Police in the North have issued a fresh appeal for information on the 30th anniversary of the murder of teenage German backpacker Inga Maria Hauser.
Ms Hauser’s body was found in a remote part of Ballypatrick Forest in the Ballycastle area of north Antrim on April 20th, 1988.
PSNI Serious Crime Branch officers believe they are “extremely close” to a breakthrough. They are particularly interested in hearing from the north Antrim community about what they might know, as well as people who may have seen her travelling in England and Scotland, before she embarked on the Stranraer to Larne ferry on April 6th, 1988.
Police believe the young woman died shortly after she arrived in Northern Ireland and that she was subjected to “a vicious and ruthless assault”.
Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray, who is leading the investigation, said officers are “extremely close” to a breakthrough. He said the police operation will span Northern Ireland and Scotland.
“We will be making a number of appeals for information as well as placing posters with Inga Maria’s photograph at various crucial locations and releasing new information into the public domain,” he said. “We hope this sustained approach will help jog people’s memories and encourage anyone who knows anything about the murder to come forward to police. “We still believe we are extremely close to progressing criminal justice action against Inga Maria’s killer or killers.”
One strand of the police operation is focused on identifying the man whose DNA was found at the crime scene. DCS Murray said a previous DNA screening process was one of the largest ever conducted and involved many hundreds of people, throughout the UK. Following further familial DNA screening, officers are “keeping an open mind about where this will lead the investigation”.
Ms Hauser’s diary and notebook entries, which chart her journey, have also been of use to officers trying to track down who murdered her.
Detectives are making a specific appeal to people who may have had contact with her on her travels in England and Scotland before she arrived in Northern Ireland. She had been in London, Bath, Liverpool, Preston, Inverness, where she cashed travellers’ cheques, and Glasgow.
“She was excited about coming to Northern Ireland as she wrote a postcard to her friend in Germany saying ‘My journey through England is wonderful – I’d rather not comeback. The day after tomorrow – it’s on to Ireland – which pleases me most of all,” she wrote prior to her untimely death.
On her last day alive, April 6th, she travelled by train from Inverness to Glasgow and then on to Stranraer before boarding the Sealink Galloway Princess to Larne at 7pm. Her notebook entries read: “Morning has broken in Scotland. Breakfast in Inverness. Nice town. Have to see the Loch Ness monster one day. Going to Glasgow now. Snowy mountains and wild landscape. Scotland is beautiful.”
DCS Murray says she was wearing baseball boots and a long, flowing skirt possibly multi-coloured, a jacket, possibly denim with a large blue rucksack. On top of this rucksack was a smaller bag with distinctive USAF badge.
“According to her diary and notebook entries she was excited about her trip to Northern Ireland and it is a fair assumption that she would most likely have chatted to passengers on the train or ferry asking questions about where to visit in Northern Ireland or where she could stay,” he said.
The police “trail runs cold” after she arrived in Larne and officers are keen to know: Did she leave the ship with anyone, did she leave in someone’s vehicle or did she leave as a foot passenger?
“Her last notebook entry on April 6th reads: ‘Went from Glasgow to Ayr and from there to Stranraer to get over to Ireland,” he said. “Saw the sea. Beautiful and mysterious. Wonder where I stay tonight. Need more money.’ Sadly, Inga’s final resting place in Northern Ireland was in Ballypatrick Forest.”
The senior officer says anyone with information “owes it her family to come forward so they can have closure after 30 years”.
“Do the decent thing for Inga’s sister and mother,” he said.
More than one person could have been involved in her death, police have said. At the time a man in the rural area east of Ballymoney was seen soon after the murder in April 1988 with scratches on his face and that there was concern in the community that he might have had some sort of involvement.
Police are making a direct appeal to the family and friends of the murderer or murderers to come forward if they have any information.
“What if this was your daughter or granddaughter – subjected to a brutal and ruthless assault after arriving in a new country before being killed and left in a forest. Think of the fear and pain she felt, think of her family not having justice.
“After 30 years, it’s time to tell us what you know – contact police by calling detectives in Maydown (Co Derry) on 028 71379783 [048 71379783 from the Republic].”