Missing Person Alert

Circumstances

Date of Disappearance

October 29, 2007

Notes

The 47-year-old Aeryn Michael John GILLERN left Vienna-Innere Stadt on October 29, 2007. He was 185 cm tall, athletic, completely bald. Aeryn was the son of an American mother and a German father. In 2002 and 2006, he was nominated for "Mister Gay Austria." He had an MA in Thology and Christian Ministry and another MA in International Relations. In September, 2007, he flew back to Cortland, New York for ten days to visit his family . His mother was planning to sell her home and move to Vienna with her son. Aeryn arrived ahead of her and called his mother for the final time on October 27, 2007. The final sighting was on October 29, 2007 where he was a guest at the Kaiserbrundl Sauna, a popular gay hangout. He left his things in a sports backpack in locker #5. At 7:00pm (19:00), he came out of the sauna naked with only the slippers on his feet. The waiter thought he was searching for a fresh towel, but Aeryn walked past, went through the building hallways, and ran outside. Outside, it was dark and cold. A bartender noticed him on his surveillance camera but he was gone when the man got outside. His slippers were found in front of the Franciscan church, only 15 meters away. There were rumors that he was involved in an argument between locals and tourists, but this has not been verified. Police believe he committed suicide, walking from Weihburrggasse to Schwedenplatz before jumping into the Danube Canal. It is unclear why they believe this to be true and his mother strongly disagrees. There are no witnesses and it does not seem to match his mental state at the time. Their reasoning was supposedly that he found out he was HIV positive, but his partner said he had just taken a test a few days prior and the results were negative). He was the one who suggested his mother sell her home and move with him to Vienna. His laundry was still spinning in his washer, his home was immaculate, he had bought plane tickets for visiting Zurich two months later. He left backed Rice Krispie treats on the table that were meant for his colleagues. He had been with his partner for eight months. Friends and family did not notice any emotional distress. He would have had to walk along several brightly lit and populous areas before reaching the Danube and no witnesses have come forward. She claims the police were biased and failed to treat the case professionally due to Aeryn's sexuality.

Location of the Disappearance or Crime Scene

Sauna

Potential Circumstances

Busy Location, Foreign Resident, International Student, Mental Instability or Injury, Night, Prior Unusual Behavior, Traveling Abroad, Walking

Vehicle

License Plate

Photo of Vehicle

Suspect

Suspect Description

Photo of Suspect