Disappeared for 25 years: New call for help in the Katrin case!

Disappeared for 25 years: New call for help in the Katrin case!

On January 1, 2001, the then 15-year-old Katrin Konert from Bergen in the Lüchow-Dannenberg district disappeared without a trace. The last known sighting took place at a bus stop in the town center. Since then there has been hardly any new information about their fate. Investigators assume it was a suspected homicide and reopened the case in 2018, which led to over 170 new tips. January 1, 2026 will mark the 25th anniversary of her disappearance, and on this occasion the police are once again asking for the public's help in obtaining any possible information.

A special role is played by an anonymous whistleblower who reported to the investigators that on the day of her disappearance, Katrin spoke to a person who offered to drive her home. However, the young person refused this. The whistleblower has not come forward since then and investigators are urging him to get in touch again. This could be crucial in shedding light on the missing case. Chief Inspector Annegret Dau-Rödel is leading the new investigation and is confident that there are still people who could have relevant information.

Additional details and investigative measures

There is a precise description of Katrin's last sighting: She was around 1.60 meters tall, slim and had dyed black, chin-length hair. On the evening of her disappearance, she was wearing a black bomber jacket with orange lining, black corduroy trousers, black boots and a white turtleneck sweater. The circumstances of her disappearance were anything but favorable; On the evening of January 1, 2001, there was a light drizzle that froze into lightning ice in some places. These adverse conditions could add an additional shadow to Katrin's final moments.

Police work was intensified and several forest areas in the region were searched in 2019. Media presence and podcasts are also used to raise awareness of the case and reach potential witnesses. In order to sharpen citizens' eyes and ears, a reward of 10,000 euros was offered for relevant information that could help investigators pursue new leads.

Missing persons cases in Lower Saxony

Katrin's case is not the only one that concerns the police in Lower Saxony. According to the State Criminal Police Office, around 1,400 people are currently missing, of which over 650 are children and young people up to the age of 17. Finding missing people often happens within a few days, but in cases like Katrin's there is often only hope. When children go missing, the police generally assume there is a danger, which underlines the urgency of providing information.

The police are therefore supporting the public and calling on everyone to report information that could be connected to Katarin's case. Information can be given directly to the Lüchow Police Department by telephone or email or anonymously via the BKMS portal. Every piece of information, no matter how small, could be crucial to finally finding answers to the many open questions.

In summary, the Katrin Konert case shows how important the public's support is in such tragic matters and how investigators continue to work on solving such cases despite the long period of time. The 25th anniversary of her disappearance could be the key to a long-overdue resolution.