It's a FAKE: Distressing viral video that allegedly showed missing girl bound and gagged in a basement is not real

  • Fifteen-year-old Kayla Berg, of Antigo, Wisconsin vanished in 2009
  • Authorities were alerted to the YouTube video within the past few days
  • The video shows a man talking to the camera about his new girlfriend, then shows a bound female, crying
  • Berg's mother says it 'sounded like her, looked like her. It gave me chills' 
  • Police say they have determined the video is a fake and the woman is an actress 

Wisconsin Police say a disturbing video of a bound and gagged woman who looks like a missing teen is actually fake.

The clip, which showed a woman apparently being held hostage by a man, captured the attention of police as well as the internet, and some thought the 'victim' was Kayla Berg, who vanished in 2009. 

The Antigo Police Department updated its Facebook page early Wednesday morning to say: '[We] have been investigating the Hi Walter, its Patrick, I have a new girlfriend video that was on youtube.com. 

'The Antigo Police with the help of another law enforcement agency has been able to identify that this video is 100% fake and was a video that was produced to be placed on youtube.com. 

'The Antigo Police Department has identified the video producer/camera man, actor and actress in the video. THIS VIDEO HAS NO CONNECTION TO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF KAYLA BERG. Thank you to everyone for their assistance in this investigation.'

Authorities in Wisconsin were asking for public help to determine the origin of a disturbing video posted online in 2009 that some believed may shown a missing girl tied up in a basement.

The video, titled 'Hi Walter, I got a new gf today!' posted by the user 'Hi Walter, it's me, Patrick!' shows a man talking to the camera about his new girlfriend, then shows a female, apparently bound, in a small bathroom crying.

Fifteen-year-old Kayla Berg, of Antigo, disappeared a couple of months before the video was posted in 2009.

Fifteen-year-old Kayla Berg vanished in 2009. Authorities were asking for public help to determine the origin of a video posted months after she vanished

Fifteen-year-old Kayla Berg vanished in 2009. Authorities were asking for public help to determine the origin of a video posted months after she vanished

The video, titled 'Hi Walter, I got a new girlfriend today' shows a man talking to the camera about his new girlfriend

The video, titled 'Hi Walter, I got a new girlfriend today' shows a man talking to the camera about his new girlfriend

The video then shows a girl bound on the bathroom floor. Kayla's mother said it sounded and looked like her daughter

The video then shows a girl bound on the bathroom floor. Kayla's mother said it sounded and looked like her daughter

The man says he found a new 'girlfriend' at the mall and then there is the chilling sound of a woman screaming from the bathroom

The man says he found a new 'girlfriend' at the mall and then there is the chilling sound of a woman screaming from the bathroom

The man then walks into the bathroom and slams the door shut - there are keys hanging from the keyhole in the door 

The man then walks into the bathroom and slams the door shut - there are keys hanging from the keyhole in the door 

The Antigo Police Department updated its wall around midnight on Wednesday to reflect that their investigation showed the video is fake and the woman in it isn't Kayla Berg

The Antigo Police Department updated its wall around midnight on Wednesday to reflect that their investigation showed the video is fake and the woman in it isn't Kayla Berg

Police say she had been dropped off by an acquaintance in front of what she said was her boyfriend's house, but may have been an abandoned house, in Wausau before she vanished. 

Berg's mother, Hope Sprenger, told WAOW-TV in Wausau that she watched the video.

It 'sounded like her, looked like her. It gave me chills,' Sprenger said. 'Disturbing. It made me sick to my stomach.'

Antigo Police Chief Eric Roller told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he was recently made aware of the video through a citizen tip, although it was posted seven years ago.

Kayla Berg, above, disappeared in 2009 - 'I pray to God it's not' says her mother about the sick video which just came to the attention of authorities despite being posted in 2009

Kayla Berg, above, disappeared in 2009 - 'I pray to God it's not' says her mother about the sick video which just came to the attention of authorities despite being posted in 2009

'There are some similarities. It could be real and it could be staged. We have to take it seriously,' Roller said.

The video had about 940,000 views on YouTube before it was taken down Tuesday.

'The positive thing is getting Kayla's name back out there. The negative is that the family has to relive another lead,' that may not pan out, Roller said.

For Sprenger, the video refreshes a nightmare that began seven years ago.

'I thought it looked a lot like her,' she said. 'I pray to God it's not.'

In the video, creepy music can be heard as a man with dark hair and glasses says to the camera: 'Hi Walter, I was at the mall today and guess what happened? I met the most wonderful girl. 

'We went shopping at JC Penney and she tried on a lot of clothes... And then we got kind of tired in the mall and I brought her back to my place.

'I know she hates cameras, Walter, but I'm going to show her to you anyway. You ready?'

That's when he walks to a grimy white bathroom door, opens it, and the dark-haired girl on the floor, who appears to have her hands tied and her mouth gagged, screams 'Why are you doing this?'

Kayla's mother, Hope Sprenger (here with Kayla) said the woman in the video 'sounded like her, looked like her' but the police have determined the woman is not missing Kayla

Kayla's mother, Hope Sprenger (here with Kayla) said the woman in the video 'sounded like her, looked like her' but the police have determined the woman is not missing Kayla

'It gave me chills' Kayla Berg's mother told WAOW of the video, and she also noted that the clothes the woman in the video was wearing appear similar to what Kayla had on when she disappeared - jeans and a red spaghetti strap T-shirt 

'It gave me chills' Kayla Berg's mother told WAOW of the video, and she also noted that the clothes the woman in the video was wearing appear similar to what Kayla had on when she disappeared - jeans and a red spaghetti strap T-shirt 

One of the first people to apparently bring the video to the attention of the police is someone who goes by the name of TheGeminiTiger on Imgur. 

At least two days ago, the poster put up the video, seemingly as part of a retrospective on 'scary' YouTube videos, when commenters began pointing out that the 'Walter' video may be real.

The poster points out various clues in the video that may mean it is real, including what appears to be blood on the door frame.

The woman is also wearing a red sleeveless top, similar to what Berg was wearing when she disappeared, according to The Charley Project

The poster also pointed out that other disturbing videos that many dismissed as hoaxes, including serial killer Luke Magnotta's disturbing videos, turned out to be real.

In August, a woman named Sarah Bull even went so far as to deny she was an actress playing the kidnapped woman in the video and posted it on YouTube

Kayla's brother, James, said on Facebook that the video was extremely disturbing to him, and that he believed that there was enough for him to think it was real that his family contacted the FBI

Kayla's brother, James, said on Facebook that the video was extremely disturbing to him, and that he believed that there was enough for him to think it was real that his family contacted the FBI

Kayla's brother, James, said he believes the video is realistic enough that it needs to be investigated

Kayla's brother, James, said he believes the video is realistic enough that it needs to be investigated

Another video on YouTube, posted by ScareTheater, analyzed the video in August, and seems to believe that the video is a hoax. 'Why was she only crying when he opened the door?' the poster asks.

Kayla's brother, James Berg, had posted on his Facebook wall that he feels the young woman in the video could very well be his sister.

'To be honest, I almost had a panic attack at work, shut down my machines and had to go sit outside,' he wrote. 'I don't know if my minds playing trucks [sic] or not, but the videos release date...the looks...the sound of scared screams/yelling...if your wanting my opinion let's just say this...we've contacted the FBI.' 

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