Berlin’s 1988 cold case: Who was the unidentified woman buried in Spandau?

A burlap sack, a shallow grave, and decades of silence. Could new clues finally reveal the truth behind this chilling Berlin mystery?

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2026 January 14 . 3:14 PM

1 min read

The image shows a woman with red hair wearing a fur coat on the cover of a Berliner Leben magazine.... — The image shows a woman with red hair wearing a fur coat on the cover of a Berliner Leben magazine. She has a warm and inviting expression on her face, and her hair is styled in a classic 1950s look. The text on the poster reads "Berliner Lebens" in bold, black lettering.

Police Publish Photo of Murder from Around 38 Years Ago - Berlin’s 1988 cold case: Who was the unidentified woman buried in Spandau?

Nearly 38 years ago, forest workers in Berlin’s Spandauer Forst made a grim discovery. A woman’s body was found buried in a shallow pit, wrapped in a burlap sack with ropes around her neck. Despite decades passing, her identity—and the circumstances of her death—remain a mystery.

The body was uncovered in the Hakenfelde area of Spandau on a Tuesday in November 1988. The victim, believed to be between 24 and 32 years old, was slender and naturally blonde, though her hair had been dyed reddish-brown at the time of death. Investigators suspect she was strangled, possibly with watersport ropes, and that her body may have been hidden there for up to two years.

The woman had ties to both West and East Berlin’s music scenes, suggesting she moved between the divided city’s cultural circles. Despite extensive efforts, authorities have never identified her or determined who was responsible for her death. The case has been featured on the ZDF programme Aktenzeichen XY… Unsolved as part of the Federal Criminal Police Office’s (BKA) ‘Identify Me’ campaign. In a bid to encourage new leads, the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office has offered a reward of up to €2,500 for information that could help solve the case.

Decades later, the woman’s identity and the details of her death remain unknown. The reward and ongoing media coverage aim to bring forward witnesses or details that could finally provide answers. Without new information, the case will stay unsolved.