Missing child - New excavation in the "Inga" case - samples for forensic medicine
Eight and a half years ago, five-year-old Inga disappeared in Stendal, apparently without a trace - now the police are investigating new clues in the case. Excavations on a private property were completed this afternoon, according to a spokesman for the Halle police station. A few small bones were found, explained Thomas Kramer, spokesman for the public prosecutor's office in Stendal. Several were obviously from animals, and it was not certain whether some of them were of human origin. No distinctive bones such as skulls or pelvises were found, Kramer said. Forensic examinations followed.
Shovels and spades were used to dig on the former military site, and a mini excavator was also on hand. The excavations had been started following a tip-off, about which police spokesman Ripke did not provide any further details.
At the beginning of December, the media reported on a privately organized search with special dogs in the area, which was snow-covered at the time. Several dogs had indicated that possible human remains could lie in an area near Uchtspringe, a district of Stendal, or that there could have been a dumping site there. The private investigation team wanted to pass on their findings to the police, the reports said.
New investigators from Halle took over the case
Five-year-old Inga from Schönebeck near Magdeburg disappeared on May 2, 2015 during a visit with her family in the remote Stendal district of Wilhelmshof - her fate remains unknown to this day. The five-year-old was last seen while preparing a barbecue. Extensive searches using technology and sniffer dogs as well as more than 1,500 emergency personnel had led to no results. Investigators followed up more than 2000 leads and clues. Ponds were pumped out, bodies of water examined and buildings searched several times. Nevertheless, there was no trace of the girl.
In April, the Halle police station took over the evaluation and analysis of the current state of the investigation. The investigators were asked to take an unbiased look at the case, which had previously been handled by the Stendal police station. This is the implementation of a new cold-case management system initiated by Saxony-Anhalt Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU). If investigations into homicide and missing persons cases remain unsuccessful for a long time, experienced investigative teams in Saxony-Anhalt are to be called in to take a second look.
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- The new clues in the case of Inga's disappearance led to recent excavations at a private property in Stendal, overseen by the Halle police station.
- Forensic examinations are now underway to determine the origin and significance of the small bones found during the excavations.
- In Saxony-Anhalt, a new cold-case management system was implemented, which led to the Halle police station taking over the investigation of Inga's case from the Stendal police station.
- Thomas Kramer, spokesman for the public prosecutor's office in Stendal, stated that no distinct human bones were found during the excavation, although several were animal bones.
- Even with extensive searches and over 1,500 emergency personnel involved, the whereabouts of the five-year-old Inga remain unknown due to a lack of evidence, despite following up on over 2,000 leads and clues.
- New investigators from Halle are currently analyzing the case of Inga's disappearance with an unbiased approach, as her fate has remained a mystery since May 2, 2015.
- The police in Saxony-Anhalt are still actively involved in the search for Inga, working alongside other law enforcement agencies and private investigation teams to uncover any new leads or evidence related to her disappearance.
Source: www.stern.de
