True Crime Tuesday
The Frauke Liebs Case – Seven Calls from the Darkness
The Case in Brief
On June 20, 2006, 21-year-old nursing student Frauke Liebs disappeared without a trace after a night out in Paderborn. What followed was one of the most disturbing mysteries in German criminal history: For seven days, her roommate Chris received mysterious calls from Frauke’s phone. The conversations were short, confused, and disturbing – Frauke sounded frightened and bewildered. On October 4, 2006, a hunter found her remains in a wooded area near Lichtenau, about 20 kilometers from Paderborn. The case remains unsolved to this day.
The Greatest Mysteries
The central puzzle of the case is the seven mysterious phone calls between June 20 and 27, 2006. Frauke called her roommate and ex-boyfriend Chris several times, sounding frightened and confused. She mentioned that she was “not alone” and asked for help, without revealing her whereabouts.
Cell phone tracking revealed that the calls came from various industrial areas around Paderborn. Particularly disturbing: Frauke seemed not to know where she was, and her voice sounded increasingly weaker. After the last call on June 27, her phone fell silent forever.
Another mystery: Frauke’s personal belongings – Nokia 6230 phone, Fossil watch, and black handbag – were never found. The cause of death could not be definitively determined due to decomposition. Particularly puzzling is an approximately 2 cm cross found on Frauke’s clothing that family and friends didn’t recognize.
Parallels to Other Cases
The Case of Kris Kremers & Lisanne Froon (2014)
Two Dutch students disappeared in the Panamanian jungle in 2014. For over 10 days, their phones showed mysterious activity: 8 unsuccessful emergency calls, systematic turning on and off at specific times, and changed phone settings that one of the women had never made. From day 5 onwards, no correct PIN was entered – a hint at possible third-party involvement.
The Case of Lars Mittank (2014)
Like in the Frauke Liebs case, there is mysterious communication before the final disappearance. Lars’ panicked calls to his mother from Bulgaria were just as disturbing and confusing as Frauke’s conversations with Chris.
Current Developments 2024
Cold Case Unit NRW
Since November 2021, a special cold case unit with 24 retired investigators has been systematically working on unsolved cases since 1970 in North Rhine-Westphalia. Of 1,143 cold cases, 403 cases with good prospects for resolution have been identified – Frauke’s case is among them.
Modern DNA Technology
Revolutionary DNA analysis procedures can now examine severely degraded DNA traces of only one hundred-thousandth of a millimeter – technology that was not available in 2006 and could be decisive.
Recent Investigations
October 2023: After extensive investigations against two brothers from Lichtenau/Paderborn, these were discontinued. Months of DNA testing and phone evaluations revealed no connection to Frauke. However, this shows that active investigation continues.
Media Coverage
The 13-part Stern podcast series “Frauke Liebs – The Search for the Killer” brought over 150 new tips and was nominated for the German Audiobook Prize in 2024. This shows the power of modern media for case resolution. Important for potential witnesses: The family explicitly guarantees immunity from prosecution for accomplices who come forward.
Doc’s Corner: My Assessment
The Frauke Liebs case is one of the most disturbing unsolved criminal cases in Germany. The seven phone calls suggest that Frauke was initially still alive but obviously in an extreme emergency situation. The fact that she couldn’t or wouldn’t say where she was allows for various scenarios: kidnapping, captivity, or a psychological emergency state. As a true crime author, I’m particularly concerned with the question of the perpetrator-victim relationship. Was it a random crime or did Frauke know her tormentor? The cell phone tracking in industrial areas suggests a perpetrator familiar with the area who deliberately sought out remote locations. The investigative pressure on the perpetrator is enormous. I don’t believe he has a guilty conscience, nor that Frauke’s killing was an accident. I believe the perpetrator enjoys having committed what he considers a perfect crime. He still reads every news story. Not out of fear, but for narcissistic reasons. These people eventually make mistakes. And Frauke’s killer will meet the same fate. With the Cold Case Unit NRW and new DNA technologies, there’s more hope today than ever before. I hope that on the day of his arrest, Frauke’s family receives the answers they deserve.
Mystery Factor
Sources and Literature
- Wikipedia: Frauke Liebs Murder Case – Comprehensive documentation of the case
- WDR Lokalzeit: “The Frauke Liebs Case” – Investigative documentary
- Stern Crime Podcast: “Frauke Liebs – The Search for the Killer” – 13-part series
- NRW Cold Case Unit: Systematic re-examination of unsolved cases
- Radio Westfalica: Local reporting and witness statements
Ethical Notice
This blog is dedicated to analyzing true crime cases with the necessary respect and due care. We are aware that real destinies lie behind every case. Although Frauke’s mother ended her private search in 2023, the Paderborn prosecutor’s office continues to investigate.
Date: August 3, 2025 by Christian Hardinghaus on Doc’s Blog (www.christian-hardinghaus.de)
