Germany Frauke Liebs, 21, Paderborn, 20 June 2006

[JSolt1210]

On Tuesday, June 20, 2006 the 21-year-old student nurse Frauke Liebs disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The last known sighting of her was at a pub in Paderborn's city center, where she and a friend watched the FIFA World Cup match between England and Sweden.

While Liebs was still at the pub, she borrowed a friend's mobile phone battery, as the battery on her own phone had been drained. She later returned her friend's battery before leaving the pub at around 11 p.m. Since she probably had no more than five euros with her, she is believed to have been heading home on foot. The pub was about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) away from her home.

Almost two hours later, on the morning of Wednesday, June 21, her housemate, Christos Karaoulis, received a text message from Liebs' mobile phone, saying: “Coming later. The game was fun. Not against England. Love you so much. See you later.” However, she did not return home that night, and when she also failed to appear at work the day after, her mother reported her missing. The police discovered that the text message had been sent from Nieheim, a small city about 35 km (22 mi) north-east of Paderborn.

For almost two days, there were no more signs of life from Frauke until she contacted Christos by telephone on Thursday, June 22 at 10:25pm to say: “Hello, Christos. I wanted to say that I’m fine and that I’ll be home soon. Tell Mom and Dad and the others.”

According to Christos, “She was stunned on the phone, didn’t even respond to questions, and then, after she said that. she hung up directly, and that was that.” According to the YouTube video, Frauke called her roommate “Christos” only when she was angry with him. Normally she’d just call him “Chris.”

In the following days, Liebs called Christos five times via her mobile phone.

On Friday, June 23, 2006 at 11:04pm, Frauke texted Chris: “I’m coming back home today. I’m in Paderborn.”

Two minutes later, Frauke’s older brother, Frank, called her and was able to get through:

Frank: Frauke, what are you doing? When are you coming home?
Frauke: I’m coming home today, not too late. I’m in Paderborn. Don’t ask. I’m coming home.
Frank: Where are you then?
Frauke: I can’t say.

The following day, Saturday, June 24, 2006 at 2:23pm, Frauke called Chris:

Frauke: I’m not coming back, so late, come home tonight.
Chris: Are you hurt?
Frauke: No. I’m in Paderborn. I’m in Paderborn. I’m in Paderborn.

Stressing “Paderborn” caught the attention of her family and friends who found it to be suspicious. And Frauke’s mother described Frauke’s voice as “blurry.” But apparently, the police at the time did not believe Frauke was in danger, since she had made contact.

On Sunday, June 25 at 10:28pm, Frauke called Chris:

Frauke: Coming home today.
Chris: Are you in danger?
Frauke: No.
Chris: Why didn’t you come home yesterday?
Frauke: Can I explain to you?
Chris: Where are you?
Frauke: I’ll tell you when I’m home.
Chris: Who is with you?
Frauke: I’ll tell you later.

Police were able to locate the calls, which all came from different industrial areas in Paderborn. During these calls, it’s noted that Liebs continued to say that she would return home soon, but did not communicate any information about her situation. She provided only vague or evasive answers to questions.

On Tuesday, June 27 at 11:29pm, exactly one week after her disappearance, Frauke placed her last call. Her sister Karen had been present, and also talked with her:

Chris: Frauke?! Karen is here too!
Frauke: Are Mom and Dad there too?
Chris: They’re gone already. Hey, I’ll just put you on speaker.
Frauke: Is Karen close to you?
Chris: Yes.
Frauke: I’d like to talk to her please.

Karen: Hello, Frauke, how are you?
Frauke: Please don’t ask.
Karen: Where are you?
Frauke: I can’t say.
Karen: Come home.
Frauke: No, that won’t do.
Karen: Are you scared?
Frauke: No.
Karen: Are you tired?
Frauke: Yeah, very tired. Please tell everyone I love them very much.
Karen: When are you coming home?
Frauke: I’ve got to hang up. Please hand the phone over to Chris.

Chris: Why did you leave?
Frauke: You know that, Chris.
Chris: Are you being held?
Frauke: (Faintly) Yes. (Louder) No! No!
Chris: You know that the police are looking for you?
Frauke: Yes, I’ve been away for a week.
Chris: Who’s with you?
Frauke: I can’t say.
Chris: No. Did you meet another guy?
Frauke: You have to know I haven’t been staying away for a week because I met another guy. Come on, you know me... Are Mom and Dad there too?
Chris: They were here.
Frauke: Tell them I love them very much.
Chris: Should I pick you up?
Frauke: No, that won’t do.
Chris: Can we meet up somewhere?
Frauke: That won’t do.
Chris: Where are you?
Frauke: Mama.
Chris: Where are you?
Frauke: Mama.
Chris: Where are you?
Frauke: Mama.
Chris: Are you afraid to come home?
Frauke: No.
Chris: We’ll clean up your apartment, and nobody will ask you what happened. Just come home.
Frauke: That won’t do. I’m still alive!
Chris: Are you with one or more people?
Frauke: Please don’t ask me. I’d like to be with you all. I’d like to come home.
Chris: When will you call again?
Frauke: I’m not sure.
Chris: Please call every day!
Frauke: Yes, I will. Ciao, bye for now!

I should note that I've compiled her last call from various sources, which don't all contain the entire material, using the German newspaper cited below as a base.

Frauke Liebs' skeletonized body was found by a hunter on Wednesday, October 4, 2006 in a forested area next to a Landesstraße ("state road") near Lichtenau, 17 km (11 mi) from Paderborn, where she was last seen. The body was found with the clothes she was wearing on the day of her disappearance. Her mobile phone, handbag, wallet and wrist watch were not found. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the time and cause of Liebs' death could not be determined.

A case analysis by the police came to the conclusion that Liebs was probably held captive in the area around Nieheim and that the phone calls from Paderborn may have been diversionary maneuvers. No motive for the crime has been determined. Over 900 people who were connected to the victim were questioned by the police, and the initial investigation produced a list of five initial suspects. All five were eventually cleared after producing alibis.

The case aroused nationwide interest and was among others presented on the popular television show Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst ("Case number XY … Unsolved").

Police tried to tie Frauke's disappearance to Wilfried W. and Angelika B., a divorced couple, living as brother and sister in the town of Höxter. They would put out "lonely hearts ads" in the newspapers in an attempt to lure victims to abuse, torture, and murder. Höxter is 55 km (34 mi) away from Paderborn, where Frauke was last seen; 48km (30 mi) away from Lichtenau, where her body was discovered; and just 22km (14 mi) away from Nieheim, where the police had traced the calls to. However, police never found any physical evidence tying Frauke to the Höxter couple, and the case remains unsolved.

Sources used:
• Murder of Frauke Liebs - Wikipedia
•

• Forensic Astrology: Frauke Liebs (to compare the times of the texts and calls)
• Der ungeklärte Mordfall der Frauke Liebs (in German; has more of Frauke's texts and calls)
• [POSSIBLY SOLVED] What happened to Frauke Liebs? : UnresolvedMysteries
• Germany's Wilfried W. and ex Angelika B. set to appear in court accused of killing women | Daily Mail Online

 

[JSolt1210]

This Reddit goes into some more detail, including details released on the German show Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst ("Case number XY … Unsolved"), including:

• She was an avid internet user frequenting ICQ and IRC under the nickname "Sweet Corry".
  
  
• They found a small cross with her skeleton which must have been part of a necklace. Non of her friends or familiy members could recall her ever having or wearing such a cross, which is why it might be from her killer.
  
  
• Police say the place they found her skeleton wasn't the place she was killed

Police Investigation:

• After analyzing the first text it does match up to the way Frauke normally would have texted. The other texts/calls seemed off.
  
  
• Profilers are under the impression that Frauke might have been held captive in the general Nieheim area.
  
  
• The police suspect the perpetrator must have some kind of connection to Nieheim, Höxter and Paderborn, because of his knowledge of the area.
  
  
• They also suspect the calls and text have been deliberately sent from different locations throughout Paderborn area, to confuse them.
  
  
• They weren't able to narrow down a certain motive for this crime.
  
  
• There were some hints that she might have been stalked.

Someone also made a map of the area to include the road she might've walked on, where her mobile texts and calls pinged from, and also where her body was eventually recovered.

And others offer their own speculation and analysis based on what's known.

Anyone could've sent those texts—but when it comes to voice contact, it appears that the family recognized her voice. True, she sounded off, but they never said it sounded like someone else. Why would the killer(s) let her call like this? It's just so strange!

 

[JSolt1210]

Here’s a chronology I’ve put together, along with some commentary and observations.

TUE 6/20 11:00pm — LAST SIGHTING

Frauke leaves the pub in Paderborn—The Auld Triangle Irish Pub on Leostraße according to this YouTube video. “The pub was about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) away from her home.” On average, people can walk one mile in 20 minutes, so she should’ve been home no later than 11:30pm.

WED 6/21 12:49am — FIRST COMMUNICATION (via text message)

This text was sent from Nieheim, which is about 22 miles northeast of Paderborn. According to Google Maps, it takes roughly 38–40 minutes to drive from Paderborn to Nieheim.

To text from this location, she would’ve had to leave Paderborn no later than 12 midnight. But by this time, she should’ve already been home. So let’s say she was lured/abducted halfway on her walk home around 11:15pm—maybe someone offers her a ride, and she accepts. A 40-minute ride to Nieheim would place their arrival around 12 midnight.

What were she and this other person doing for those 50 minutes between the arrival and the text. True, she could’ve been knocked out and her abductor sent the text. But given that family and friends confirm that they spoke to her later in the week, it’s possible that she herself sent this text too. That means she would’ve gone willingly. Maybe the night wasn’t over for her, and someone on her way asked her for a drink at his place? Maybe his car was nearby and he offered to take her and let her crash with him?

THU 6/22 10:25pm — SECOND COMMUNICATION (via voice call)

The police traced this call to Sennelager, which is 5 miles away from Paderborn, but about 27 miles from Nieheim, her last pinged location.

It’s about a 42-minute drive from Nieheim to Sennelager, according to Google Maps. So at this point, I’m thinking that she and her abductor had to have crashed in Nieheim on Wednesday night. Sennelager is in the opposite direction.

It makes no sense for her captor to drive from Paderborn at 11:15pm on Tuesday, arrive in Nieheim at 12 midnight on Wednesday, stay in Nieheim for close to an hour so she could text at 12:49am, then set back out around 1am, pass Paderborn where they started, and arrive at Sennelager around 1:45am. It’s possible, but it would’ve been much easier and faster (not to mention safer for an abductor) to just head straight to Sennelager from Paderborn—a 16-minute drive!

FRI 6/23 11:04pm — THIRD COMMUNICATION (via text message)

This text was traced to Paderborn, very close to where Frauke had last been seen on Tuesday night. The text itself says “I’m in Paderborn,” so she’s not lying.

FRI 6/23 11:06pm — FOURTH COMMUNICATION (via voice call)

Frauke’s older brother immediately called Frauke’s cell, after he saw her text, and was able to get through and speak to Frauke. She repeats, “I’m in Paderborn.”

The map places call #4 a little to the right of call #3, in the same direction of the drive from Paderborn to Nieheim. Were they on their way back to Nieheim? Why did her captor let her speak—especially since she was literally now blocks away from her home? Why did he even take her that close to her home? Was it a taunt? It’s very risky because it’s her neighborhood, so she should know it well, even if he may too.

SAT 6/24 2:23pm — FIFTH COMMUNICATION (via voice call)

This call stands out because it’s the only one made during the day, in the mid-afternoon. Interestingly, this call was traced to Mönkeloh, a 14-minute drive from Paderborn, the last pinged location.

She stresses “I’m in Paderborn” three times, which made her family suspicious. Technically she’s not lying because this location isn’t that far from the city-center. But 15-hour gap between calls gives them enough time to be traveling from anywhere, including Nieheim.

SUN 6/25 10:28pm — SIXTH COMMUNICATION (via voice call)

This call was also traced to Paderborn, close to her home.

There is no communication on Monday. In fact, there’s a 49-hour gap (almost to the minute) between this call and her following one. What were they doing for one whole day?

TUE 6/27 11:29pm — SEVENTH COMMUNICATION (via voice call)

This was Frauke’s last call, and it was also traced to Paderborn, a little to the left of call #6, and thus once again in the direction of Nieheim.

I can see why the police believe she was being held near Paderborn, and it is the simplest explanation because four out of the seven calls come from that area—five, if you include Mönkeloh which is only a 14-minute drive from Paderborn 4 miles away. It would be risky for her captor to parade her around a place that she knows well, and where he can’t hide her quickly if he needs to.

So what happened that first night? Why drive 40 minutes to Nieheim if there was nowhere for them to stay? And if your only place to stay is Paderborn, then we're talking an 80-minute drive round trip. And is she drugged this whole time? Resisting? Or is she willing because she's been tricked?

Oh and I forgot to mention that all of this happened during the June solstice. According to TimeAndDate.com, astronomical twilight lasts through the night in Germany, so it never gets completely dark at this time of the year there. This means there's possibly more opportunity to be seen and get caught, especially driving around so much.

 

[JSolt1210]

Bumping.

13 years ago at 11pm tonight, 21-year-old Frauke Liebs was last seen leaving a German pub in Paderborn.

There followed a full week (to the hour!) of cryptic text messages and voice calls, in which Frauke intentionally avoided references to her whereabouts and her company.

She was last heard from on June 27. Her skeletonized body was discovered on October 4, four months later.

Here's hoping this year brings some answers.

 

[ekardh]

Hey @JSolt1210,

It's a shame that no one else wishes to discuss such a mysterious and unsettling case. Let me throw my two cents in.

Like yourself, I'm also bemused as to why an abductor would have allowed Frauke to make those phone calls? It's not as if he taunted her loved ones or used it to demand a ransom. It's theorised that it was a diversionary tactic, but to me it's too risky to reveal locations or allow Frauke to potentially disclose any information over the phone.

What did Frauke mean when she answered with "You know that" when Chris asked her why she left? It's possible that an abductor might have drugged her, or she was sleep-deprived and not totally with it.

At first, I wondered if Frauke had some kind of psychotic episode, took off for awhile and died of exposure, as her remains were too decomposed to prove foul play. The only problem with this theory is Frauke must have been recharging her phone to make the calls and texts.

What are your thoughts?

 

[FromGermany1]

Frauke Liebs Mutter zieht Schlusstrich: "Habe die Hoffnung verloren"

Seit 17 Jahren sucht Ingrid Liebs den Mörder ihrer Tochter Frauke Liebs. Die damals 21-Jährige wurde während der Fußball-WM 2006 in Paderborn entführt. Jetzt zieht ihre Mutter einen Schlussstrich.

www1.wdr.de

Ingrid Liebs gives up: "I've lost hope that I'll ever find the perpetrator"​

PADERBORN | CRIME

Status: 25.07.2023, 15:59
-.-.-.-
Google translation German - English would be possible!
(I translated, but I can't link to the English version, only to the German one.)

Excerpt:
Lokalzeit: How does it affect you not knowing what happened?

Liebs: It makes me sad. But I'm not desperate about it. I have two other children who give me a lot of joy. I have a grandchild who gives me a lot of joy. These positive aspects will carry me through the rest of my life. But it bothers me every day not knowing how and why my daughter died.

 

[FromGermany1]

02/23

„Die Mordkommission sollte Fraukes Mutter ins Team holen“, sagt der Anwalt, der Familie Liebs berät

Seit 17 Jahren sucht die Polizei den Mörder von Frauke Liebs. Dass man ihn noch finden kann, davon ist Anwalt Roman von Alvensleben überzeugt.

www.stern.de

“The homicide squad should bring Frauke’s mother into the team,” says the lawyer who advises the Liebs family
Excerpt:

Why is Ingrid Liebs ' perspective so important?
Because there are indications that the perpetrator probably comes from Frauke's circle of friends. Perhaps he is a rather fleeting friend, we don't know, but names could appear in the file that may not mean anything special to the police, but that Ingrid Liebs does. That's why Frauke's mother can be a great help in this case, I'm quite sure of that.


Why is the public prosecutor hesitating to release the files?
Because it is an ongoing case. It is usual for relatives to only look at the files during court proceedings. But here I think it would be wise to deviate from that and to enlist the help of Frauke's mother in the investigation. This has already been done in principle; Ingrid Liebs has been able to see some of the files, but not most of them. I hope the public prosecutor recognizes the opportunity that lies in allowing her to see the rest of the files as well. The homicide squad should bring Frauke's mother onto the team. They have nothing to lose by doing this, but a lot to gain.

 

[FromGermany1]

Liste der britischen Militärstandorte in Deutschland – Wikipedia

de.wikipedia.org

Paderborn and Paderborn/Sennelager as 2 locations, where British soldiers were stationed.
Prophylactically, if anyone is interested.

 

[JSolt1210]

Thanks so much @ekardh for commenting and getting a discussion going! And thank you @FromGermany1 for the excellent sources you shared!

This baffling case has stood out so much to me because I think it's the first I've ever heard where an abductor allows the captive to make voice contact with loved ones for a whole week after the kidnapping. Other abductors have sent e-mails or texts in the captive's name to throw off an investigation. But to allow the kidnapped person to call and actually speak for an entire week is super risky—and, for me, just haunting.

I agree with @ekardh that it's weird there was no ransom, so ostensibly no real motive for the kidnapping. But I think the calls were the taunts, like dangling Frauke before her loved ones, having her tell them she's nearby—and then silence. Whoever did this, I think, had a kind of "control" fantasy. And the fact that he was able to keep Frauke alive for at least one week, and parade her around the city in his car that whole time without getting caught, suggests some sort of pre-planning.

It's theorized that the calls were placed from different locations to avoid detection. Obviously pinging technology existed back then because the police used it here. But is this something the general public knew about in 2006? I honestly don't remember. If this wasn't common knowledge back then, it suggests the abductor was familiar with law enforcement techniques, maybe even a follower of "true crime" as it existed then.

So when Chris asked Frauke why she left, and she responded "You know that," I think that was code. Like Frauke was trying to say: "Chris, you know this isn't something I'd do willingly," kind of like a desperate plea for Chris to put two and two together and figure this out. In fact, the one place in this whole conversation where Frauke doesn't give short, evasive answers is here, where she appeals to Chris' knowledge of her: "You have to know I haven't been staying away for a week because I met another guy. Come on! You know me!"

Speaking of coded language, in this same exchange she mentions "Mama" three times. I've seen it quoted like this in various articles so I think there's more to this than just a simple mistake. So I'm glad to see the article @FromGermany1 posted, which suggests that Frauke's mom may know more than she realizes. I've read speculation that "Mama" 3x was Frauke's way of saying she was being held near her mom's job, or perhaps her captor had some connection to her mom's job. If the perpetrator came not from Frauke's circle of friends, but from her mom's team of coworkers, then I agree that it's essential to get the mom on board with this investigation.

My own theory is that this was someone Frauke knew—maybe not well, but well enough to be an acquaintance she felt was trustworthy. I think she was walking home when she ran into this person (though I don't think this was coincidence; the subsequent pre-planning suggests he'd been following her). Maybe he was on foot but parked nearby, or he pulled up to her in his car. Either way, I think she got in willingly because there were no signs of a struggle—like no personal belongings strewn on the street, no one reported screams, etc. It was almost midnight, but there was still daylight because of the solstice, so people could've seen something more clearly.

And I think it was a car because her first text came two hours later from Nieheim, over 20 miles away. Yes she had time to walk that far, but would she have randomly decided to do that on her own when she was so close to her apartment? But if an acquaintance drove by and suggested, "hey I can drive you home but why don't we have a drink at my place first?" I can see Frauke accepting.

Yes I know Frauke later tells Chris, "I haven't been staying away for a week because I met another guy," but by this I believe she means "some random guy." She wouldn't just get into some rando's car when she's blocks away from home. But she might decide to hang for a bit with someone she recognized.

Now, Nieheim is about a 40-minute drive away from her last location, but her text was sent two hours after she left the bar. Upthread I couldn't understand this time discrepancy. But recently I came across a theory that suggests the text was sent late because her phone died. I don't remember how cellphones worked back then, but basically the theory goes: she gets into this guy's car, texts Chris right away that she's "coming later," but the phone dies when she presses 'send.' So when she gets to this guy's place 40-50 minutes later, she plugs in the phone to charge, and once it's no longer dead, it automatically resumes sending her text to Chris.

As for Frauke possibly being drugged and/or sleep-deprived, I think that's totally possible. Chris described her as "stunned," so it's not like she'd been crying or desperate, etc. True, her captor could've been right next to her and threatened her with a weapon to act cool, but I honestly don't know if I'd be able to hold it together in that scenario.

Sorry for the rambling. I'm just so passionate about this case because of how frustrating it is. She disappeared in a populated city, in practically broad daylight, and is confirmed to have been alive and nearby for a full week after the fact. It seems so solvable, and yet there are still no answers.

 

[ekardh]

Interesting thoughts @JSolt1210. I can't think of another case like this where the kidnapper allowed the victim to make several phone calls over a period of time without any demands. Like you said, maybe this was part of some power/control fantasy or because the first text Frauke sent had given away his location, hence the need for misdirection.

I've read speculation surrounding the British military garrison located in Paderborn. If the abductor was from there, maybe that was the reason that he never spoke down the phone, as his accent would have been a dead giveaway? The garrison was apparently investigated and cleared.

Dr. Nahlah Saimeh, a forensic psychiatrist, believes that the perpetrator meticulously planned the abduction and that Frauke was most likely a random victim. You can read her analysis here (Google translate required): „Ich würde von einem männlichen Täter ausgehen, nicht älter als 45“, sagt Psychiaterin

It's noted that Frauke did not seemed panicked or distressed during her calls, which is unusual as she was being held hostage. That may have been due to drugs or sleep-deprivation, OR because Frauke believed that she was going to be returned home. You never know, perhaps her captor didn't originally intend to murder Frauke. If he was a stalker-type, he might have let her make the phone calls as a "mercy" if she placated him? He could have been keeping her to force her into loving him. When Frauke said to Chris that "I'm not going to be away for a week because of a guy", it sparked the kidnapper's anger and he murdered her.

 

[JSolt1210]

Thanks for posting that article, @ekardh ! There's a lot to unpack in the psychiatrist's analysis, but for the most part I agree with her insights.

I agree that the abductor was intelligent, very sure and confident of himself, and that his fantasy was to keep a woman captive, so he was very meticulous in planning this. I also agree he had a penchant for misdirection and got off on having knowledge that no one else has.

I push back a little on the psychiatrist's statement that "Frauke was more of a random victim." Though she later qualifies "that he perhaps knew [Frauke] briefly, but nothing more," I think there was at least some sort of prior, in-passing rapport between them.

Otherwise she wouldn't have gotten into his vehicle. He didn't force her in because a) there's no evidence of this and, more importantly, b) it would contradict his penchant for misdirection. To literally grab her off the street by force would've quickly given away his intention from the get-go.

But to start by innocently offering a ride home, and then switch it to, say, "oh, come and have a drink at my place," and then "oh it's late, why don't you just spend the night?" and then in the morning, "yeah I'll take you home later today, but why don't I get us breakfast first?" etc., knowing full well what his plans were, I think this sounds more like the game he wanted to play.

This is also why I disagree that the calls could've been Frauke's idea, like as a way for her to relieve his anxiety and pressure for the kidnapping, and get on his good graces. To me, this goes against the captor's "meticulous thoughtfulness," and so I agree with the psychiatrist more when she says that "making phone calls was also part of his game." I think he planned these out too beforehand.

It's totally possible he didn't speak because, as you suggest, his accent would've been a giveaway. But I think it's simpler and more likely that he just wanted to sit back and hear in Frauke's own voice her genuine belief that she'd be returning home soon.

All this misdirection might've set Frauke at ease towards the beginning, because her captor hadn't yet directly harmed her. But at what point did she begin to realize she was in danger? Day 2? Day 3? Or did she even refuse to think this, preferring instead to cling to the hope that he'd let her go soon, and that's why she never sounded panicked over the phone? That's the part I don't understand—especially when her last conversation reads pretty much like a "final goodbye," and yet she's described as sounding "stunned" or "blurry."