Discovery of an unknown dead body

 

On 5th July 2016 at about noon a canoeist paddling on

the river Elbe discovered a metal-box, floating on the water surface, evidently

containing a human body. Police Officers from Water Police Station Magdeburg

responded to the scene. After arrival at about 1:20 p.m. they confirmed the

discovery of an unknown death body within the metal box. Jointly with firefighters from surrounded villages the

corpse was recovered and brought to the Institute of Medical Jurisprudence in

Halle (Saale).Dessau-Roßlau?s Prosecutor?s Office initiated an

investigation in order to clarify the identity of the person, the cause of

death as well as the circumstances of decease. Police investigations enclose links to other missing

person cases, also transnational.

 

 First Results of post-mortem forensic examination

 

Results of the first autopsy had shown that the

unknown person found in the metal box on the river Elbe was male. Furthermore

traces of multiple injuries were discovered, which suggests that the men became

a victim of a homicide.

 

 

 

The found person can be described as follows:

 

malebetween 45 - 60 years (maximum) oldathletic physiqueapproximately 75 kg of weight (165 lb)approximately 180 cm toll (5.9 ft)  On the left forearm a black ink tattoo displaying

?Michaela? was discovered (figure 1). On the right hand side ring finger a

golden ring with engraving ?Michaela? was found (figure 2).

 

The forensic post-mortem examination report says that the time of death

must have been several weeks before the discovery of the corpse, based on its

superficial condition and appearance.

 

 

 

The metal-box

 

The corpse was found in a rather old and partially

rusty metal-box which appears to be used as a container for tools and worker?s

personal belongings (figures 3 and 4). Pursued investigation has shown that a

large number of this metal-box type was produced until 1991. An apparent manual

black ink writing named ?Albert Glück? was found at the front side of the box. Two

adhesive labels were found on the inside hatch, one with the inscription ?Original

BETRA Qualität? (figure 5) another label showing two ?Mainzelmännchen?

(animated advertising characters) with the inscription ?ZDF? (2nd German

public television channel) (figure 6).

 

Forensic facial reconstruction of the individual

 

The

facial reconstruction, provided by special forensic section of State Office of

Criminal Investigations Saxony-Anhalt, shows an approximate physical appearance

of the unknown person (figure 7).

 

 

 

Place of the discovery of the corpse

 

In the meantime ongoing forensic investigation

has shown, that the metal-box containing the human body was apparently thrown

from the near A9-motorway bridge into the river Elbe (figure 8).

 

The relevant segment of the A9-motorway bridge

is situated between junction 8 ?Coswig? and junction 9 ?Vockerode?. The

A9-motorway connects the major cities Berlin and Munich and is frequently used

by commuters, tourists and domestic car drivers as well as for road haulage.

 

Criminal investigation emerged so far, that unknown

persons apparently conveyed the metal-box with the human body by an unknown

automotive to a place on the described A9-motorway bride before 5th

July 2016, then throwing the metal-box from the bridge directly into the water

of the river Elbe.

 

 

 

Isotope dating and analysis / Facial soft tissue

reconstruction

 

The

identification on the unknown individual plays a prominent role inside the

investigation. Since the body was found in a metal-box on the river Elbe on 5th

July 2016, prosecutor?s office and police Criminal Investigation Department (CID)

imposed forensic surveys regarding isotope analysis as well as facial soft

tissue reconstruction.

 

 

 

Isotope dating and analysis

 

The biochemical

examination for isotope dating and analysis was implemented by the Institute

for Forensic Medicine of Munich. The results suggest that the unknown person

lived in Germany at least for the last ten years, originally stems from south-east

Europe. Researches had shown, that the unknown person presumably lived in one

the south-east European states until the age of 35. He might be grown up in

states like Ex-Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria or other neighboring countries

before he moved to Germany. It appears that he rather lived inland than at the

seaside.

 

 

 

Facial soft tissue reconstruction

 

The facial

reconstruction was done by specialists from Saxony-Anhalt?s State Office of

Criminal Investigations (figures 9 and 10). The following figures show how the

unknown person might have looked like before his death.

 

 

 

Investigator?s questions

 

 

Who can identify the unknown person?

Who had seen the man before 5th July

2016?

Where was he seen before 5th

July 2016?

Who can provide details about the found

items (e.g. metal-box, ring)?

Who can furnish particulars about the

imaged tattoo or the tattooed name?

Who made relevant observations near the

above mentioned A9-motorway bridge before 5th July 2016?

 

 

Despite a

great number of national and transnational publications, the identity of the

found person is still unknown. Many people grandly supported police

investigations by yielding important information, but the person is still

considered as unidentified.

 

With this

additional press release police and prosecutor?s office are again looking for

any relevant information. Investigators are seeking for your support. However

somebody considers his or her perceptions as not so important until now, it

could provide a breakthrough information for our detectives. Please do not

hesitate to contact us!

 

For any relevant

information please use our contact number +49-340-6000-291 or write an email

to lfz.pd-ost@polizei.sachsen-anhalt.de.

You can also report to your local police office nearby.

 

  

 

Frank PieperPress officerProsecutor?s office Dessau-Roßlau                             

 

 

 

Sebastian OpitzPress officerPolice Department ?Region East? Saxony-Anhalt