Case name: The woman in men’s clothing
Case code: 2023-DE05
- Date of death (estimated): between November 1987 and November 1988
- Date of discovery: 8 November 1988
- Location: Germany: Jagen 21, near a parking lot in the continuation of Niederneuendorfer Allee, Stadtforst Spandau (nature reserve)
- Sex: Female
- Estimated year of birth: Between 1958 and 1968
- Estimated age: Between 20 and 30 years old
- Height: 162 – 165 cm
- Skin tone: Light-skinned
- Hair colour: Blonde hair, quite short, approximately 4 to 7 cm long
- Eye colour: Unknown
- Clothing: The woman was wearing mostly men’s clothing; a grey-coloured men's cotton shirt, blue cotton jeans trousers and a beige/brown men's coat made of linen at the front and jersey fabric on the back and sleeves. The coat had a stand-up collar and Velcro fasteners. She was also wearing white tennis socks. Shoe size 35 or 36.
- Tattoos, birth marks, scars: Unknown
- Jewellery: The woman was wearing a distinguishable wristwatch, earrings and a leather choker necklace.
The case
The "Spandauer Forst" forest area is a nature reserve northwest of Berlin. On 8 November 1988, a group of seven forest workers found the body of a woman lying in the middle of a fenced and protected area. She was lying in a hole in the ground, which was approx. 40 cm deep. It is believed that the hole had been opened by wild animals (foxes). The workers had been planting saplings in the nature reserve. The woman had been violently killed. Although she had been wearing conspicuous jewellery and had special characteristics, it has not been possible to identify her to date.
Characteristics
Police experts reconstructed the woman's face to show her appearance when she was still alive. She had a narrow, longish face. Her mouth and nose area could have been somewhat protruding, the nose may have been bent to the left. The woman had short, blond hair. There is information suggesting that the left side of her face was partially paralysed, but this is uncertain.
The woman was wearing two terry cloth bands on her right wrist, one red and one black. In addition, items were found with the victim, which may be linked to the perpetrator: a jute sack and two plastic ropes, which are common for use in water sports: a simple yellow rope and a rope made of high-quality material.
Her jewellery could provide significant clues for her identification.
- A silver coloured digital ladies wristwatch with a silver colour strap, Juta brand, model 'Melody quartz alarm chronograph'. The number 22982 is engraved on the back of the wrist watch, which could be the date 22 September 1982; this may have been an important date for the victim, such as a the date of a marriage or anniversary or birth date of someone else, but it could be a production date.
- The woman was wearing two conspicuous earrings on her right ear; one was a leaf-shaped earring with a shiny purple/turquoise-coloured metal coating (possibly titanium), approx. 3.5 cm long and 1 cm wide, and the other was a grid-like, rectangular earring made of blue metal (possibly titanium) with ten small holes in a row on the long sides and ten little squares in a row in the middle.
- She was also wearing a leather choker with a clasp around her neck.
Contact
If you have any information regarding the possible identity of this person, please contact the German national police via the form below.
You can also contact them and view this case on their national police website.
If you have any information regarding the possible identity of this person, please contact the national police.
