Searching for Missing Persons by Kurtz Investigations Kiel

There are many reasons to search for or have someone search for a person: children running away from home, people with dementia who have become lost, debtors who are on the run, and so on. In these and many other cases involving missing persons, our IHK-certified private investigators at Kurtz Investigations Kiel and Schleswig-Holstein are your first point of contact: +49 431 3057 0053.

Child Abduction | Kidnapping within the Family (Case Study)

Margot, 27 years old, was the single mother of eight-year-old Charlotte. When her then-partner learned that Margot was pregnant and intended to keep the child, he could not pack his bags and disappear fast enough. Neither the youth welfare office nor the family court were able to locate him. Presumably, he had fled abroad, but at that time Margot could not afford a detective with her meagre trainee salary to find the child’s father; she needed all her money to provide for herself and her little daughter. A year after Charlotte’s birth, Margot resumed her training and passed her exams as a nurse. Her parents supported her and cared for Charlotte as if she were their own child.

Four years after Charlotte’s birth, an orthopaedic doctor named Wolfgang started working at the clinic where Margot was employed and had since become the ward doctor on her unit. The doctor and the nurse got along very well from the start and had been a couple for two years. Little Charlotte was very attached to Wolfgang and affectionately called him “Paps”. Wolfgang had also grown fond of the little girl.

About six months ago, Wolfgang had received an offer from a doctor friend, who had long been practising in Denmark, to join the practice as a partner. Wolfgang discussed the matter with Margot, who was happy to move to Denmark with him and Charlotte, where she could work part-time at the practice. Around two months before the move, they visited Margot’s parents to share their plans. The parents were horrified: they would no longer be able to see their daughter and granddaughter! Margot reassured them, promising that they would visit often, and that it was not as if they were embarking on a world trip to Denmark (they lived in the Ostholstein district). Nevertheless, Margot’s parents could not calm down.

Grandparents Disappear with Granddaughter

In the following weeks, everything initially appeared normal: Charlotte spent a lot of time with her grandparents while Margot worked and prepared for the move. However, when the mother went to pick up her child from her parents one Saturday morning, no one was home. She tried to contact her parents on their mobile phones, but in vain – they were switched off. Margot asked the neighbours if they knew where her parents and her daughter were. The neighbours were surprised that she did not know her parents had sold the house and bought a motorhome with the proceeds. They had left on Friday morning with Charlotte. Charlotte had not stopped chattering for a moment and had excitedly told the neighbours about a world trip.

Margot was stunned: it sounded as if her parents had abducted her daughter. She drove home and informed Wolfgang, who called the police. Two officers arrived and interviewed Margot, who knew no more than what her parents’ neighbour had told her. Even after the police contacted that neighbour, they were no wiser: they had no record of the motorhome’s registration, not even the vehicle type – the neighbour only knew it was a very large white model. The police search yielded nothing even after several days.

When the Police Yield No Results: Detectives Conduct Thorough Investigations

Margot and Wolfgang decided to engage Kurtz Detective Agency Kiel and Schleswig-Holstein to locate their daughter. Our investigators proceeded systematically, first tracing the seller of the motorhome to obtain the vehicle registration. During the investigation, the Kiel detectives followed various research paths that led to the motorhome and thus to the grandparents and Charlotte. With the excellent support of a partner agency in northern Spain, the investigators were able to conduct cross-border enquiries and discovered that Charlotte and her grandparents were now in southern France. An investigative team immediately set off with Margot and Wolfgang to retrieve Charlotte and hold her grandparents accountable.

Upon arrival, they found the motorhome abandoned in a caravan park covering approximately 65 hectares. The Schleswig-Holstein detectives provided Margot and Wolfgang with walkie-talkies and separated to search the site. After just under an hour, Wolfgang found Margot’s mother carrying shopping towards the motorhome and called the others via radio. The grandmother feigned ignorance, asking why Margot and Wolfgang had come to southern France, to which Charlotte asked why the grandparents had taken her and where she had been. The grandmother denied knowing anything; the child had been left with Margot’s neighbours on Friday evening because Margot had not been at home. When the desperate mother mentioned that the neighbour had seen them leave with Charlotte on Saturday, the grandmother denied everything again. Where was the child?

Mantrailing: Tracking Dogs as a Key Tool

One of our detectives explained to Margot and Wolfgang that mantrailing offered another possibility to find Charlotte. This method uses tracking dogs that can follow a person’s trail based on their unique scent molecules. Despite strong protests from Margot’s mother, the mother and stepfather searched the motorhome for Charlotte’s clothing to provide a scent article and quickly found suitable items. Kurtz Investigations Kiel contacted their mantrailing expert in Berlin and flew him to southern France immediately. While the detectives and concerned parents awaited the expert, they ensured that, firstly, the grandmother could not leave, and secondly, that the grandfather and/or Charlotte would not escape the motorhome if they returned. After almost seven hours, the mantrailing expert arrived at the trailer park, but the two missing persons had still not returned. Using the tracking dogs, Charlotte was located with her grandfather in a woodland area about two kilometres away; apparently, the grandmother had somehow signalled her accomplice to hide with the abducted child.

Thanks to the support of our mantrailing expert and the investigative work of our Kiel private detectives, Charlotte was able to return home with her parents and eventually move to Denmark.

Note

To preserve discretion and the personal rights of clients and target individuals, all names and locations in this case report have been changed beyond recognition.

Searching for People by Private Detectives from Kiel

If you are looking for a missing person, contact our experienced private investigators in Kiel. Describe your case without obligation by email at kontakt@kurtz-detektei-kiel.de or by telephone at +49 431 3057 0053.