Found Deceased Germany - Fabian, 8, Güstrow, 10 Oct 2025 * arrest *

[ChatteringBirds]

This 8-year-old has been missing for a few days now.

Güstrow: Polizei weitet Suche nach vermisstem Fabian (8) aus

Seit Freitag wird der achtjährige Fabian aus Güstrow vermisst. Die Polizei hat ihre Suchaktionen nach dem Jungen ausgeweitet, auch ein Hubschrauber ist nun im Einsatz. Am Morgen geht die Aktion weiter.

www.spiegel.de

According to police, the boy had left the house with permission. However, he later failed to return home...
The child's parents are separated...his father lives [in] Zehna. "The boy may have been on his way to see his father,"...

Vermisster Fabian (8) ist tot: Neue Hinweise lösen Polizeieinsatz aus

Tagelang wurde der achtjährige Fabian aus Güstrow vermisst, bis die Polizei seine Leiche in einem Waldstück fand. Nun wird wegen einer Straftat ermittelt.

www.merkur.de

The search is focusing on Güstrow, with helicopters, search dogs, etc.

Witnesses are asked to contact the police at 0800 5977268

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I was (am) hoping he'd be found safe today, after the weekend. So far (about 3:00 pm) no happy update yet.
Updates from October 13th:
- It went down to 7 degrees Celcius last night, which is very worrisome if he's outdoors.
- His mother has put out a video, speaking to him. (I have not yet watched it.)
- Authorities are searching local waterways, speaking to his classmates and teachers.
- The fire department and dogs are involved.
- Unfortunately he left his cell phone at home.
"..the mobile phone provider had already been contacted regarding the recent calls and text messages, but this also did not provide any added value."

Source:

Vermisster Fabian (8) ist tot: Neue Hinweise lösen Polizeieinsatz aus

Tagelang wurde der achtjährige Fabian aus Güstrow vermisst, bis die Polizei seine Leiche in einem Waldstück fand. Nun wird wegen einer Straftat ermittelt.

www.merkur.de

 

[dalsglen]

It's quite the trek from Gustrow to Zehna.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I hope Fabian's family is surrounded by caring support.

Last update from 7:30 pm:
Cadaver dogs have signaled at Inselsee on the outskirts of the city. A specialized dog will be brought there tomorrow morning and if that dog also signals, they will search the water and reeds with divers. The water is 1 - 1.5 meters deep.

Vermisster Fabian (8) ist tot: Neue Hinweise lösen Polizeieinsatz aus

Tagelang wurde der achtjährige Fabian aus Güstrow vermisst, bis die Polizei seine Leiche in einem Waldstück fand. Nun wird wegen einer Straftat ermittelt.

www.merkur.de

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Very sad update this afternoon:

Walkers found the body of a child in a forest... south of Güstrow on Tuesday. According to current information, it is believed to be that of eight-year-old Fabian... but a forensic examination is required for final confirmation, police said. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor's office suspects a criminal offense.

Kinderleiche im Wald bei Güstrow gefunden: Ermittler gehen von Verbrechen an Fabian aus

Auf der Suche nach dem achtjährigen vermissten Fabian aus Güstrow haben Spaziergänger am Dienstag eine Kinderleiche in einem Wald gefunden. Die Staatsanwaltschaft geht von einer Straftat aus. Am Abend kamen viele Güstrower zu einem Trauergottesdienst.

www.ndr.de

I will try to keep an eye out for updates in case there is an arrest.

Sincere condolences to his family and friends.

 

[Hygge]

I was hoping so much. It is so very very sad. He left his mobile at home. The Ostsee Zeitung wrote it was a burned body but later they took this info away so no idea if true or not.
I still have no words

 

[seasideForest]

It's quite the trek from Gustrow to Zehna.

11km or 15km depending on route. Yes, it's a long walk for an 8yo but since foul play is suspected, he might have been driven much of the way.

RIP Fabian.

ETA: Actually in the NDR report linked by @ChatteringBirds they mention that search dogs traced him as far as the Güstrow bus station and then picked up his scent again at a bus stop in Zehna, so sounds as if he took the bus. Whether alone or accompanied by someone he knew? That's not mentioned, I presume the police don't know.

Google maps is showing me a 15 min bus ride. I was certainly able to manage that kind of distance by bus on my own at the age of 8, and even younger in fact.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

sounds as if he took the bus. Whether alone or accompanied by someone he knew? That's not mentioned, I presume the police don't know.

I think some buses in Germany have security cameras, but I don't know how common that is or if they function well.

And I'm sure police are trying to find any video footage from the area, but security cameras are so much less common in Germany than in the U.S. There are stricter laws, and then they would (obviously) tend to be within the city not forest.

 

[seasideForest]

Vermisster Fabian (8) ist tot: Neue Hinweise lösen Polizeieinsatz aus

Tagelang wurde der achtjährige Fabian aus Güstrow vermisst, bis die Polizei seine Leiche in einem Waldstück fand. Nun wird wegen einer Straftat ermittelt.

www.merkur.de

Merkur has an update from 4:44 this morning.
The body of what is presumed to be Fabian was not found in the water of Inselsee or even on the shores of Inselsee, but rather in woods in Klein Upahl, a village with population of 229 (according to Wikipedia).

 

[ChatteringBirds]

@seasideForest So tragic, but I'm glad he was found, and if there was a crime, I hope they find DNA evidence.

It really makes me wonder what was up with those search dogs.

 

[seasideForest]

Merkur has an update from 4:44 this morning.
The body of what is presumed to be Fabian was not found in the water of Inselsee or even on the shores of Inselsee, but rather in woods in Klein Upahl, a village with population of 229 (according to Wikipedia).

Sorry I’m having trouble linking properly atm. The article in Merkur has newer photos and particularly a local map showing locations previously searched, location where the body was found and the town where Fabian lived with his mother, Güstrow, and where his father, Matthias R. lives, Zehna. The body wasn't found in either of these places.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Here is the link. Scroll down a bit to see the map. Let me know if it doesn't work.

Vermisster Fabian (8) ist tot: Neue Hinweise lösen Polizeieinsatz aus

Tagelang wurde der achtjährige Fabian aus Güstrow vermisst, bis die Polizei seine Leiche in einem Waldstück fand. Nun wird wegen einer Straftat ermittelt.

www.merkur.de

I wonder if someone lured him somewhere and told him not to bring his phone. But for goodness sake, he was 8-years-old! Not even a preteen. This case is baffling to me, and I hope the best of the best are investigating.

Because there are other cases that haven't been solved (I'm thinking of Inga in Stendal. She was only 5, and I believe either lured by someone she talked to earlier in the day or spontaneously abducted.)

 

[seasideForest]

@seasideForest So tragic, but I'm glad he was found, and if there was a crime, I hope they find DNA evidence.

It really makes me wonder what was up with those search dogs.

With the search dogs - idk but I wouldn't dismiss their findings so quickly, there were four of them after all. The fourth was certainly brought in after the others to double-check or fine-tune.

Maybe the poor child's body was moved around several hiding places? Maybe there is some evidence or miniscule remains in the water which the dogs picked up on, also at the bus stop at Zehna? That previous sentence is total speculation on my part! I haven't read it anywhere.

They do write that Fabian regularly went to his father's on Fridays for the weekend, so that could be why the dogs picked up his scent at the bus stop in Zehna. MOO.

Otoh they do refer to cadaver dogs in this media rather than dogs looking for live scent so idk.

Note that in the German reports, it is not yet forensically confirmed that the body is that of Fabian, though it is a child's body and his parents have both been informed and are being supported by police services.

So far, there is no suspect.

 

[seasideForest]

Here is the link. Scroll down a bit to see the map. Let me know if it doesn't work.

Vermisster Fabian (8) ist tot: Neue Hinweise lösen Polizeieinsatz aus

Tagelang wurde der achtjährige Fabian aus Güstrow vermisst, bis die Polizei seine Leiche in einem Waldstück fand. Nun wird wegen einer Straftat ermittelt.

www.merkur.de

I wonder if someone lured him somewhere and told him not to bring his phone. But for goodness sake, he was 8-years-old! Not even a preteen. This case is baffling to me, and I hope the best of the best are investigating.

Because there are other cases that haven't been solved (I'm thinking of Inga in Stendal. She was only 5, and I believe either lured by someone she talked to earlier in the day or spontaneously abducted.)

Yes, thank you for linking the report with the map. I had it, I was having trouble linking for others on the forum.

I see everything in German which is fine for me. If you're in an English-speaking place, I know the newspaper report automatically translates, but what about the embedded map? If anybody needs help, just ask, tho I won't be online all day obviously.

 

[ZaZara]

Obduktion bestätigt: Fabian kam gewaltsam zu Tode

Young Fabian L. (aged 8) from Güstrow was the victim of a violent crime. This was confirmed by the public prosecutor's office after the autopsy.

Traces were found on the body ‘that allow us to conclude that the boy has been the victim of a violent crime,’ the Rostock public prosecutor's office explained. The Ostseewelle radio station had reported on this earlier. For tactical reasons, investigators do not wish to disclose any further details about the autopsy results at this time.

BBM


RIP Fabian

 

[Serononin]

How awful, I hope his family have a strong support system

 

[ZaZara]

Ostseewelle on X / Twitter:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1978719653309383152

It appears that the body was set on fire in order to destroy evidence.


BBM

 

[ChatteringBirds]

What a sick person. Sounds like a huge danger to the public is out there.

 

[ZaZara]

What a sick person. Sounds like a huge danger to the public is out there.

Eltern schaffen es nicht, die Leiche von Fabian (8) zu identifizieren

The parents of murdered Fabian (8) were supposed to take a last look at their dead child at the forensic medicine department to identify their beloved boy. But they did not have the strength to do so.


BBM

If the fact that the body was set on fire had something to do with it, I can totally understand. Once you've seen it, you cannot unsee it. Poor kid. Poor parents.

 

[Snoopster]

Well, this is interesting...it wasn't a random person who found Fabian's body. It was Fabian's father's ex-girlfriend.

Vermisster Fabian (8) ist tot: Details zu neuer Polizei-Großaktion – dringender Appell an Bevölkerung

From an Oct 17 update:

The 27-year-old confirmed this to the newspaper herself. "I was walking in the woods with my girlfriend because she wasn't feeling well," she told the editors, according to the report.

She has since been questioned by police several times and has occasionally handed over her cell phone to the authorities, it is reported. She firmly denies circulating allegations that she had anything to do with the crime. The public prosecutor's office also warns against jumping to conclusions and has not named the woman as a suspect.

I wonder if the ex-gf lives in the Klein Upahl area.

ETA: quotes above are using google translate.