As of: February 2, 2024, 7:02 p.m
By: Maximilian Kettenbach
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The authorities still suspect Rebecca Reusch's brother-in-law, Florian R., of having something to do with her disappearance.
Why is this still the case after five years?
Munich – In February, the family of Rebecca Reusch, who is still missing, has to go through this bad time again.
It is now the fifth anniversary.
Florian R., sister Jessica's husband and brother-in-law of the missing woman, is also always in the family circle.
He remains the number 1 suspect for investigators.
After five years, the authorities are not investigating in any other direction.
With moderate success.
Ralph Knispel is senior public prosecutor and head of the capital crimes department in Berlin.
His namesake Martin Knispel is leading the investigation.
Ralph Knispel is also chairman of the Berlin Prosecutors Association.
As such, “I can confirm to you that the public prosecutor continues to assume that Rebecca Reusch is dead.
It is known that there is a suspect and the investigation is ongoing,” he says at
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
But where does the bad suspicion come from?
What really happened to Rebecca Reusch from Berlin?
IPPEN.MEDIA series part 3
The then 15-year-old Rebecca Reusch from Berlin has been missing since February 18, 2019.
On the fifth anniversary of her disappearance, we would like to look at the case again from different perspectives.
On the five Fridays before the anniversary, we will publish a mini-series with the latest findings, theories from experts and assessments from investigators.
Part 1 of the series: Overview: Chronicle, status of the investigation and key moments
Part 2 of the series: Looking at the theories: 5 possible scenarios for Rebecca's disappearance
Of course, Florian R. is presumed innocent.
But all suspicions begin on the morning of Rebecca's disappearance.
She stayed overnight with her sister and brother-in-law.
He came home late from a company party and was alone in the house with Rebecca.
Then on February 18, 2019, Rebecca didn't show up at her school.
Jessica and her husband's raspberry-red Renault Twingo is registered by the Brandenburg license plate recognition system on the A12 between Berlin and Frankfurt (Oder) in the direction of Poland.
The day after, the car is recorded again on the same route.
According to the police, Florian R.'s statements do not match the movement data of his car.
Investigators say that there was supposedly a drug deal in Poland.
Brother-in-law Florian R. has to be in custody twice - and is released both times
In the ZDF program "Aktenzeichen brother-in-law, we come to the conclusion that Rebecca must not have left the house.
If we assume this, then the brother-in-law was alone in the house with her at the time of the crime in question." There were also two "strange and in need of clarification" trips with his Twingo.
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Florian R. has to go into custody twice and is released again.
The investigators' evidence is not sufficient in each case.
When Florian R. was still in custody on March 6, 2019, photos of him were published - in front of an audience of millions under file number XY.
Does the public prosecutor's office regret the actions taken at the time?
Knispel says: "If the proceedings against the accused were to be discontinued, his displeasure would appear understandable, but the ordering of criminal procedural measures does not depend on the state of mind of the accused - and should not."
Axel Petermann was a murder investigator before he became a profiler at the turn of the millennium.
The case analyst, confirmed by the police, has been advising the investigators since then.
Until 2014. Then he retired.
However, criminal cases continue to bother him.
His books based on true cases put him on the Spiegel bestseller list.
© Ralf Gemmecke
Case analyst Axel Petermann classifies it for us: “The public prosecutor was hoping for clues about the whereabouts of the brother-in-law after Rebecca's disappearance.
This is a proven and legitimate means.
But it has to be considered very carefully.
Of course, publishing the photo quickly runs the risk of being prejudiced by the public.”
Taking all aspects into account, the brother-in-law's mugshot was urgently needed.
Criminalistics Professor Christian Matzdorf
Criminology professor Christian Matzdorf sees it similarly.
The 59-year-old was with the Berlin State Police for 30 years before he researched the topic scientifically.
He says: “This was urgently necessary at the time from the point of view of the investigation and considering all aspects such as the possibility of rescuing Rebecca from an existing dangerous situation.
In addition, the measure was suitable for obtaining witness statements that would help create his movement profile in the room.”
Rebecca's family continues to stand by her brother-in-law: "The presumption of innocence applies"
The Reusch family has stood by brother-in-law Florian for years, and has done so publicly.
This has consequences: Unfortunately, the relationship with the family is still not that easy, it is said behind closed doors.
There is talk of a lack of cooperation.
Mother Brigitte Reusch only emphasized this in April 2023 at
Bild
.
“We celebrate celebrations together, as long as we can still celebrate them after Rebecca's disappearance.
As long as we don't know 100% that Florian has something to do with Becci's disappearance, we are presumed innocent." The family doesn't want to give up hope that Rebecca will come back one day.
Google data and a bathrobe lead to another search of the brother-in-law's house
Back then, almost a year ago, the case took off again.
The investigators suddenly searched Jessica and Florian's house.
On the one hand, it was about possible evidence.
According to media reports, new data from the brother-in-law's Google search history showed that shortly before Rebecca's disappearance, he searched the Internet for breath control and strangulation practices during sexual intercourse.
Is she still alive?
The leading investigators no longer believe it: Rebecca Reusch from Berlin.
© private/Imago (montage)
As
IPPEN.MEDIA
knows, the investigators also noticed that a belt was missing from a bathrobe.
On the other hand, the police carried out acoustic measurements.
This was probably intended to determine where and how loud Rebecca's screams could possibly have been heard.
Profiler Petermann is shocked by the fact that this data only became known to the police so much later: “These are extremely important findings that could indicate the brother-in-law's sexual preferences and at the same time raise the question of whether he tried to become intimate with Rebecca and also to realize his sexual fantasies.” Unfortunately, four years later, possible traces are no longer there.
Meanwhile, investigators continue to search for the items that Rebecca is said to have had with her.
“Relationship between Rebecca and her brother-in-law remains open to speculation”
How close the relationship between Florian and Rebecca was remains questionable.
Criminalist Matzdorf, who followed the case intensively from the beginning, says: “This relationship has been examined from various sides, but it cannot be reconstructed from an outside perspective.
There are also no neutral witness statements.
The extent to which there was a special, possibly one-sided, closeness between Rebecca and her brother-in-law is therefore left to speculation.”
Christian Matzdorf is a professor of criminology with a focus on forensic science at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin).
There he heads the forensic science center and the university's crisis team.
He is also a board member and press spokesman for the German Society for Criminalistics (DGfK).
He was in the Berlin State Police for over 30 years.
© private
Ex-police officer warns investigators against “embarrassment” in Rebecca investigation
Apparently nothing has progressed since then, but no one wants to talk about a “cold case”.
“The file is not closed, new information is being investigated,” says the spokesman for the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office, Sebastian Büchner.
One thing is clear: the investigators are looking for a body.
They no longer assume that Rebecca left the house in Berlin-Neukölln alive.
Axel Petermann is now retired, but was once a murder investigator himself before he advised his colleagues as a profiler.
He assesses the current efforts as follows: “The great effort that was initially made has been reduced because a large number of clues and traces have already been examined.
The current team in the Rebecca murder squad is likely to be a small one.”
“It would be a huge embarrassment if the brother-in-law had to be released from custody for the third time without being charged.”
Case analyst Axel Petermann
The public reluctance of the public prosecutor's office is understandable at this point, reports Petermann.
However, he strongly believes that “they will continue to collect.
You seem to be convinced that you know who the perpetrator is.
They will want to continue their investigation calmly in order to collect enough clues and evidence that point to the brother-in-law as the perpetrator." The next judge should have no doubts about the brother-in-law's perpetrator and no other person should be considered for Rebecca's death, he says.
“It would be a huge embarrassment if the brother-in-law had to be released from custody for the third time without being charged.”
But the presumption of innocence still applies to Florian R.
The 3rd Homicide Squad of the State Criminal Police Office will receive information by calling (030) 4664-911333 or by email at lka113-tipp@polizei.berlin.de.