Australia Nancy Grunwaldt, 26, German tourist, cyclist, Last seen east coast Tasmania, March 12, 1993

[TootsieFootsie]

Thirty years since tourist Nancy disappeared, police have been combing bushland for her body

On a Friday in 1993, German traveller Nancy Grunwaldt hopped on her red bike, rode south out of the small Tasmanian town of St Helens and was never seen again. Three decades on, with another lead amounting to nothing, police say the case will "stay open" until there is an answer.

www.abc.net.au

Nancy Grunwaldt was 26 when she began riding down Tasmania's east coast in 1993 and was not seen again.

No trace of Ms Grunwaldt's body, clothes or bike have ever been found — despite extensive land, sea and air searches.

Investigators believe there are two likely scenarios — either she was murdered, or she was hit by a passing motorist who disposed of her body

A recent tip led police to search an area on the east coast, to no avail

For 30 years, the Grunwaldt family have had no answers to what happened to their daughter and sister.
Tasmania Police are striving to get answers for them.

 

[WingsOverTX]

So rare to have so much detail! Some snippets:

Inquest Findings October 2002

Grunwaldt, Nancy | Coroners Court

www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au

Nancy Grunwaldt was born on the 5th day of February 1967 at Flensburg, Germany and at the time of her disappearance was aged 26 year(s).

Nancy Grunwaldt was a single woman whose occupation at the time of her disappearance was a Travel Agent.

I find that Nancy Grunwaldt died on the East Coast of Tasmania between St Helens and Bicheno on the 12th day of March 1993 as the result of foul play by a person or persons unknown.
....
On the 8th of July 1992, Grunwaldt departed Germany and travelled to New Zealand where she stayed until the 6th of March 1993. During her time in New Zealand, she attended the Capernwray Bible College at Glendene, Auckland.
After completing a course at the bible college, she remained in New Zealand where between the 3rd of February 1993 and the 2nd of March 1993, her parents visited her and they toured New Zealand. Her parents returned to Germany and she remained in New Zealand until the 6th of March 1993, when she departed the Auckland Airport on United Airlines to travel to Melbourne, Australia.

Grunwaldt's intention when leaving New Zealand was to travel around Australia for two to three months. She had several contacts to visit including a pen friend in Hobart, Tasmania. She indicated that she intended to hire a bike to travel around on and was to travel to Adelaide, South Australia to visit Pastor Jones.
....
On Friday the 12th of March 1993, it is believed that she departed the St Helens Hostel sometime between approximately 9.30 am and 10.30 am. She travelled south on her bike and was last positively sighted at approximately 11.00 am that day, approximately 5 kms south of Scamander.
....
Nancy Grunwaldt grew up in Steinbergkirche, Northern Germany and completed her education there, aged 19 years. She commenced work as a travel agent at the age of 20 and was an experienced world traveller having visited 14 countries at different times. Apart from German, she also spoke fluent French and good English. She had previously visited Australia two years before this trip but had never been to Tasmania. She travelled alone on that previous occasion.

 

[WingsOverTX]

So rare to have so much detail! Some snippets:

Inquest Findings October 2002

Grunwaldt, Nancy | Coroners Court

www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au

Nancy Grunwaldt was born on the 5th day of February 1967 at Flensburg, Germany and at the time of her disappearance was aged 26 year(s).

Nancy Grunwaldt was a single woman whose occupation at the time of her disappearance was a Travel Agent.

I find that Nancy Grunwaldt died on the East Coast of Tasmania between St Helens and Bicheno on the 12th day of March 1993 as the result of foul play by a person or persons unknown.
....
On the 8th of July 1992, Grunwaldt departed Germany and travelled to New Zealand where she stayed until the 6th of March 1993. During her time in New Zealand, she attended the Capernwray Bible College at Glendene, Auckland.
After completing a course at the bible college, she remained in New Zealand where between the 3rd of February 1993 and the 2nd of March 1993, her parents visited her and they toured New Zealand. Her parents returned to Germany and she remained in New Zealand until the 6th of March 1993, when she departed the Auckland Airport on United Airlines to travel to Melbourne, Australia.

Grunwaldt's intention when leaving New Zealand was to travel around Australia for two to three months. She had several contacts to visit including a pen friend in Hobart, Tasmania. She indicated that she intended to hire a bike to travel around on and was to travel to Adelaide, South Australia to visit Pastor Jones.
....
On Friday the 12th of March 1993, it is believed that she departed the St Helens Hostel sometime between approximately 9.30 am and 10.30 am. She travelled south on her bike and was last positively sighted at approximately 11.00 am that day, approximately 5 kms south of Scamander.
....
Nancy Grunwaldt grew up in Steinbergkirche, Northern Germany and completed her education there, aged 19 years. She commenced work as a travel agent at the age of 20 and was an experienced world traveller having visited 14 countries at different times. Apart from German, she also spoke fluent French and good English. She had previously visited Australia two years before this trip but had never been to Tasmania. She travelled alone on that previous occasion.

More details:
Her parents described her as a happy, open, energetic person with deep religious beliefs. To their knowledge she did not have a boyfriend. She made friends easily and was always well liked. Grunwaldt was in regular contact with her parents either by phone or mail and would not have willingly broken contact with them. Her last telephone contact with her parents was from Tasmania on Thursday the 11th of March 1993. She told them she was okay and was planning to go to Hobart to visit a female friend. She told them she planned returning to Germany on the 24th of June 1993.
....
The State Government has offered a reward of up to $30,000 to be made payable at the discretion of the Commissioner of Police for information as to the whereabouts of Grunwaldt or the conviction of the person(s) responsible for her disappearance.
....
And so much more, including details about a woman murdered in the same area about 2 years later.

 

[WingsOverTX]

Tasmania police boost cold case rewards

Tasmania Police are offering rewards of $500,000 for information about to seven suspected murders dating back to the early 1990s.

7news.com.au

Tasmania Police are offering rewards of $500,000 for information about to seven suspected murders dating back to the early 1990s.
....
* Nancy Grunwaldt. Went missing from the state's east coast in 1993. Extensive investigations have been carried out.

 

[dotr]

May 8 2023

Hope that killers will be found when all of Tasmania's cold cases are run through new DNA machine

New forensic technology will be used to re-examine all Tasmanian cold cases, with police hoping it could finally provide answers to families and loved ones of those like Victoria, whose killer has never been found.

www.abc.net.au

• ''In short: All Tasmanian cold cases will be re-examined using new forensic technology, with a hope it could help families desperate for answers.
• What's next? The new technology will start to be used later this year, with further upgrades set to happen over the next three years.

New forensic technology will be used to re-examine all Tasmanian cold cases, with police hoping it could finally provide answers to long-suffering families.

A $3.7 million upgrade will see Tasmania's DNA analysis and testing process automated, reducing the risk of contamination and human error.''

''Tasmania Police offered $500,000 rewards in 2021 for information that would help it solve seven high-profile cold cases, including 20-year-old Italian tourist Victoria Cafasso, who was murdered on Beaumaris Beach on the state's east coast in 1995.

Other cases include then-26-year-old Nancy Grunwaldt, who went missing from the east coast in 1993, Simon Crisp — who was shot dead in the car park of the Marrawah Hotel in 2013 — and 32-year-old Paul Byrne, who it is suspected was murdered in Rossarden in north-east Tasmania in 1996.''

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Renewed calls for information into the disappearance of Nancy Grunwaldt

The German tourist was last seen in 1993.

www.theadvocate.com.au

Behind a paywall, I think. Posting it here for those who subscribe.

 

[dotr]

By AAP Newswire
Jul 29, 20244 rbbn

'What if' thoughts never end: sister of missing tourist

Nancy Grunwaldt was riding a red bicycle on Tasmania's picturesque east coast in March 1993, not long after arriving in the state on holiday from Germany.

www.sheppnews.com.au

''Her cold case is one of eight involving women being highlighted during National Missing Persons Week. '

'Ms Grunwaldt and her hired mountain bike have never been found, despite searches, police appeals and a $500,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

She died between the towns of St Helens and Bicheno, likely as a result of foul play, according to 2004 coronial findings.'

 

[TootsieFootsie]

No Cookies | Geelong Advertiser

No Cookies

www.geelongadvertiser.com.au

August 24, 2025

Missing backpacker Nancy Grunwaldt named on NSW Police Milat probe list​

May be behind a paywall. Posting it here for those who subscribe.

 

[ZaZara]

Australian police link Ivan Milat to 58 cold cases over decades

Scores of unsolved missing persons cases across Australia could be the work of notorious backpacker murderer Ivan Milat, a newly released police list reveals.

Potential links between 58 missing persons cases and the serial killer were examined by detectives, including German backpacker Nancy Grunwaldt, who disappeared from Tasmania's east coast in 1993.

A parliamentary inquiry could be in the works after a list given to NSW parliament this week.

The list – provided to AAP – revealed officers explored links between Milat and the disappearances spanning every state and territory in Australia.


BBM