Authorities are currently probing into Lina's homicide.
Authorities have been on the hunt for 15-year-old Lina for over a year now, ever since she vanished without a trace in Alsace. The case, known for its high profile and occurring in the Franco-German border area, is showing strong indications of a criminal act. As Alexander Chevrier, the public prosecutor, declared in Strasbourg, investigators now believe that Lina was picked up by a passing criminal and later restrained.
Unfortunately, with the main suspect committing suicide before being questioned and all searches for Lina failing so far, her fate remains uncertain. After a year without any signs of life, the chances of finding Lina alive are slim.
Back on September 23 last year, the teenager disappeared while heading towards the train station in Saint-Blaise-la-Roche, aiming to travel to Strasbourg. Investigators discovered that she didn't board the train. The extensive search efforts, which involved divers from both French and German water police, didn't yield any results. A witness claimed to have spotted Lina in a small car, leading to suspects being questioned among the owners of such vehicles in the area.
Stolen Car Seized
Recently, investigators seized a car that had been stolen in August 2023 and registered in Emmendingen, Baden-Württemberg. Inside the car, they found DNA traces, Lina's handbag, and ropes believed to have been used to bind her. No traces of blood were detected, as the public prosecutor reported. By tracing the geolocation of the car and analyzing video footages, criminal technicians determined that the car was in the vicinity of the scene around the time of Lina's disappearance.
The 43-year-old suspect, who had been on the run with the stolen car for some time, committed suicide on July 10 at his residence in Besançon, eastern France. He was scheduled to appear in court on July 22 in connection with several violent robberies. The man, who has a history of being admitted to psychiatric hospitals multiple times, was under investigation at the time.
Thanks to the car's movement data, investigators initiated extensive searches in the Vosges forests, where the car had made a prolonged stop. Much to their dismay, the search efforts proved to be fruitless, and the investigations continue as the public prosecutor's office emphasized.
Despite the discovery of DNA traces, Lina's handbag, and potential restraint ropes in the seized car, her whereabouts remain missing. The absence of any blood evidence has left investigators with more questions than answers, adding to the uncertainty surrounding Lina's case.
