It has been more than ten years since a paddler made a gruesome discovery in the Elbe near Vockerode (Wittenberg district). The body of a man was found in a rusty metal box that had been washed ashore by the river. Little was clear about the background, reports Henry Dieringer, senior police officer in the Saxony-Anhalt police force.
Because the investigation was at a dead end, the investigators took the case to The Hague. The police and public prosecutor's office have been organizing so-called hackathons there for several years, in which volunteers from a wide range of areas work together with investigators to find new approaches to old cases. Within a very short time, several new investigative approaches were discovered, said Dieringer.
The dead man, whose possible origins had already been identified by isotope analyzes in Eastern Europe, had the name “Michaela” tattooed on his forearm. A ring on the man's finger also had an engraving with the name. “Of course we asked ourselves: Who is the woman? Why doesn't she seem to miss the man?"
Digital traces discovered by the hackathon participants ultimately led the investigators to Great Britain. The body of a woman who they believe to be “Michaela” was found there. Further traces led to Slovenia. Even ten years later, the case remains unsolved. “But it’s being investigated again,” says Karl Dege from the Magdeburg public prosecutor’s office.
Saxony-Anhalt Police adopts format from Netherlands
After several visits to the Netherlands, the format convinced the police in Saxony-Anhalt that it had been imported. For the first time, around 30 experts from a wide range of areas will meet with public prosecutors and representatives from all police stations in the country at the Weinberg Campus in Halle. They re-examine five to six completely different cases.
“Hackathon” - a fusion of the terms “hacking” and “marathon” - usually means the collaboration of several groups on specific problems. Concrete solutions should be developed within a day. It's about new, creative ideas when looking at old information, as long as they stay within the realm of legality, said public prosecutor Dege about the rules of the event.
Project manager: “The problems are the same everywhere.”
What has its origins in the software industry is in Halle a kind of true crime competition for committed people who enjoy volunteer investigations. Many have a background in the IT industry and have been there for years, according to Pascalle Visser, innovation expert at the Dutch police in The Hague.
In fact, the event is taking place there for the sixth time in October and has now developed into a kind of convention for police and volunteer investigators from several European countries. In addition to representatives from Germany, this year there are also participants from England and Luxembourg. The Swedish police are interested in implementing the format as well. «The problems are the same everywhere. Crime doesn't stop at national borders," says Bryan Sewberath Misser, Dutch police inspector and co-project leader of the hackathon in Halle.
Missing person case solved after years of searching
Crime is increasing - especially in the digital space. The number of crimes increased during the Corona period, said the 40-year-old. Perpetrators always used new approaches. The police felt like they couldn't keep up. This is how the format started. After initial skepticism, everyone is now convinced of the concept, which sometimes produces spectacular results. A missing girl was found again after years abroad. At the request of the girl's parents, Sewberath Misser did not provide exact details about the case.
In Halle, too, work is being done on missing person cases, cases of sexual violence and homicides, some of which are redacted, reports police spokeswoman Karina Wessel. Because ultimately it's about ongoing investigations, the success of which should not be jeopardized. Nevertheless: The police expect a lot from the outside view. Because the investigators often looked through “blue glasses,” says project manager Sewberath Misser. “But together we can see more.”
