he was engaged to a woman named janet merriam.texas and learned of lynne's disappearance long distance. >> cliff had called me and said that he had, i believe had received a phone call stating that lynne had disappeared. they found lynne's car and they didn't know where she was. >> this is a very traumatic thing that's gone on. he's lost his mother. i don't know how much -- whether you shielded him from it. >> okay. the news -- we shielded christian, as much as possible. >> who's going to take this area? >> meanwhile, the massive investigation into lynne friend's disappearance had one goal -- to find her, or at least her body, if she was, in fact, dead. >> are you prepared to deal with the worst? >> no, no, i cannot think that i will not think that lynne is, lynne is the woman i'm going to marry, she is my life. >> i think he really wanted to hold it together and to be dignified. >> jennifer snell was a reporter for miami's nbc station, wtvj. >> i think that as the words would come out of his mouth, he would realize what he was ac