Spuren
The missing cash
On January 2nd, 2006 and January 5th, 2006, Michael Heger picked up a total of 700 euros from an ATM in Oftersheim.
On January 13th, 2006, the wallet was found in the rock niche, it still contained less than 80 euros .There is no indication of what could have been done with this amount of cash. Spending it would probably have brought witnesses to the scene who would then have come forward - simply “throwing it away” seems illogical. There is reasonable suspicion that at least one unknown person is still involved and could have received this amount of money.
Garbage bags, traces of blood & the “rock niche"
On January 11th, 2006, Michael Heger’s Opel Astra was found in front of the “Wiedenfelsen” hotel in Bühlertal (Baden-Württemberg). Witnesses had it there from the night of January 6th to 7th, 2006 seen (other witnesses partly from around December 22, 2005!).
There were a few traces of Michael Heger's blood in the car itself, which appeared to be blurred, as did the garbage bags found. Several green garbage bags were discovered, as well as a few small drops of blood in the snow - the time between finding the tracks and causing them does not seem to have been long ago. A few hundred meters from the car, more of Michael's personal belongings are found in a rock niche, including: Also jacket, backpack, wallet, glove individually from Felix and a handwritten letter... Everything seemed placed and prepared, as if it should be found quickly.
Felix's single glove makes no sense because Michael Heger knew that the counterpart was with his grandparents.
Among other things, the backpack contained a bottle of Amaretto liqueur and a small bottle of Asbach Uralt. They also found empty tablet strips and packaging for “Betadorm-D”, a freely available sedative/sleeping pill. Not only was Michael an anti-alcoholic, but the over-the-counter tablets were also completely unsuitable for committing suicide. The residues found in the corpse suggest that tablets had been taken, but according to the manufacturer, over 80 tablets would have been necessary to achieve a lethal effect - but only 20-30 were available.
Witness sightings in Oftersheim, Bühl and at the Iffezheim barrage
Even before it was clear that Felix would not be brought back, an older lady had a strange encounter on Saturday morning, January 7th, 2006: After she had gotten some rolls from the bakery, she was approached by a man , whom she would identify in the newspaper days later as Michael Heger.
According to the witness report, the man tells her that she should go to the police about it and that she would find out what it was about later from the newspapers. “A father is allowed to travel with his son…” is the core message of this strange encounter. During the conversation, an unknown couple joins them. According to the witness, Michael Heger sends the two of them to the train station.
Felix wasn't with him, the Opel Astra was already there in Bühlertal, over 100km away!
Strange: On the same day, a witness had an encounter with a man and a woman who were picking up a jacket from an alterations shop - just a few meters away. The woman walks nervously through the store, the man starts talking in small talk about how he has just been released from prison in Mannheim. This witness sighting was recorded, but since nothing could be proven or clarified, it was not pursued further.
A saleswoman at a discount store served Michael Heger and Felix on January 11th, 2006 around 5:30 p.m. (Minutes before, Michael Heger's car was seized just a few kilometers away). The description of the clothing is accurate, even though it was not advertised as a wanted item at the time. They buy rolls and a surprise egg for Felix. Several witnesses each and independently see a man and a child at the Iffezheim barrage (French border crossing). They sometimes seem to be waiting for someone, sometimes disoriented and sometimes “playing”. The two are never found, also because communication from the authorities failed completely and in some cases no one drove there until hours later. There were no similar sightings before or after the search!
Sniffer dog “Luna”
On January 11, 2006, “Luna” was assigned to take a smell test from Felix. The dog led from the Wiedenfelsen car park (red marking on the right in the picture) directly to the “Sickenwalder Horn”, where they found cut hair that did not come from Felix or his father. On January 14th, 2006, the dog led to the former hotel “Schindelpeter”, where She followed the trail to an apartment door and sat in front of it. Inside the apartment there was virtual chaos because apparently no one had been here for weeks. From this attic apartment, the dog then led again to the “Sickenwalder Horn”. To what extent the cut hair and also the apartment with the tenant, as well as the track taken to the “Sickenwalder Horn” could have anything to do with the case have not yet been clarified.
The letter
On January 23rd, 2006, a letter was delivered addressed to a company where Michael Heger had a training or job interview for a few days. It was written that someone wishes them all the best for the new year, as well as good business. The letter ends with “From Michael who was there at the training.” Attached is an excerpt from a large article in the Bild newspaper by Felix and his father. Neither handwriting nor traces match that of Michael Heger. Between publication The Bild newspaper article (January 11, 2006) and the delivery of the letter took 12 days, why? What's more: no outsider could have known that Michael Heger had a training course there for less than a week! The company doesn't even have a website. The suspicion arises that someone here knows more than the police. No special meaning/mention was given to the letter.
The body was found
On February 26, 2006, walkers found the body of Michael Heger on the side of the road. What is unusual is that the body did not have a jacket or other winter-proof clothing, one shoe was also taken off and the sock was put in the trouser pocket. Glasses were also not found, without them Michael Heger was virtually disoriented. A white shoelace soaked in blood was found underneath the corpse. The autopsy showed that there were no signs of frostbite and that no alcohol was detectable in the blood or urine.
However, a small "puncture mark" was found on the wrist - but the recommended examination and a toxicological report were not considered necessary by the public prosecutor's office and were rejected.
Internal injuries were found and also broken ribs, which, according to forensic medicine, probably led to death. A second, external report from the thorax specialist Dr. Ortlieb contradicts this assumption: The injuries would be painful, but would not lead to death. It is also doubtful whether the injuries occurred during his lifetime, as there are medical signs that could point to the opposite. Although the cause of death is officially unknown, it is suspected that Michael Heger staggered through the forest due to previously taking pills and had a fatal accident. The body was so obviously lying on a small dirt road that it should have been found during the large-scale search operations in January 2006 - if it had already been there.
Years later, the order for the unanswered questions about the body is given, but it is too late for that, the preserved material has been destroyed.
