An angler accidentally discovers a wrecked car in the Rhine. Police divers find human bones in the sunken car. Initial findings point to a man who has been missing for 38 years. Why the red Opel, which had been lying in the river near Rastatt for decades, had not been noticed before remains a mystery.
Around four months after the gruesome discovery, there is more clarity about the missing person: the Baden-Baden public prosecutor's office said it was a 42-year-old man at the time. How did he die? According to the authorities, there is no evidence of violence. But: “A crime cannot be definitively ruled out,” as a spokeswoman said when asked. The investigation continues.
There are numerous unsolved criminal cases in Baden-Württemberg. These include crimes that occurred decades ago. The authorities are not remaining idle. The State Criminal Police Office (LKA) publishes detailed search calls on its website, including so-called “cold cases”.
When cases are presented on the ZDF program “Aktenzeichen XY…Unsolved”, there are often new clues. However, this is not a guarantee of success for investigators. A selection of current and long-ago cases that made headlines:
Fatal shots in Göppingen
On October 2nd of this year I was shot in a bar in Göppingen. A 29-year-old is injured and dies a short time later in hospital, and two other men are injured. According to dpa information, the victims are Syrians. The murder weapon is said to have been a submachine gun.
After the crime that caused a major stir, the police set up the “Kurz” special commission. Officials are looking for a man between the ages of 18 and 24 who was probably near the crime scene. Since this month there has been a nationwide search for the unknown man; including images on digital advertising spaces in gas stations and airports.
Senior woman dead in the garden
Family members found a 75-year-old woman dead in her garden near Schwaikheim (Rems-Murr district) on September 24, 2024. The police then called in the “Soko Garden” special commission because the woman is said to have died violently. Investigators are looking for a young man between the ages of 17 and 25 who could be an important witness. He is said to have been near a crime scene at the time. The investigation continues at high speed, as a spokesman for the responsible police headquarters in Aalen reports: “We have not yet given up hope.”
Shots at local politicians
On the night of March 19, 2023, an unknown person shot several times from the outside through a window at a farmer and FDP politician on his farm in Hattenhofen (Göppingen district). The shooter seriously injured the then 65-year-old local politician with four bullets. The responsible investigator from the criminal police in Ulm said in November in “Case number XY…Unsolved” that an assassination attempt by a professional killer was rather unlikely. A presumably converted blank gun was used, but the ammunition did not match.
Woman's corpse in the Black Forest
A dead and partially burned woman was found on July 24, 1997 in a forest area near Todtnau- Präg in the Lörrach district – that was over 27 years ago. The identity of the 20-year-old woman remains unclear to this day. Investigators suspect she was the victim of a violent crime.
Missing student from Freiburg
The case of biology student Eva Götz also dates back to 1997. The 26-year-old was allegedly kidnapped in a van in Freiburg at the beginning of the year. At the end of January, her body was found on a dirt road between Geisingen (Tuttlingen district) and Blumberg (Schwarzwald-Baar district).
Suspect on Europol list
There was a homicide even longer ago that was recently presented in “Case number XY… Unsolved”. In August 1991, a perpetrator from Russia is said to have killed a then 35-year-old from Sindelfingen (Böblingen district) on a forest path. The suspect is on Europol's list of the most wanted criminals in Europe. According to witness statements, he traveled to Russia in 1993. An entry into Ukraine is known from 2004.
Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
