Poland Poland - Jowita Zielińska, 31, disappeared on bike ride home from work – Rypin County, 6 July 2024

[arrivvederchi]

Jowita Zielińska, 31, was last seen on Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Rypin County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. She lived in the small village of Lisiny in the municipality of Rogowo. After the death of her husband, she had been living with her in-laws - there are theories circulating that they didn't treat her well, but I don't know for sure.

On the morning of July 6, Jowita went to work at a butcher shop in the nearby town of Rypin. After finishing her shift around midday, she hopped on a bus to Rogowo, then set off for home on her bicycle. A witness who was renovating their house last saw her at around 1 and 2 PM passing through the village of Rojewo, approximately 1 km away from her home in Lisiny. She never arrived. Jowita was reported missing the same day.

Local services launched intensive search operations. Forests and nearby lakes were combed multiple times by officers, search teams (also with the help of K-9s), and volunteers, but no additional evidence was found.

On August 10, 2024, more than a month after her disappearance, her bicycle was found by a woman gathering mushrooms. It was located in a forest near the village of Wierzchowiska, approximately 4 km from where she was last seen. The bicycle was found abandoned by a dirt road used by both pedestrians and cars. There were no signs of presence of the missing woman nearby.

As of today, the investigation remains open, but no confirmed sightings or breakthroughs have been reported.

Jowita’s family strongly believes she did not disappear voluntarily. They have publicly appealed for help and offered a reward of 10,000 PLN (then doubled by media) for any information leading to her discovery. There have been no known suspects, and the cause of her disappearance is unknown.

The case intrigues me especially because it happened really close to me, also my family had common friends with Jowita's family. I'd love to hear your thoughts, theories, ideas and questions that I hope we'll answer.

 

[Hexe]

Jowita Zielińska, 31, was last seen on Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Rypin County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. She lived in the small village of Lisiny in the municipality of Rogowo. After the death of her husband, she had been living with her in-laws - there are theories circulating that they didn't treat her well, but I don't know for sure.

On the morning of July 6, Jowita went to work at a butcher shop in the nearby town of Rypin. After finishing her shift around midday, she hopped on a bus to Rogowo, then set off for home on her bicycle. A witness who was renovating their house last saw her at around 1 and 2 PM passing through the village of Rojewo, approximately 1 km away from her home in Lisiny. She never arrived. Jowita was reported missing the same day.

So... Her bike was found in Wierzchowiska, that's not on the way to Lisiny. And Wierzchowiska are tiny, accessible by tangled web of rural roads.

Gdzie jest Jowita Zielińska? Rodzina podejrzewa uprowadzenie mieszkanki kujawsko-pomorskiego. Sprawdzamy tę hipotezę

Jednoślad, którym podróżowała zaginiona został odnaleziony miesiąc później – 10 sierpnia we wsi Wierzchowiska. Znajdował się kilkadziesiąt metrów od ścieżki - prawdopodobnie ukryty – między drzewami. Śledczy dokładnie sprawdzili pojazd – nie miał on na sobie śladów uszkodzeń.

Translation: The bicycle woman rode on was found a month later - on August 10 in the village Wierzchowiska. It was located few tens of metres away from the path - probably hidden - between the trees. Investigators checked the bicycle meticously - it had no signs of damage.

So, as the bike was undamaged, we can discard the traffic accident hypothesis. My gut says it was someone local, with good knowledge of the roads in the area and with a car.

The case intrigues me especially because it happened really close to me, also my family had common friends with Jowita's family. I'd love to hear your thoughts, theories, ideas and questions that I hope we'll answer.

Hello from another local (small world, no?), from the Brodnica county.

 

[BOBON]

That's so scary, where has she been for almost a year? I hope Jowita gets found quickly. Are there any searches in place? I find it hard to look up information because of the language barrier but I'd hope more European news outlets pick this up. Especially the bordering countries

 

[arrivvederchi]

So... Her bike was found in Wierzchowiska, that's not on the way to Lisiny. And Wierzchowiska are tiny, accessible by tangled web of rural roads.

Yeah, it's definitely not on the way, but could be accessible by fields, particularly a strip cut out through the forest for power lines, through which I don't think one can ride a car (marked as the lilac line). There's a really slim chance that someone from one of the near households saw her, because they're too far from the road and also from each other.

My gut says it was someone local, with good knowledge of the roads in the area and with a car.

It's also worth noting that it was harvesting season, locals were working on their fields, machines making noise, maybe it has something to do with her disappearance? It randomly struck me now, maybe a tractor could be a better explanation than a car?

Hello from another local (small world, no?), from the Brodnica county.

I don't know what are the chances, but apparently I should buy a lottery ticket - hello ^^

 

[Hexe]

Yeah, it's definitely not on the way, but could be accessible by fields, particularly a strip cut out through the forest for power lines, through which I don't think one can ride a car (marked as the lilac line).

A 4x4 maybe. A normal car, I doubt it would be able to ride through there. Were there any works done in the woods at the time Jowita went missing?

There's a really slim chance that someone from one of the near households saw her, because they're too far from the road and also from each other.

Unfortunately yes, that's true, the chances are pretty slim.

It's also worth noting that it was harvesting season, locals were working on their fields, machines making noise, maybe it has something to do with her disappearance? It randomly struck me now, maybe a tractor could be a better explanation than a car?

The harvest machines ruckus certainly helped to drown any screams and other noises. But I do not think the tractor was used, I mean these roads are narrow, a tractor that stopped would block whole road and certainly would get remembered by witnesses.

I keep thinking about Jowita's bike. If the pictures in the press really show it as it looked after it was found, then it is impossible it was left in the woods for a month. It was pristine, not a single speck of dirt or rust. As it is pretty fine bike I can see perpetrator wanting to make a dime by selling it, but then it became too risky to keep it, so he dumped it in the woods.

I don't know what are the chances, but apparently I should buy a lottery ticket - hello ^^

 

[arrivvederchi]

A 4x4 maybe. A normal car, I doubt it would be able to ride through there. Were there any works done in the woods at the time Jowita went missing?

There were theories about a white van or bus lurking around - but come on, it's the usual scary story for well-behaved kids. Also there are plenty of white vans around, even a pretty reputable local bakery distributes their bread in a plain white van in that area. We can already toss it on the trash pile.

About works in the woods - I don't know, the parts I mentioned with the power line were cleared definitely before I was born (2005 hatchling here), but I wonder if someone from the police thought about asking the local forestry department about that.

The harvest machines ruckus certainly helped to drown any screams and other noises. But I do not think the tractor was used, I mean these roads are narrow, a tractor that stopped would block whole road and certainly would get remembered by witnesses.

Then I wonder - from the culprit's perspective, apparently it was an absolutely perfect timing for that. She was biking alone through the forest, there were zero to none people around, and even if there were - everything was silenced by the hum.

I keep thinking about Jowita's bike. If the pictures in the press really show it as it looked after it was found, then it is impossible it was left in the woods for a month. It was pristine, not a single speck of dirt or rust. As it is pretty fine bike I can see perpetrator wanting to make a dime by selling it, but then it became too risky to keep it, so he dumped it in the woods.

This definitely could play an important part, not only the perpetrator could sell the bike as it was, but even metal scrapping is still a common way to pocket a little additional money. But as you said, it was risky and they just dumped it because they were scared.

Aaand... maybe they fixed and cleaned it up, even right after the crime happened - if only for the purpose of selling it, but it also helped in covering the traces. Everything adds up to definitely convince me that it was done by a local. And it wasn't a master of crime, rather someone lucky that no one found out.

My theory goes somewhat like that - someone had hit her on the road, either intentionally or a drunk driver (really common in this type of area, trust me), in a heavy-duty 4x4 or pickup truck. And then the whole "get away with it FAST" happened.


Quick important update:

Tajemnicze zniknięcie Jowity Zielińskiej. Sprawą zajmuje się specjalny zespół policji

Trwają rozpaczliwe próby odnalezienia 31-letniej Jowity Zielińskiej. Kobieta zaginęła w tajemniczych okolicznościach. Poszukiwaniami zajmie się specjalnie powołany zespół policjantów.

www.wprost.pl

Gdzie jest Jowita Zielińska? Rodzina podejrzewa uprowadzenie mieszkanki kujawsko-pomorskiego. Sprawdzamy tę hipotezę

Jowita Zielińska zaginęła w lipcu 2024 roku. Od 11 miesięcy rodzina i bliscy nie przestali jej szukać. Jak podaje bydgoski „Super Express”, obecnie sprawę oficj...

bydgoszcz.eska.pl

The special department from Bydgoszcz took over the case now - they were involved before, but now they're the main guys. We'll see how it'll go.

Also the police doesn't disqualify involuntary manslaughter theory that I wrote about, so yeah, it's not that wrong of a way to go with thinking.

 

[arrivvederchi]

One quick follow-up: I listened to Olga Herring's podcast about Jowita's case (and yes, I stayed up all night at this). Two particular things stood out to me - the prime suspects.

First: she actually didn't use public transport to go to work, but she was driven there by a worker of the same company that she worked for in his bus. He actually testified and seemed cooperative, but there's no public information if he was ruled out. Some people think that he might be involved, but I wouldn't be so certain - he left her in Rogowo as usual, for her to hop on a bike (on which she was seen), and they even planned for him to pick her up next time.

Second: Jowita's family states that on the unfortunate evening, when her in-laws came back from Toruń, a black Škoda was parked in their driveway and two suspicious men were lurking on their yard - they explained that they wanted to buy some pants from Jowita's mother-in-law, who runs a clothing business - kinda weird given the time. Maybe they were drunk and making excuses, and she was laid in the trunk of their car, as someone in the comments suggested - but then what about the bike, it wouldn't fit into a regular Škoda sedan or hatchback. One of the men was apparently making romantic advances towards Jowita, and the family thinks that they might be at fault. Both men were also interrogated, but everything is still classified and kept in secret.

 

[Hexe]

Second: Jowita's family states that on the unfortunate evening, when her in-laws came back from Toruń, a black Škoda was parked in their driveway and two suspicious men were lurking on their yard - they explained that they wanted to buy some pants from Jowita's mother-in-law, who runs a clothing business - kinda weird given the time. Maybe they were drunk and making excuses, and she was laid in the trunk of their car, as someone in the comments suggested - but then what about the bike, it wouldn't fit into a regular Škoda sedan or hatchback. One of the men was apparently making romantic advances towards Jowita, and the family thinks that they might be at fault. Both men were also interrogated, but everything is still classified and kept in secret.

Every suitor should have bern checked thoroughly. Romantic rejection is, unfortunately, quite often motive for assault and murder of women. Why were they hanging out in the inlaws driveway? Were they checking if the inlaws were aware Jowita was missing?

Good to know these men were interrogated. Polish police often doesn't treat the cases of missing adults seriously, but here they at least did some basic job.

 

[Hexe]

There were theories about a white van or bus lurking around - but come on, it's the usual scary story for well-behaved kids. Also there are plenty of white vans around, even a pretty reputable local bakery distributes their bread in a plain white van in that area. We can already toss it on the trash pile.

Absolutely. There is, basically a white van on every corner, so it's barely surprising one was seen in the area when Jowita went missing. But I wouldn't toss it aside entirely, I mean you can fit a bike into the van easily.

About works in the woods - I don't know, the parts I mentioned with the power line were cleared definitely before I was born (2005 hatchling here), but I wonder if someone from the police thought about asking the local forestry department about that.

I am asking because I have one case from the southern Poland in the back of my head. A woman, who was there on holidays, went for a walk and vanished. Some time after her body got found in the woods. The perpetrator was a forestry worker who did some cuttings in the area and the LE were long unaware about it, because they only asked locals about strangers. And the perp was local.

Then I wonder - from the culprit's perspective, apparently it was an absolutely perfect timing for that. She was biking alone through the forest, there were zero to none people around, and even if there were - everything was silenced by the hum.

Maybe Jowita was followed from Rogowo?

Everything adds up to definitely convince me that it was done by a local. And it wasn't a master of crime, rather someone lucky that no one found out.

But someone has to know something...

My theory goes somewhat like that - someone had hit her on the road, either intentionally or a drunk driver (really common in this type of area, trust me), in a heavy-duty 4x4 or pickup truck. And then the whole "get away with it FAST" happened.

Believe me, I know. I am a country girl who drives herself to work and the amount of reckless drivers doing insane things on the road is staggering. And it was during harvest, many field workers drink boatloads of beer at work...