Germany Germany/Italy - Found in Italian alps, WhtFem, 30+, well off, May 2004

[ApparentlyInDenial]

I chose Germany as the prefix as there wasn't one for Italy, and I think that this woman is based in Germany.

I found this case on Italy's RAI tv network, they have a site called 'Chi L'ha Visto?' ('Who's seen it?'). It's also on DOE Network but I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else.

Basics:

Date Found: May 16 2004
Estimated Age: 30-50
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair Color: Dyed/bleached blonde hair, natural colour light brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Estimated Height: 160cm/5'3"
Date Died: December 2003-April 2004
Location Found: Catinaccio mountain, Italian Dolomites, near the Grasleitenhutte Bergamo Refuge, approx. coordinates 46.4849797, 11.6275683.

Clothing:

White Speidel tank-top, green cashmere pullover, light blue Angels jeans, brown Alpina shoes size 38, beige Goldix jacket, grey wool cap and white scarf.

- Speidel sells women's basics in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia. It's an inexpensive brand.

- Alpina outdoor shoes are a specialist company, made in Slovenia, and although they can now be purchased online from Amazon etc., at the time didn't have wide distribution. I've found that they have stores in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Turkey.

- Goldix is a coat company from Germany, and have a large vintage following, but I'm not sure if that would have been the case in 2003/2004.

- Angels Jeans are from Germany.

Additional Personal Items:

- Empty liquor bottles
- Two packs of 'Kim' brand cigarettes
- Piece of laminated paper with a partial email address "…wischnig@ggrecords.at"
- A pen made by a company in Hamburg.

Medications:

- Stangyl
- Novaminsulfon
- Petadolex
- *advertiser censored*-ratiopharm 500.

All of these are used to treat migraines. Stangyl is a tricyclic antidepressant, but it is prescribed for migraines. In combination with these other migraine drugs I wouldn't necessarily assume depression was the cause of death (though it could have been).

Cause of death:

Acute pulmonary edema and heart failure resulting from frostbite. She had a lot of alcohol and meds in her system also, but they did not cause death.

Notes:

She's been ruled out as a missing person in Germany, by the Germany federal police. I've checked all public missing persons records I can find from Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland, even Liechtenstein. I can't find anything close.

If she is a missing person she could have gone missing toward the end of 2003 or first quarter of 2004.

At first I thought the obvious link would be Austria, as the Austrian border is only roughly 100 miles, and she has an Austrian email address in her belongings. I was able to find the full email address using some technical sleuthing, and it is heinz.glawischnig@ggrecords.at, belonging to Heinz Glawischnig. HG seems very much alive and married at the moment. He is obviously quite important in Austria, and a big shot in the Austrian music industry (yodelay...). He's also been a judge for some mildly important international skiing competitions, and I think he might have skied for Austria in the past.

The reason I'm going toward Germany and Switzerland is because one of these medications wasn't licensed in Austria at the time (Novaminsulfon), and one didn't exist in Switzerland (*advertiser censored*-ratiopharm, it's a brand of aspirin).

The woman seems firmly middle class/well off. I find it difficult to imagine someone like that going missing and nobody noticing/doing something about it.

I'd love the community's help with this one. I feel like this woman should go home, wherever that is.

Any thoughts? Do I email that email address...?

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

On reflection she looks a little Nordic. A woman went missing from Helsinki in January 2004, when she was 37 years old, I wonder if that would be enough time to set up a new life in Germany though.

This is Sari Hannele Kainulainen on the Interpol Yellow list.

 

[fred&edna]

On reflection she looks a little Nordic. A woman went missing from Helsinki in January 2004, when she was 37 years old, I wonder if that would be enough time to set up a new life in Germany though.

This is Sari Hannele Kainulainen on the Interpol Yellow list.

The Helsinki Police Department also has one open case of disappearance from the Interpol list. Sari Hannele Kainulainen , 51, disappeared in Helsinki in 2004. According to the latest information from the Helsinki police, Kainulainen has been seen in Europe. However, police do not comment on where in Europe.

Interpol etsii neljää kadonnutta suomalaista - listalla 7-vuotias poika ja kuolleeksi julistettu porilaismies

 

[annemc2]

Not that it would help ID her but Novaminsulfon can cause sudden cardiovascular collapse (and can also cause agranulocytosis). I remember reading about it because it can be a concern for doctors, especially pediatricians, who work with an immigrant Latino population when kids present with systemic shock or a severe reduction of white blood cells with no other apparent explanation.

Great write up @ApparentlyInDenial - thanks for posting!

 

[ClaireNC]

Great write-up and Interesting case. Digging around and noticed that the Grasleiten Hut mentions that it's a place that musicians hang out. The Grasleiten hut
"The Grasleiten hut is a place for those seeking an idyllic repose and comfort as well as for sportspeople and musicians. Therefore, it may very well happen that such active visitors come to our hut and invite the rest of our guests to join their activities!"

With the Heinz Glawischnig email address, I wonder if she was connected to the music industry. Or wanted to be connected to it.

 

[ClaireNC]

A few notable bits from Doe Network:

• medicines manufactured in Germany and in Liechtenstein containing only the instructions in German (Stangyl, Novamin sulfon, Petadolex, *advertiser censored*-ratiopharm 500);
  
• burnt fragment of a local auto-bus line schedule.
• Analysis revealed a significant quantity of alcohol and medicines in her body, indicating a possible suicide.

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

Not that it would help ID her but Novaminsulfon can cause sudden cardiovascular collapse (and can also cause agranulocytosis). I remember reading about it because it can be a concern for doctors, especially pediatricians, who work with an immigrant Latino population when kids present with systemic shock or a severe reduction of white blood cells with no other apparent explanation.

Great write up @ApparentlyInDenial - thanks for posting!

Ah such an interesting fact - very useful, thank you.

 

[ClaireNC]

Rough (google) translation from Chi l'ha Visto - La sconosciuta di Tires (Bolzano) - La scheda

The SAD auto-bus schedule was published at the end of December 2003 and was put into force on April 4, 2004, indicating the Bolzano - Siè - Siusi / Castelrotto - Val Gardena - Selva Di Val Gardena line .

They are placing the time of death between December 2003 and April 2004.

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

I researched demographics of migraine sufferers and found that those who live at or above 500m elevation are almost twice as likely two suffer.

Major cities in a 500-mile radius that are over 500m:

- Bern
- Innsbruck
- Munich
- Pristina
- Sarajevo
- Sofia.

Just a thought.

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

The 2003–04 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Italian stages took place at two locations less than 50 miles away from where the body was found, and one location 100 miles away.

The closest event was just 20 miles from where Jane Doe was found, at Alta Badia on December 13, 14 and 21.

Heinz Glawischnig was a judge on at least one FIS event that 2003-04 circuit.

These things can't possibly be a coincidence. Could Jane Doe have worked on or near an international ski team and got lost/went off on purpose? These huge international sports events are a big circuit, with people on the move constantly to the next event, and of course there are many opportunities to socialise.

PS I can put Heinz Glawischnig in Innsbruck on 6 January 2004, when he was judging an event.

 

[ClaireNC]

On cause of death - Acute pulmonary edema and heart failure - could have been caused by the drugs and alcohol in her system. The frost bite could have happened after she passed out from the drugs.

Where did the info come from that these are migraine drugs? She might have been just taking whatever drugs she could get her hands on. Not necessarily because she had migraines.

In the German speaking countries - Germany, Liechtenstein - Are/were prescriptions required for these medications like they are in the US? Would the bottles have a name on them as to who they are prescribed to?

 

[annemc2]

On cause of death - Acute pulmonary edema and heart failure - could have been caused by the drugs and alcohol in her system. The frost bite could have happened after she passed out from the drugs.

Where did the info come from that these are migraine drugs? She might have been just taking whatever drugs she could get her hands on. Not necessarily because she had migraines.

In the German speaking countries - Germany, Liechtenstein - Are/were prescriptions required for these medications like they are in the US? Would the bottles have a name on them as to who they are prescribed to?

AFAIK, Petadolex (butterbur) is pretty much used only for migraine prophylaxis. It's not useful for much else. Gave me a horribly upset stomach but works great for one of my kids.

Add that to two OTC pain relievers and a tricyclic antidepressant (used more often nowadays for nerve pain since we have the SSRIs and SNRIs) and it looks like probable migraine. I take a tricyclic nightly for migraine prevention. It's also good for sleep!

I wonder if all of these are OTC and the triptans are Rx only and that's why she didn't have any? Maybe no access to a doctor for awhile?

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

AFAIK, Petadolex (butterbur) is pretty much used only for migraine prophylaxis. It's not useful for much else. Gave me a horribly upset stomach but works great for one of my kids.

Add that to two OTC pain relievers and a tricyclic antidepressant (used more often nowadays for nerve pain since we have the SSRIs and SNRIs) and it looks like probable migraine. I take a tricyclic nightly for migraine prevention. It's also good for sleep!

I wonder if all of these are OTC and the triptans are Rx only and that's why she didn't have any? Maybe no access to a doctor for awhile?

Thank you for answering that point so succinctly!

The Novaminsulfon and Stangyl are Rx. The aspirin of that brand is for same in Germany and Austria but it’s not easy - bizarrely - to get OTC painkillers in Germany and Austria without an interrogation.

So I think she’d probably have got the aspirin at least no more than a week before she went up the mountain. Perhaps she did know she was going on a ski trip and made sure she had all her meds, or perhaps she knew she’d use them for suicide.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

The 2003–04 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Italian stages took place at two locations less than 50 miles away from where the body was found, and one location 100 miles away.

The closest event was just 20 miles from where Jane Doe was found, at Alta Badia on December 13, 14 and 21.

Heinz Glawischnig was a judge on at least one FIS event that 2003-04 circuit.

These things can't possibly be a coincidence. Could Jane Doe have worked on or near an international ski team and got lost/went off on purpose? These huge international sports events are a big circuit, with people on the move constantly to the next event, and of course there are many opportunities to socialise.

PS I can put Heinz Glawischnig in Innsbruck on 6 January 2004, when he was judging an event.

Great sleuthing @ApparentlyInDenial! The paper with HG's email address looks like maybe a small piece of a printed document, and there's at least a suggestion of a fragment of a very similar email address above it. Could these have come from an FIS event program or related document? Or maybe a document related to HG's music business?

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

Great sleuthing @ApparentlyInDenial! The paper with HG's email address looks like maybe a small piece of a printed document, and there's at least a suggestion of a fragment of a very similar email address above it. Could these have come from an FIS event program or related document? Or maybe a document related to HG's music business?

I think it must have been something like that. This feels tantalisingly close to being solvable. But then so many times somebody not being found for this long can mean there's nobody to find them, or looking for them.

 

[devertere]

This case is super mysterious.

I am from Austria and I can't really explain (I guess it is an unconcious thing) but to me she has features very typical for the area (South Tyrol) but also North/Eastern German ones.

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

I've just discovered: her medication "Tropfen" wasn't licensed until (9 February 2004). Her body was found on May 16, and she wouldn't have got the med the day it was licensed most likely. This narrows the window somewhat.

 

[branmuffin]

I researched demographics of migraine sufferers and found that those who live at or above 500m elevation are almost twice as likely two suffer.

Major cities in a 500-mile radius that are over 500m:

- Bern
- Innsbruck
- Munich
- Pristina
- Sarajevo
- Sofia.

Just a thought.

It's also true that migraine sufferers try to commit suicide almost nine times more than the rest of the population.

I knew a woman who had such serious migraines she was incapacitated for days. She was constantly fired from jobs because she was identified as a 'malingerer'. She got olfactory and visual auras letting her know when one was coming on. She scoured the world for different drugs to help. Most of them were never readily available in Canada. She smoked quite a bit of weed to alleviate the problem. She admitted once that she toyed with overdosing many times because she couldn't stand it anymore.

It's quite possible this woman chose death over living with such debilitating pain. The combination of drugs and alcohol suggest that.

I guess it's also possible that she hoarded migraine prescriptions that weren't even hers as a way to commit suicide. Where would someone get so many different types of migraine drugs? A dispensary? A hospital? Doctor's office? That doesn't really seem like a viable situation since anyone who would have access to such drugs would probably have access to medications that are more traditionally used by people who commit suicide unless migraine prescriptions aren't monitored for drug diversion like opiates and benzodiazepines.

 

[devertere]

For anyone wondering: "Tropfen" means drops.

It's amazing how you figure all this pharma infos out. Great finds!!

 

[ApparentlyInDenial]

It's also true that migraine sufferers try to commit suicide almost nine times more than the rest of the population.

I knew a woman who had such serious migraines she was incapacitated for days. She was constantly fired from jobs because she was identified as a 'malingerer'. She got olfactory and visual auras letting her know when one was coming on. She scoured the world for different drugs to help. Most of them were never readily available in Canada. She smoked quite a bit of weed to alleviate the problem. She admitted once that she toyed with overdosing many times because she couldn't stand it anymore.

It's quite possible this woman chose death over living with such debilitating pain. The combination of drugs and alcohol suggest that.

I guess it's also possible that she hoarded migraine prescriptions that weren't even hers as a way to commit suicide. Where would someone get so many different types of migraine drugs? A dispensary? A hospital? Doctor's office? That doesn't really seem like a viable situation since anyone who would have access to such drugs would probably have access to medications that are more traditionally used by people who commit suicide unless migraine prescriptions aren't monitored for drug diversion like opiates and benzodiazepines.

I know what you mean; my daughter and my ex-wife both suffer badly from migraines. I've seen how difficult it can be to treat and to live with. Crazy really, that it's still such a medical challenge.