scary about life is that something tragic can happen at any moment. That's why some have faith. It's why some live life to the fullest in every moment. It's why all of us value those special moments that we share with others because their glimpses of pure joy amidst the anger, the division, and the chaos around us. To help us through life, we often rely on our parents, on mentors,
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and on friends. But we need the tough love kind of friends around us, not just the ones who say yes to all of our poor decisions, who let us go on in times of need, who let us get in our own way time and time again. We need the ones who will tell us the hard truths, who will make us believe in ourselves, who will say no when we need to hear it, and who will always make sure that we are never alone.
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physically or emotionally when we desperately need support.
The Disappearance of Ivana Victorik
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But on the morning of July 17th, 2010, the young girl at the center of our case this week was alone. She had left on foot and her friends had watched her walk away, thinking she would make it home safely like she always did. They had forgotten in their joyous celebrations of their youth that darkness is all around.
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They had forgotten the chaos. Now, in a world without her, for some, that's all they see. This is the case of Ivana Victoric.
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Welcome to Coffee and Cases where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Allison Williams. And my name is Maggie Dameron.
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We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement. So justice and closure can be brought to these families with each case. We encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, coffee and cases podcast, because as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping keep their memories alive. So sit back, sip your coffee and listen to what's brewing this week.
Challenges in Investigating Ivana's Case
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I want to preface the case this week, one that was recommended to us to cover by one of our listeners, that it takes place in Poland. And I haven't seen much coverage of her case outside of Poland. As such, most of the sources that I read in preparation for coverage of this case were translations of
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Polish media articles. So I hope that the translations accurately reflect the details of the case and that my internet searches for pronunciations also fare me well. Ivana Viktorik was born on January 8th, 1991. After the divorce of her parents, Ivana, along with her sister, had moved in with her mother and stepfather.
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in Gdansk, Poland. Ivana was one of those children who was the perfect mix of independent and dependent
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She was a strong willed girl, not afraid to travel and not afraid to socialize with others. She never knew a stranger, but she was also extremely close with her family and would confide in them if she were ever struggling with anything. She knew how to depend on someone when she needed to.
Ivana's Last Known Activities
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Fast forward to 2010.
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19-year-old Ivana had passed her high school final exams, and she was busy planning her next big adventure to Spain, a trip she affectionately referred to as the longest vacation in her life. Ivana wasn't supposed to return from that trip until October, when she would start her studies at the Maritime University of Gudinha. Sadly, she never began her studies.
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She never made that trip. Instead, on a night out with friends in mid-July, Ivana disappeared without a trace. The following timeline of the day in question comes from an article by Natalie Poholczyk, published on July 15th, 2022. On July 16th, 2010, Ivana told her mother that she was going to go out with friends
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and that after heading the several clubs in Sopot, which was nicknamed the party capital of Poland, she had made tentative plans to stay the night with her friend Adria.
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An interview with Ivana's mother published in the gazeta states, quote, she said she was taking cosmetics, a straightener, and would have fun with her friends at a party, but she didn't know whether she would go home or stay overnight at a friend's house, end quote. The final destination of the night wasn't yet determined, but Ivana knew the evening would be exciting.
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We know, more specifically, that Ivana and friend Adria had decided to go to a party in Sopot, where they were to meet three male friends. Pavail, nicknamed Brevarik, Merik, and Adrienne. An article by Magna Mieszczyk, published on July 10th, 2020, clarified that Ivana had just recently met the three young men.
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The group had plans to first meet up at Paweel's grandparents' home and to eventually head to the party at the club called the Dream Club. So five foot, four inch, blonde haired, brown eyed Ivona, dressed in a navy pencil skirt and blue and white striped shirt, donned her open toe high heel shoes and was ready for a night of fun with friends.
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At 10.30 p.m., the male friends came to pick up Ivona and Adria, and they headed to Paul Vail's grandparents' home. On the way, they bought alcohol. According to Poholczyk, an argument happened while at Paul Vail's grandparents' home because, according to her, Paul Vail was interested in Ivona and
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it was a feeling she didn't reciprocate. I will say I was not able to corroborate the detail of this argument in other sources, so I'm unsure if the argument itself is speculation or fact. Regardless, that same article details that about half an hour later, at midnight, a taxi came to take the whole group
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to the Mondarenka Club. After spending less than an hour there, the group went to their final spot of the night, the Dream Club, and got there at 1am.
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Another detail I only found in the Poholczyk article was that the party at the Dream Club was meant to be only for those over the age of 21, and neither Ivona nor her friend Adria were. Since the drinking age in Poland is 18, I'm again not sure if this detail is accurate. One thing that we do know is that an argument did erupt between Ivona and her friends at Dream Club.
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an argument that led to Ivana making the decision to not stay the night with Adria and to make the walk back home to her mother's house alone, leaving the club at around 3 a.m. The topic of that argument, though, is, again, speculative, though most sources covering Ivana's case suggest only a couple of potential topics. Most
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believe in a singular topic. That the argument revolved around Ivona being upset and knew she received via text about her ex-boyfriend, Patrick. Someone, we believe, texted Ivona to say that Patrick was at a nearby club in Gdańsk with two girls. Even though Ivona and Patrick had broken up about three months earlier, obviously Ivona still had feelings for him.
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It's unclear to me how Ivana being upset at the news of her ex led to an argument with her current group of friends at the club, but many argue that Patrick was the subject of the argument and that because Ivana was so upset, she wanted to leave immediately. From piecing together information from various sources, it seems, however, that this wasn't the argument that took place near 3 a.m. causing Ivana to make the walk home.
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Instead, according to various sources, this argument did cause Ivana to leave temporarily, but that her friends, primarily Adria, were able to convince her to come back inside the club. What that leaves us to question then is whether she were prompted to leave the club alone at 3 a.m. for that same reason or for another reason entirely.
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Since Ivana didn't have any money for a cab, remember that she and Adria had ridden there with three male friends, she set off on foot.
The Search for Ivana
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The ultimate destination of her walk, her mother's home where she stayed, was in the Yalitkovo district of Gdańsk. And it was approximately two and a half miles or four kilometers away. But she never arrived.
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When Ivana didn't return home after her evening out with friends, her mom's first thought was that she must have decided to stay with Adria. Remember that Ivana had been undecided about what she was going to do.
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But with Ivana's phone seemingly turned off and hearing nothing the next day or having Ivana return home, her mother began to worry. It was when Ivana's friend showed up at Ivana's mom's hair salon and asked if she had seen Ivana, that her fears were confirmed. The friend said that he and his friends were looking for Ivana, but she wasn't in any of the places that she would normally be. It was then
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that her mother called family and other friends and found that they had also not seen nor spoken with Ivana. Her mother stated, at that time, it didn't dawn on me that I would never see my daughter again." On the afternoon of July 17th, Ivana's mom went to the police station to file a report.
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It wasn't until about a week after Ivana's disappearance that a few pieces of information that we can verify concerning Ivana's whereabouts were discovered through public surveillance camera footage. Surveillance cameras were able to pick up Ivana through various points on her walk home. Footage that showed Ivana making the trek back home by the end barefoot and carrying one high heel in each hand. But at 4.12 a.m.,
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The cameras caught a glimpse of Ivana for the last time. This final camera was installed near Bachowska and right by beach entrance number 63. Did she turn there and head toward the beach after going off camera? Did something happen to her as she continued toward her home? To get there, though only a short distance away,
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She would have needed to walk a bit longer on the promenade and then through a small portion of Reagan Park. Unfortunately, though there are many theories and have been numerous searches over the years, the answers are, like much in this case, merely speculation. What created the most stir at the time was the second figure caught walking just behind Ivana throughout the majority of her walk.
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a barefoot man dressed in worn blue jeans and a blue and white checkered shirt. He had what looked like a leather strap hanging from his waist and the detail most honed in on, a white towel draped over his shoulder. After a call to the public broadcasting his image everywhere, no one came forward as the man from the video nor with information about his identity. It was then
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that he was given the moniker, Towel Man. By the end of July, a towel was found in a ditch near a place that Ivana could have passed. But just a few weeks later, tests came back that there were no traces of Ivana's DNA on that towel. But Towel Man isn't the only one police were eyeing from the surveillance footage. There was also a man in Bermuda shorts whom police were interested in.
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While those are the only two individuals from the footage that I've been able to verify that police have honed in on in relation to Ivana's case, I did want to go ahead and say to you, Slutowns, that the promenade during this time, although we're in the wee hours of the morning, it wasn't exactly deserted except for these three people. In fact, in the article titled, What Happened to Ivana Viktorik by Marcin Krzyzewski,
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He examines the CCTV footage and provides a slide by slide list of every subject who appears there from about six minutes prior to about six minutes after we see Yvonne last appear on screen at 4.12 a.m. Krzyzewski notes that there are more than 50 other individuals who appear on the camera. He goes minute by minute, second by second.
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detailing items like three individuals walking away from the camera at 40744, an individual pushing a cart at 40848, a taxi drives away from the camera location at 40906, four or five individuals at 41103, and so on. In the middle of this list,
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We see, at 4-12-13, Ivana victorious. At 4-12-14, man with a towel. At 4-12-16, two individuals. But the list goes on. With all of these individuals passing by in such a short time, it makes me feel as though the likelihood that someone attacked Ivana right there is more slim.
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as opposed to someone picking her up in a vehicle from near that location. By August, with still no trace of Ivana and no new clues, rumors circulated that she may have been hit by a passing motorist and her body hidden for fear of punishment. Those rumors mingled with ones that she may have been harmed by a friend after accepting a ride from them. Sadly, though these are merely rumors,
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that's really all many had to go on. Police detectives have been able to add a few more details concerning Ivana's actions after leaving the Dream Club, courtesy of information from her cell phone.
Investigation Developments and Stalls
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Though, according to an article by Rosa Cargenia, published on January 15th, 2024, this additional information wasn't examined until more than a year after Ivana's disappearance.
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Poholczyk details the following timeline of her cell phone activity in her article. At 2.50 a.m. is when Ivana left the dream club. According to this source, her friends again tried to convince her to stay, but were unable to the second time. After roughly 20 to 30 more minutes, Ivana's friends also decided to leave the club. Poholczyk details that Adria took a taxi home
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and the boys had a friend pick them up. From here, I've seen two different reports of what the phone records show. In one version, shortly after leaving the club herself, around 3.33 a.m., Adria, still in the taxi, got a text message from Ivana that said, according to Poholczyk, the following, quote, second entrance to the pier, I'm waiting, end quote.
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It was at this point, Poholczyk goes on to say, that Adria called Ivana at 3.36 a.m. to let her know that she didn't have the money to send a taxi on another trip to Sopot to pick up Ivana. The reporter claims that the girls argued but agreed that Ivana would just go home rather than to stay with Adria but asked that Adria leave her things on the balcony so she could stop by to pick them up. Additionally,
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According to Kharzhnya's article, the cell phone information also revealed contact made to both Pavel and Adrian, in addition to the contacts made to Adria. However, a second account, this one from the editorial staff of Nate Mutt, had Ivana contacting even more individuals and provided even more information.
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According to that article, at 2.56 and again at 3.02 a.m., Ivana texted a friend named Katarzyna. She then texted Adria at 3.11 a.m. with the message, second entrance to the pier, I'm waiting. At 3.31, Ivana texted another friend, Camille, to say, quote, are you alive?
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End quote. Only to get the response, quote, yes, I'm alive. I'm sleeping. End quote. Another text at three thirty three to Adria read, quote, they're harassing me about. End quote. We have to assume that Adria would know who they were since it's not clarified in the text conversation, then
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Just as in the previous account, Adria and Ivana spoke at 3.36 to have the conversation about leaving Ivana's things on the balcony. After the phone call, Ivana again texted Camille at 3.47, the friend who was previously asleep, to say, quote, call me, please, end quote. He texted back, quote, what happened, drunk, end quote. Ivana then tried to call Paul Vail,
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though it didn't connect. What happened just one minute later is what made knowing Ivona's fate harder to determine. You see, at 3.49 a.m., Ivona Victorics' phone died. After these new pieces of information emerged, years would pass with no new information and no new leads to explore.
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Even though the active investigation was discontinued in 2012, random searches have continued in the case. In both 2013 and again in 2017, areas of Reagan Park, the wooded park area through which Ivana would have needed to walk through to get home, have been searched. In those searches, excavators, cadaver dogs, and ground-penetrating radar were used, while some bone fragments and fragments of clothing were collected.
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The bones ended up belonging to animals, and the clothing fragments were not tied to Ivana. Nearly 18 years after Ivana's disappearance and with no closure in sight, in March 2019, the investigation into her case was transferred to the X-Files, part of the branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption.
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Since that time, various theories have been discussed in terms of what happened to Ivana.
Theories About Ivana's Disappearance
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Everything from a hit and run, to death at the hands of a friend, to her ex-boyfriend, to a garbage collector, to towel man, and more. With that said, let's explore a few of the proposed theories. Theory number one, the man with the towel.
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What initially drew attention to the man with the towel is the fact that he seemed to be following Ivana for much of her walk back to her mother's house. He's even seen in the final CCTV footage that we have of Ivana. What's more, because he's barefoot, some wonder whether that choice were purposeful to avoid detection rather than merely because he's staying at a hotel near the beach.
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Many believe that whoever the man may be, that he is not a local because a towel he is carrying appears to be a hotel towel. And since a towel was discovered in a ditch near where Ivana may have walked, that detail only fuels the belief that he must have been responsible for whatever happened to Ivana. Then we add to that what appears to be a leather strap or rope hanging from his waist.
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and the fact that a decade after Ivana's disappearance, and he still wasn't identified, and his image walking slowly behind Ivana nearly the whole way appears quite ominous. However, in 2022, the police released a better quality video of the man. This time, just a few days after its release, a man came to the police to identify himself as the man in the video.
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Speaker
How he had never seen the video before this point, I don't know. Or even with the publicity of the case all over Poland, realized that he had been walking along the same path as Ivana Viktorik at roughly the same time, in the same town, I also don't know. But when he came forward, he claimed that he had never been aware of the video, but explained that he had been vacationing there.
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from Silesia, a region that primarily lies in Poland. After being interviewed by police, the man was cleared of suspicion and released. Reporter Monica Jakonska asked Inspector Marie Diage why he believes the man didn't come forward earlier. Here's his response, quote,
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It's hard to say, especially since his image has been published in the media for many years. Perhaps there were some circumstances that made him see himself on TV only now, or maybe he was abroad. I don't know why he waited so long, or if he waited at all, because we're in the realm of speculation here. However, I exclude his involvement in the disappearance and murder of Ivana Viktorik."
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Theory number two, Ivana is a runaway. Reports came out over the years from a former police officer purporting that Ivana had an unknown dark side. According to the article, what happened to Ivana Victorik, her friends are the key to solving the disappearance case. Quote, According to the expert, there are dark sides of Ivana Victorik's life, which the police learned about later. She had a secret.
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She wanted to share it with her grandmother, with whom she had a very good relationship. A week before her disappearance, she announced that she wanted to tell her something important on her next visit. We never found out what it was about.
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There may be different versions here," said Inspector Marie Thiage, end quote. Further, the article titled The Disappearance of Ivana Victorik, former investigator, she had a dark side. A former investigator said of Ivana that she was, quote, involved in various relationships, end quote. He goes on to say that they found in her apartment an envelope containing a large amount of money.
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Speaker
The reporter then notes about Ivana's disappearance, quote, people don't want to talk about it because the case gained a lot of media attention. People are just afraid on the principle. Why should I be associated with this case? Better not say anything, end quote. Obviously, those reports indicate that Ivana had a side of her that most around her were unaware of. Perhaps then they speculated she had left of her own accord.
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Speaker
Maybe, they implied, she had gotten involved with the wrong people and had wanted to get away. Why else, they insinuate, would she have a large stash of money? My daughter and I love smoothies, but what we don't love are smoothie bar prices. With our BlendJet 2 portable blender, we can make smoothie bar quality drinks for a fraction of the price.
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Blend anytime, anywhere with a BlendJet 2 portable blender. Go to blendjet.com and use the code COFFEEINCASESBLENDJET to get 12% off your order and free two-day shipping. Shop today and get the best deal ever. Some even took this theory a step further and alleged that Ivana had gotten pregnant as a result of one of those relationships and had been paid off.
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maybe out of fear she had left in order to save herself and perhaps a child as well. They wonder if that was what she had planned on telling her grandmother about. Reporter Isabella Alberczyk published Ivana's mother's reaction to those accusations of a dark side.
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Speaker
as well as to speculation of a pregnancy or bribery. She said, quote, if Ivana was pregnant, I'm sure she would tell me about it. We had a good relationship and in such a situation, I would definitely support my daughter, end quote. In regards to the money.
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Speaker
Her mother said, quote, the envelope with money that Ivana's friend saw before she disappeared belonged to me. It was lying in a drawer in her room. Many times I kept money with my daughter to buy supplies for my hairdressing salon. However, this threat has no connection with my daughter's disappearance. Besides, I don't think I have to explain to anyone where I keep my shopping money. That's why I've never explained this topic publicly, end quote.
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Speaker
She ended by bringing up Ivana's so-called dark side, saying, quote, since Mr. Diage knows that the police have some information about the dark sides of my daughter's life, I would really like Mr. Marie Diage to contact me and present these dark sides to me. I don't know anything about it. The police from the X-Files with whom I have been in contact since they've been investigating
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Speaker
have never told me about anything like this or even suggested it." Her mother feels instead that those close to Ivana, her friends, know more information than they're sharing. To be fair, it wasn't just Ivana's mom who doesn't believe the runaway theory nor the speculations.
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Speaker
The article, new information about Ivana Viktorik, mother of the missing person, my version is confirmed, published January 29th, 2020, notes the following, quote, a reporter of the alarm program on TVP reached to neighbors who claim that they heard an argument between a teenager and her friends. Meanwhile, the police did not request the surveillance footage until two weeks later when newer material was recorded on the media.
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Speaker
The journalists also talked to the teenager's teacher. The police arrived at the school two years after the disappearance of the Tri-City resident, but the teacher had not been questioned yet." Here's what the teacher said when she was
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finally interviewed. Quote, I don't think Ivana could have run away. She had no reason to do this. Her character was completely different. She would have no reason to run away from home. The way things were between her and her mother couldn't have made her do it at all. End quote.
Suspicions Around Ivana's Friends
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That leads us to theory number three, a friend. When those who believe this theory speak of it, it isn't all of Ivana's friend group whom they mention, just
00:32:17
Speaker
Instead, one, Paul Vail. Over the years, Paul Vail's home has been searched several times, as well as his grandparents' home, where the group had partied before going to the clubs that fateful night. That was by the time police checked it, according to one report, quote, perfectly clean and quote, sparkling.
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Speaker
Paul Vail has been detained and charged over the years, most recently in December 2022, with tampering with evidence. It is believed that Paul Vail logged into Ivana's personal computer and erased some files before the computer was turned over to police. And it is also believed that Paul Vail impersonated Ivana's mother, suggesting that Ivana was in a brothel somewhere abroad.
00:33:13
Speaker
However, Paul Vail has never been charged with any more significant crimes related to Ivana's disappearance. The article, What Happened to Ivana Viktorik?, Her Friends Are the Key to Solving the Disappearance Case, argues the following, quote, former director of the Criminal Bureau of the National Police Headquarters, Inspector Marik
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Diage, said in an interview with PAP, quoted by the Fact24 portal, that the young woman's friends are the key to solving the case of Ivana's disappearance. The circle of people who revolved around Ivana Victorik was checked too leniently, too shallowly.
00:33:54
Speaker
It is necessary to take them under the microscope. And let me put it colloquially, break a bit on the testimonies, on inaccuracies, on information gaps," said the retired police officer, end quote. The officer may be referring to Pavel's alibi of being at home with his grandparents when Ivana went missing. Of that alibi,
00:34:21
Speaker
Inspector Marik Diage said to reporter Monica Tchaikonska. In the article, Did Ivana Viktorik know her killer? A former policeman comments on the disappearance case, quote, as of today, he has it. Nothing has changed in this matter. However, he was afraid of something and his actions related to covering up the traces and obstructing the investigation prove this. Currently, however,
00:34:50
Speaker
His alibi is irrefutable, but that may change." To play devil's advocate, Ivana's friends were only around 19 at the time. Many wonder not only whether individuals that young would be capable of disposing a body and or erasing a crime that thoroughly, that no one would find a single clue in all of these years.
00:35:15
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But also whether if one were responsible and the others knew about it, whether they would have been able to keep it a secret that long, quote, most likely as police officers, we made a mistake and something was overlooked. I don't believe that a person who was 20 to 25 years old at the time planned the murder so cleverly to cover all traces. There's no such possibility, end quote, said the former director of the police headquarters crime bureau.
00:35:46
Speaker
Inspector Marik Diage, who handled the case. And this, according to that same article I've quoted by Monica Chikonska. Additionally, as stated earlier, Pavel's home and his grandparents' home, including the garden, have been searched thoroughly every square inch. And no evidence has been found that can be linked to Ivana. And it seems his alibi has been backed up by cell phone pings
00:36:14
Speaker
and by the testimony of his grandparents. Despite those, some still argue that the cell phone could have been left at the home and it's possible he climbed out of a window after arriving home. Of the accusations, Paul Vail's grandmother recently spoke for the first time to the media. Here's an excerpt from the interview from April 25th, 2023 with Nikolai Podolsky. Podolsky,
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Speaker
What's your grandson like? Grandmother. Wonderful. Beloved. He never spoke out. He was never rude. Podolsky. Have you talked about Ivana before? Grandmother. He never mentioned her. Podolsky. Do you remember Pavel's return? Grandmother. I know he opened the door and entered. It was around four o'clock. Podolsky. Was he 100% alone?
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Speaker
Grandmother, yes, of course. He never brought anyone here anyway. And then I opened the door and he was already asleep. Everything was turned off. Podolsky, did you hear any noises at night? Grandmother, no. Paul Vale knew that we were sleeping and had to be quiet. Podolsky, some people suspect that he may have jumped off the balcony. Grandmother, he never even tried to go down that balcony in his life.
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Speaker
Podolsky, what do you remember from the next day, Saturday? What was this morning like? Grandmother, I don't remember what that Saturday was like. I don't remember anything disturbing from that day. I can't say whether he came for dinner then. Podolsky, were you surprised that Paul Vail got up early and went out? What did he say then? Grandmother, he said he was going to look for a friend.
00:38:03
Speaker
For me, it was nothing strange. I haven't seen a problem with it yet. He wasn't at home all day because he was looking for that Ivana all day long. We were only on the phone. He said everyone was looking for her, but she couldn't be found and no one knew what happened. Podolsky, what were the next days like? Grandmother, he looked for her all day long. Podolsky, when you were interrogated, did you have to go to the police station or were the activities carried out in the apartment?
00:38:34
Speaker
grandmother. This is where they came. I opened the door and there were three policemen standing there. I was terribly nervous. I didn't think at all that they came to Pavel for things. They asked if there were such things and I said he had pajamas on the couch. Then
00:38:50
Speaker
He got dressed and went. I told everything truthfully. What I saw, there was also a search of the apartment. Podolsky, were you afraid that Paul Vail would be locked up? Grandmother, no, that was out of the question completely. Podolsky, was he worried about it then? Grandmother, no, never.
00:39:12
Speaker
Podolsky, in those first days, did you think that Ivana would be found soon? Grandmother, yes. After all, her face was hanging on every pole. They even dug up the beach and they drained the water from the pond on our plot to see if Ivana was at the bottom. They wore suits and white gloves. I thought it was a joke then that this can't be real. But it was his grandmother's final words in the interview that caused so much pain for Ivana's mother.
00:39:41
Speaker
When Podolsky asked if Pavel's grandmother prays for Ivana, she responded, quote, not for her, because she's the one who caused all this hell. If she had walked normally with the boys, they would have accompanied her. But first she started throwing herself and then she decided to go alone and that was it, end quote. Perhaps though, she was merely speaking from pain.
00:40:08
Speaker
the accusations being leveled at her grandson, Paul Vale, since despite numerous searches, surveillance, and even wiretapping, nothing had yet been found to link him to Ivana, despite the speculation. The thought that keeps lingering for many, though, is why he may have done what he is accused of doing with the obstruction charge. If he's not guilty,
00:40:35
Speaker
what might have been so important to delete from her laptop, and why impersonate her mother. In the final search of Paul Vail's home, police confiscated his phone, as well as several memory cards, Paul Vail alleged to the media. Regardless of a direct connection to Ivana's disappearance, Ivana's mom feels that her friends are, even if only in some small way, responsible.
00:41:04
Speaker
She told one reporter, quote, I thought Ivana's friends were real, but it turned out that she went alone in the middle of the night. Nobody stopped her, end quote. Theory number four, Ivana's ex-boyfriend, Patrick, or someone related to him.
00:41:27
Speaker
The theory that Ivana's ex-boyfriend could be involved in what happened to her was actually, along with the Paul Vail theory, one of the more prevalent ones. The text Ivana had received that upset her so much had been, remember, about Patrick being at a nearby club with two other girls.
00:41:47
Speaker
Was she hoping to cross paths with him on her way home since many accounts indicate that the club where he supposedly had been was one near Ivana's mother's house? What's more, several sources mentioned that Patrick's testimony had, quote, a lot of inconsistencies, end quote.
00:42:08
Speaker
On the other hand, again, we do need to remember that Patrick has never been charged with any crime and inconsistencies in his testimony could be explained by his level of alcohol consumption. However, there was one detail worth mentioning that was brought up in a book about Ivona's case by investigative journalist, Janusz Szostak.
00:42:35
Speaker
A former analyst for the police headquarters told Shostak information as it relates to the Patrick theory and outlined in Monica Tchaikovsky's article that, quote, a week before she disappeared, Ivana was allegedly beaten in Reagan Park by Patrick's friends. Moreover, Patrick claimed that he had met with friends on the fateful night, but that he had returned home around one o'clock.
00:43:05
Speaker
and when asked if he had been at the club that evening, he denied it. It turned out that he was lying. During subsequent interrogations, he admitted that he was actually driving around the city with his friends until the early morning hours." Could those friends who had allegedly attacked Ivana before have been the ones referenced in her text to Adria that,
00:43:35
Speaker
They are harassing me." The police analyst has also kept this theory alive by implying that Patrick's phone, despite the initial claims that he had been at home, had been pinging near Reagan Park and he disappeared for three days after Ivana's disappearance.
Speculations on Sex Trafficking
00:44:02
Speaker
Theory number five, Ivana was the victim of sex trafficking. This theory is explored in the article, What happened to Ivana Victorik? We remind you and check the breakthrough announced by the Ministry of Justice saying, quote, shortly after the disappearance of the 19 year old.
00:44:19
Speaker
A website was created where people could report information that might be helpful and present their own amateur findings. In the fall of 2010, an anonymous internet user posted the following entry. She is in Hamburg in a brothel. Please look for her there. She is in Hamburg in a brothel. This is not a provocation. It was an overheard conversation. She is in Hamburg.
00:44:45
Speaker
If your mother cares, she will do everything to search every brothel in the city and put those responsible for it in jail. She may already be in another city, but she went to Hamburg to a brothel. There is a group in Tri-City that will abuse girls." End quote.
00:45:05
Speaker
The article continues by mentioning that investigative journalist and author, Janusz Szostak's findings revealed that the quote, police files also contained a testimony according to which a 19 year old woman from Gdańsk was sold to a brothel in Hamburg for 140,000 euros, end quote. However, despite extensive exploration of this theory, nothing concrete has been found.
00:45:35
Speaker
Theory number six, garbage collectors were responsible. CCTV footage caught a garbage truck going by at 3.38 a.m. on the morning Ivana disappeared and caught sight of the truck at beach entrance number 63. On the video, there are clearly three men inside the truck. One of the men had gone to the police to say that he had seen Ivana on the morning of July 17th, 2010.
00:46:04
Speaker
He told them that all of them in the truck had seen her because she was beautiful. However, when the other two men were asked about the sighting, both denied ever having seen Ivana that morning. Some wonder if these men had been the ones harassing Ivana, as she mentioned in that text to Adria. The article, The Case of the Disappearance of Ivana-Victorik, 40 witnesses were tested with a polygraph and all of them lied.
00:46:33
Speaker
explained that the garbage truck should have finished with its route and been headed back to base in Gdańsk by 4.05. But instead, at 4.58 a.m., it is seen on surveillance video near Reagan Park and only two men are seen inside the cab. The third man at this point is inside the back with the garbage.
00:46:59
Speaker
Some argue that in the image that is captured of the man in the back of the truck, they believe they can also make out what looks like Ivana's face among the rubbish. In contrast, the prosecutor's office claims that the garbage collector's testimonies have been analyzed and that they are not connected with the case. Theory number seven, Ivana was the victim of a crime of opportunity.
Crimes of Opportunity and Krystek's Involvement
00:47:30
Speaker
Those who give stock to this theory point out that Ivana was likely intoxicated and was alone, walking home by various clubs and potentially through wooded areas where anything may have happened. Could someone have harmed her and disposed of her in the ocean? However, if that were the case, because the Tri-City is in the Bay, if Ivana had drowned or been dumped in the ocean, she would have either resurfaced or been found by dive teams
00:48:00
Speaker
who had searched those waters thoroughly. Also, as mentioned earlier, the promenade was quite busy even during those early morning hours, making it likely that someone would have seen something. That is, unless it happened as she entered the less populated and wooded Reagan Park. Theory number eight.
00:48:25
Speaker
Then we have the fact that Ivana may have been hit by a car or have been the victim of another accident that someone tried to cover up.
00:48:35
Speaker
In the article, What Happened to Ivana Victorik?, we remind you and check the breakthrough announced by the Ministry of Justice. They mentioned a comment made by someone in an intranet forum about Ivana's case who wrote the following, quote, I live in the same housing estate as Ivana Victorik. That day, I was going to catch the train around seven in the morning. I passed by her block, and then I walked past Biadranka to the stop in Charni Dvor.
00:49:05
Speaker
And while waiting for the lights to change, I noticed a large blood stain on a pedestrian crossing. I looked for a dog, but there were no animals run over." She went on to add, quote, I didn't live permanently in Poland at the time, but when my parents told me about the disappearance, I told them about the blood. But she said she had not thought about reporting it to the police, end quote.
00:49:34
Speaker
whether what she saw was anything related to Ivana's disappearance. We don't know. A final theory many have considered is theory number nine, that Ivana's disappearance is somehow related to the activities of Christek, called the Teenage Hunter, and often associated with the Zatoka-Stuki building across from the strip of beach on which searches for Ivana were completed.
00:50:03
Speaker
Christek was charged with more than 40 crimes related to rape, attempted rape, intercourse with minors, and persuading minors into prostitution for his own profit. He would allegedly lure his victims in with promises to be famous, to meet famous people, and to get jobs in his clubs. Instead, he would record his sexual exploitation of them and then blackmail them with it.
00:50:31
Speaker
Investigators confiscated more than 100 recordings documenting these acts with minors. He was pinned with 65 total charges. So how does all of this connect with Ivana's case? Especially since at the time she went missing, the Zatoka, the club most associated with Krzysztyk, didn't exist yet. Well, purportedly, in two separate ways, it's connected.
00:50:56
Speaker
First, I read that the Dream Club, where Ivana and her friends parted ways, was managed by the same person who went on to create the Zatoka. So many wonder if the same assault and activities were going on before Zatoka at the other clubs associated with the same individuals.
00:51:17
Speaker
Second, several of my sources also said that Ivana's new friend, Pavel, was also somehow associated with those individuals, and it's speculated may have even introduced Ivana to Krystek. But it seems getting close to this answer might be harder than any of the other theories.
00:51:40
Speaker
You see, there are several individuals associated with calling out Christach or with protecting his victims, who have been the victims of suspicious events themselves. To illustrate, a local small parish vicar, Father Christoph, was said to have been helping two victims of pedophilia associated with Zatoka.
00:52:01
Speaker
Those two victims, it is said, overheard Ivana Viktorik arguing with a, quote, well-known businessman, end quote, who was later associated with Zatoka before she went missing. However, as part of the protection of the girls, Fr. Christoph never told anyone their names. So when he died, two days after celebrating the 20th anniversary of his ordination as a priest of what was ruled a suicide,
00:52:31
Speaker
The connection with Ivana and any information he had of the girls died with him. Still others were threatened or intimidated who fought to establish a link between Zatoka and Ivana-Victorik. In all, around 300 people were interviewed in regards to Ivana's disappearance and approximately 40 people, most of whom were Ivana's friends, have been subjected to polygraphs.
00:53:00
Speaker
portions of Reagan's park, beaches, ponds, and even sewage manholes have been searched, all turning up nothing. What Ivana's mother's mind keeps going back to, though, is that none of Ivana's friends seem to remember the exact details of the argument they had at the club just before Ivana left. Could those missing details provide any information that would help the investigation, she wonders.
00:53:28
Speaker
Sadly, while Ivana's mother and those who love her are still more than 20 years later reeling from grief, there are those who have exploited their pain by using photos of Ivana to create a deep fake video for TikTok. The video shows an AI-generated image of Ivana saying, quote, you do not recognize me. I am Ivana Viktorik. Today, I will tell you my story.
00:53:55
Speaker
and she goes on to ask followers to give their own speculations. Ivana's mother told fact newspaper, quote, why would anyone make fun of a human tragedy? End quote. For these reasons and others, Ivana's mother has continued to feel her daughter's loss despite the passage of time.
Ivana's Mother's Grief and Documentary Plans
00:54:17
Speaker
When reporter Magna Miesznick asked if time had soothed her pain, Ivana's mother responded with the following, quote,
00:54:26
Speaker
The grief in my heart and the helplessness are even greater than in the first days of Ivana's disappearance. I was active then. We were constantly organizing searches and putting up posters. At this point, even though a lot has been done on this matter, I still don't know anything. There's just a lot of noise." When Mijnik asked why she still speaks of Ivana in the present tense, her mother said, quote, she's with me all the time, next to me.
00:54:56
Speaker
At work and at home, I feel her behind my back. Then I'm convinced that she'll be found soon. Sometimes a butterfly flies into the living room and I think, oh, Ivana, what are you doing here? I guess that's why I speak in the present tense. But I'm kind of fooling myself in this way. I'm aware that I will not see her again. The only thing left is to find the body. Sometimes I just think, maybe not. Maybe she is alive after all.
00:55:27
Speaker
There's always a minimal chance." There's still some small fragment of hope that her mother holds close to her heart. Perhaps her hope may grow slightly as Netflix is to produce a documentary on Ivana's case, and perhaps that coverage will help maintain focus on her disappearance.
00:55:52
Speaker
Interestingly, several of Ivana's friends have decided not to participate, but still Ivana's mother holds out hope. She refuses to declare Ivana legally dead despite her ability to do so with the passage of time. She added that she would at least need to have Ivana's clothes that she was wearing that night to admit her loss. She must have something that she can put in a coffin.
00:56:18
Speaker
I'd like to end with the words of Ivana's mother. As she shared them in the article, let me tell you what suffering means in the mental and physical sense, by Angelica Juebada. Quote, I will tell you what suffering means mentally and physically because now my health is starting to fail.
00:56:39
Speaker
I know suffering on all sides. I experienced them when Ivana was younger because there are always problems with raising and educating a child, and I'm experiencing it today when Ivana is gone. Does this suffering become less each year? It's growing.
00:56:57
Speaker
Although I must admit that for almost eight years I've become somewhat accustomed to the fact that my Ivana is not here. Only sometimes I wonder if maybe she's somewhere in the world or maybe even in the next world. Then my husband looks at me and asks, what will you do if Ivana suddenly comes back? I also still wonder how it is that a girl just disappears when she walks along the promenade, which she knows very well because she's lived here all her life.
00:57:28
Speaker
She often walked the eight kilometers from Sopot to Zaspen back, was my dog to my place of work. She went missing in her area. When she was nine years old, I sent her to her first summer camp to Denmark. I wanted her to be independent. She was happy. After that, she went somewhere every year. She really knew how to find her way in a foreign city. Nothing ever happened to her on these trips.
00:57:58
Speaker
It happened in front of the house." Sleuthhounds, I know this case takes place halfway around the globe, but it doesn't mean that we can't still do our part. Please consider sharing Ivana's story.
00:58:17
Speaker
Again, please like and join our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast to continue the conversation and see images related to this episode. As always, follow us on Twitter, at casescoffee, on Instagram, at coffee cases podcast, or you can always email us suggestions to coffeeandcasespodcastatgmail.com. Please tell your friends about our podcast so more people can be reached to possibly help bring some closure to these families. Don't forget to rate our show and leave us a comment as well. We hope to hear from you soon.
00:58:46
Speaker
Stay together. Stay safe. We'll see you next week.
00:59:10
Speaker
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Speaker
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