1988 Cold Case Solved: DNA Confirms Missing Teen's Fate After 38 Years
In February 2026, investigators in this case had made a targeted public appeal. So far, they had received a total of seven tips. Now, a former student of the Weserbergland Clinics' physical therapy school in Höxter has come forward, recalling the disappearance of a classmate in 1988. She contacted a police station in Hanover, which then notified the criminal investigation department (Kripo) in Bielefeld.
Since the Hanover Kripo was already handling a similar cold case in Lower Saxony, a reference saliva sample had been taken some time ago from the brother of the missing woman. The DNA profile was made available to the Bielefeld investigators by their Hanover colleagues.
"During the initial visual comparison of the two DNA records, striking similarities were immediately apparent," recalls Commissioner Mertens. "For this reason, we commissioned a forensic molecular genetics institute to prepare an expert report. Based on this analysis, we can now confirm that the reference individual and the previously unidentified female body recovered from Godelheim Lake are siblings."
Martina S., who had been missing for 37 years, was in fact 170 cm tall, with blue eyes, medium-blonde hair, and fair skin—exactly the characteristics revealed by the extended molecular genetic testing conducted by the Cold Case investigation team.
The 25-year-old vanished from her shared apartment in Höxter on September 28, 1988, leaving behind a brief note now believed to be a suicide letter. After carefully reviewing the missing person case and consulting with her acquaintances, investigators no longer suspect foul play but instead believe she took her own life.
Even the restraints found around her legs do not contradict this theory. The packaging tape used may have been employed to attach a weight near the knees or to restrict movement before entering the water.
Part of the Cold Case unit's work also involves personally informing the families of missing persons about investigative progress or the conclusion of a case. In conversations with relatives, officers often encounter a mix of grief and relief when long-unsolved cases are finally resolved. Though these meetings can be highly emotional, investigators see it as a vital duty to provide closure to the loved ones of the deceased.
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