Rebecca Reusch: New life for the investigation after 6 years?

Rebecca Reusch: New life for the investigation after 6 years?

Rebecca Reusch from Berlin has been missing since February 18, 2019. The case remains a shadow play of questions and speculative answers that concerns all of Germany. The police have identified her brother-in-law, Florian R. (33 years old), as the main suspect. He was the last person to see the 15-year-old alive. While he vehemently denies the allegations, he naturally maintains his presumption of innocence. But the investigators are faced with a mystery and time is working against them. More than six years have now passed, and yet there is new movement in the case.

In October 2025, investigators searched several properties in Brandenburg, including that of Florian R.'s grandparents in Tauche, southeast of Berlin. Despite intensive investigations using sniffer dogs, excavators, drones and ground radar, no remains could be found. “Traces have been secured,” was the succinct statement from the police, without giving any further details. In the interview, ex-homicide detective Peter Schnieders pointed out that body tracking dogs could potentially still arrive, depending on where the missing body was dumped. Unanswered questions still remain: Was Rebecca killed? And if so, where could her body be hidden?

Groundbreaking proposals for enlightenment

Axel Petermann, an experienced ex-homicide detective and profiler, has been following the case for years. In his suggestions for improving investigations, it is clear that he is critical of the focus on certain crime sequences. His impression is that new information is often ignored if it does not agree with existing theories. In his view, involving case analysts who were not part of the previous investigations could provide new approaches and perspectives.

He describes the urgency of developing new interpretations of the perpetrator's motivations and the course of events in order to discover any hidden information. Petermann points out that psychological dimensions are often neglected in reports of missing cases like this one, a significant gap that still needs to be filled. “The sequence of events could be represented in pixel form – you have to put the individual parts back together,” he says.

The search for the truth

The investigators are only partially optimistic. However, Peter Schnieders is convinced that a complete search of the area offers great opportunities. The missing carpet in the brother-in-law's living room has raised many questions. The night before she disappeared, Rebecca was at her sister and brother-in-law's house. Schnieders suspects that something that was undesirable may have been transported in the carpet.

It remains a challenging search, especially because after more than six years the ability to find fingerprints or body secretions is severely limited. But hope dies last, and the investigators are determined to solve the case one day. The crucial question remains: Where is Rebecca Reusch?

To find out more about the background, [t-online.de] refers to the current situation and [rtl.de] offers insights into the latest developments surrounding the case. It remains to be seen whether fresh approaches and new techniques can shed light on this.