Ireland Ireland - Sligo, WhtMale, 50-70, aka 'Peter Bergmann', prostate cancer, Jun'09

[FromGermany1]

Possible explanation for the purple bags.

We know from the autopsy report that PB had advanced prostate cancer. As such it is highly probable that he suffered from incontinence and had to use incontinence pants on a regular daily basis.
At home one would dispose of used incontinence pants in the normal rubbish disposal bins - in a hotel the only place to put such items would likely be in a small bin in the bathroom which possibly would not be big enough and the person concerned might be embarrassed to leave them for the person cleaning the room to deal with.
I suggest therefore that PB may have made a daily trip to a nearby rubbish bin in the streets to dispose of his used incontinence pants. From the CCTV pictures the purple bags appear to contain something soft, (no sharp edges).
If, as we are led to believe, he made at least 13 trips with the bags, the sheer volume of the contents of that many bags would exceed what he brought into the hotel in his hold-all. The pants when dry and unused would of course have a much smaller volume than when wet and used, so possibly there was sufficient room in the hold-all when they were unused.
It is assumed that he had no passport with him but this is based on the fact that he was not asked to show one when he checked in. His passport could have been in the computer bag all along and he did also take that bag with him to Rosses Beach where it disappeared.
Interestingly he had a purple bag with him on his last day at Rosses Beach which could have been his supply of dry pants for that day.
When the police searched the local bins they were looking for his “person possessions” - used incontinence pants would I suspect not have drawn any attention.

Very good idea, I think!

 

[ey_see_el]

Possible explanation for the purple bags.

We know from the autopsy report that PB had advanced prostate cancer. As such it is highly probable that he suffered from incontinence and had to use incontinence pants on a regular daily basis.

It's a common misconception, as I understand it. Prostate cancer doesn't cause incontinence; radiation therapy and surgery do. We don't know whether or not PB was receiving or had ever received treatment for prostate cancer, only that the cancer was present at time of death. The post-mortem suggested he wasn't taking painkillers.

In any case, I think if the scenario you're describing were true, he'd dispose of the bag as well.

 

[Bobban]

He also seems to be reading or taking notes in his notebook/piece of paper in the lobby between runs with the purple bag

 

[AugustusWentworth]

My thought is that Bergmann was originally from an Eastern Bloc country, probably the former DDR, where smoking was far more acceptable than in Western Europe.

I have sent a potential match to the Irish police. I don't feel particularly confident about this one (although a lot of things match) but, if I'm right, he was indeed from Eastern Europe.

 

[worldwatcher]

"A postmortem found he had advanced prostate cancer and bone tumours, had suffered several previous heart attacks, had one kidney and had a gold tooth."

(Must have been very painful bone tumors and I think it's very rare, a gold tooth on that age, given the fact he was born around 1949)

‘Peter Bergmann’: Renewed appeal over man found dead on Sligo beach 14 years ago

ETA: not so uncommon, it seems...
Why did so many people have gold teeth during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s?

 

[Kittypoo]

"A postmortem found he had advanced prostate cancer and bone tumours, had suffered several previous heart attacks, had one kidney and had a gold tooth."

(Must have been very painful bone tumors and I think it's very rare, a gold tooth on that age, given the fact he was born around 1949)

‘Peter Bergmann’: Renewed appeal over man found dead on Sligo beach 14 years ago

ETA: not so uncommon, it seems...
Why did so many people have gold teeth during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s?

My Mum had a gold tooth born in 1947.

 

[Susikatze]

My Mum had a gold tooth born in 1947.

My dad, too. same generation. For molars and other non visible teeth, gold teeth were considered great quality in the 1970s.

 

[manuelemanuelmanuel001]

Hi everyone, I am just starting as a Web sleuth so please bear that in mind. What made me interested in this website is the specific case that we are looking into here.

I did some research on the Interpol website and found this Yellow Notice, I do see some facial ressemblance. View Yellow Notices

 

[FromGermany1]

Hi everyone, I am just starting as a Web sleuth so please bear that in mind. What made me interested in this website is the specific case that we are looking into here.

I did some research on the Interpol website and found this Yellow Notice, I do see some facial ressemblance. View Yellow Notices

I think, he is too young for being PB.

 

[Carovb5]

Hi everyone, I am just starting as a Web sleuth so please bear that in mind. What made me interested in this website is the specific case that we are looking into here.

I did some research on the Interpol website and found this Yellow Notice, I do see some facial ressemblance. View Yellow Notices

I see what you mean. I’m not convinced due to the eyebrows & ears but i get why you suggest him!

 

[AugustusWentworth]

Hi everyone, I am just starting as a Web sleuth so please bear that in mind. What made me interested in this website is the specific case that we are looking into here.

I did some research on the Interpol website and found this Yellow Notice, I do see some facial ressemblance. View Yellow Notices

This guy was 38 when Peter Bergmann died, and Bergmann didn't look 38 at all (the estimated age was 50-70 - the photo on this Yellow Notice is probably an age progression, I doubt this guy looked like that at 35, I'm 44 and I don't look that old)...

 

[AugustusWentworth]

Also, this guy is 170cm, Peter Bergmann was 177cm (5'10)

 

[AugustusWentworth]

I checked the Yellow Notices and the closest match is probably this guy: View Yellow Notices (I already informed the Garda - the Irish police - but I wouldn't bet on this match, tbh)