The biggest unsolved mysteries of Germany: What happened to Inga Gehricke and Lars Mittank?

The cases of Inga Gehricke and Lars Mittank are among the most puzzling missing persons cases in Germany in recent years. New leads have now brought fresh momentum to the investigations and could shed light on the mysteries.

But how reliable are these new pieces of information? Could they help finally solve the fates of the two missing individuals, or will the truth remain hidden? The public and the victims' families are still holding onto hope for answers, while the investigations seem to be taking a new direction.

A new strategy to find the missing persons

The cases of Inga Gehricke and Lars Mittank have deeply affected the German public for years. Both disappearances remain unresolved and raise countless questions that continue to occupy the investigators and the families. At the end of last year, 2024, an unusual approach drew fresh attention: photos of the two missing persons have been printed on a smoothie packaging – a creative method to raise awareness of these cases and possibly receive new leads.

According to a report from Brisant, this was intended to revive the search for the missing individuals and also reach people who were previously unaware of their disappearance.

While the search for the two continues, here's a break down of what happened to the two.

The case of 5-year-old Inga Gehricke

Inga Gehricke disappeared without a trace on 2 May 2015 during a family outing in the forests of Stendal, a town in Germany. The five-year-old was playing with other children near a barbecue area and had gone to collect firewood, as reported by MDR. However, when she failed to return shortly after, one of the largest search operations the country has ever seen was launched.

Hundreds of volunteers, including police, rescue teams, and volunteers, combed the surrounding forest area for days – without success. Search dogs, drones, and thermal cameras were deployed, but there was no trace of Inga. Despite extensive investigations, what happened to her remains unresolved to this day.

Notably, suspicions arose early on that Inga's disappearance could be linked to a violent crime. There were signs pointing to possible abductions, and she was even linked to the same suspect that is being investigated for Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

However, these leads ultimately proved to be fruitless. The case remains one of the biggest mysteries in German criminal history and continues to haunt not only her family but also the public.

The case of 28-year-old Lars Mittank

Lars Mittank vanished on 8 July 2014 under mysterious circumstances in Bulgaria. The then 28-year-old German had been on holiday with friends at the Golden Sands resort and stayed behind after an argument over a football game and an ear injury, with a doctor advising against flying. His behaviour became increasingly odd shortly afterwards: Lars appeared paranoid and told his mother on the phone that he was being followed by strangers, according to T-Online.

The last known moment of Lars Mittank was captured on surveillance cameras at Varna Airport. The footage shows him suddenly running out of the terminal in panic, climbing over a fence, and disappearing into a nearby forest. Since then, he has not been seen again.

The investigation has so far yielded no tangible results, but numerous theories exist about his disappearance. Speculations range from a mental breakdown to a possible abduction or even a crime. The case of Lars Mittank gained worldwide attention due to the disturbing surveillance footage and is considered one of the most baffling missing persons cases in Europe. His family has not given up hope of finding him one day.

Previous investigative approaches in both cases

In both cases, extensive investigations have been carried out, but so far, no definitive answers have been found.

In the case of Inga Gehricke, the police conducted one of the largest search operations in Saxony-Anhalt's history. In addition to ground search teams, helicopters, drones, and search dogs were used to comb the vast forest area. Countless tips from the public were received, including suspicions of possible perpetrators. Notably, a house was searched in connection with a known paedophile. However, despite these efforts and extensive media coverage, no conclusive clue about Inga's whereabouts has been found.

Similarly, the investigation into Lars Mittank's case proved complex. The focus was on the final days before his disappearance: from the injury he might have sustained during an altercation to his unusual behaviour in the days that followed. While the surveillance videos at the airport presented a disturbing image of his panic, they provided no clues as to what actually happened or where Lars might have gone. The search in the surrounding forest proved fruitless, and numerous reported sightings from various countries failed to lead to any breakthroughs.

The fact that both cases remain unsolved despite modern technology, international cooperation, and significant public interest demonstrates the challenges of missing persons investigations. Critics have also pointed out that valuable time may have been lost in the early stages of both cases, during which crucial evidence could have been secured.

This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag DE.

Read more:

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Sources used:

Brisant: Wo sind Inga Gehricke und Lars Mittank?Eltern schöpfen Hoffnung nach Foto-Suchaktion auf Smoothie-Flaschen

MDR: Seit sieben Jahren verschwundenFall Inga ist ein "Cold Case", der niemanden kalt lässt

T-Online: Mysteriöser FallLars Mittank seit 10 Jahren vermisst – "große Sache" angekündigt