Hi and welcome @Avalonsfee. Thank you for joining.
Sadly the article is behind a paywall, so I can't read it. This is another one about the case:
Tote von A3: Altes Foto aus Kölner Kneipe bei Aktenzeichen XY
A body found on the A3 in 1991 has occupied investigators for more than 30 years. Can she finally be identified thanks to a photo from a Cologne pub?
The dead nobody knows. In the summer of 1991, the body of a young woman was found on the A3, just before the Neustadt (Wied) exit in Rhineland-Palatinate. Despite extensive investigations, she has not yet been identified. But in the meantime a hot trail leads to Cologne.
On Wednesday (March 16, 2022) police released an old photo from a pub showing a woman who closely resembles the dead woman. She sits at the counter of the former "Brückeck" on Severinsbrücke - that's where Cologne's Miljö used to meet.
Wednesday evening (March 16, 2022) the case was the subject of the ZDF program "
Aktenzeichen XY ". The photo from the Cologne pub, taken in 1983, also played a major role. Who is the unknown dead and why did she have to die? The investigators at the Neuwied Criminal Police Office are very hopeful that they will finally be able to clarify the fate of the unknown dead.
"The photo is currently our most important lead," explained Chief Inspector Stephan Bach from the Kripo Neuwied on the show. He's the investigator in charge of the case.
This is the "living" picture they are talking about:
Picture of Heidi
The woman who can be seen in the old photo is said to have often been to the “Brückeck” restaurant with a “Helmut” and lived with him in Cologne for two to three weeks in the 1980s. That's what the investigation revealed.
Investigator Bach: "About 40 years ago, Helmut was allegedly suspected of having killed his wife, but was said to have been acquitted at the time. We're looking for him as an important witness. He could help us clarify the identity of the woman from the bar."
There is more....
*warning....PM picture in article*
(snipped)
According to the police description, the dead woman has several old scars
On the day of death, August 7, 1991, the unknown woman looked like this:
- between 20 and 30 years old, more in the range of 20 years Heidi DOB July 21, 1960, would be approx 31 in 1991
- 1.74 meters tall and slim at 65 kilos Heidi N/A
- up to three centimeters long, straight, blond hair Heidi dark hair, could have colored her hair
- blue eyes Heidi unknown
- numerous old scars on arms and legs, on the right upper arm two vaccination scars in a typical place Heidi N/A
- she had at least one pregnancy
- conspicuous bone growth the size of a cherry stone above the left ear Heidi N/A
- dressed in beige wool tights, a sleeveless red and white dress with a green floral pattern, red bathing sandals with green, blue and yellow splashes of color, no bra, no panties
- Jewelry: silver earring in left ear, (Heidi seems to have pierced ears) silver necklace with a small Dutch shoe as a pendant (interesting), silver-colored ring on right ring finger, copper-colored Swatch wristwatch
Maybe it's an idea to make a thread for this particular case on WS. Genetic DNA research could be the solution if there are still identifiers. What is the status on that in Germany?
It's hard to tell if this woman is Heidi, for now I don't immediately say "Yes, this is a possible".
