The key facts

  • Isolde Becker went missing on May 20, 1973, at a fair in Windeck-Dattenfeld; the last sightings were near a bumper car ride from 10:30 to 13:30
  • In 2026, the Bonn police reviewed the case and found new witnesses, including the former owner of the bumper car ride
  • The police believe the girl is most likely no longer alive and do not rule out a violent crime

A half-century-old case has been reopened

The Bonn police have resumed the investigation into the disappearance of 13-year-old Isolde Becker, who went missing on May 20, 1973, at a fair in the village of Windeck-Dattenfeld in North Rhine-Westphalia. This is reported by Gazeta.Ru, citing Bild.

What is known about the day of the disappearance

That day, Isolde went to the fair and never returned home; her family reported her missing the next day, but the search yielded no results. The last known information about her whereabouts comes from witnesses who saw the girl near a bumper car ride, where visitors rode small cars, from about 10:30 to 13:30. After that, the trail goes cold, and what happened to the child remains unknown to this day.

New witnesses, but no answers

In 2026, investigators decided to review the old case files and find people who might have noticed something at the fair. After the police appeal, new witnesses came forward: they even managed to locate the former owner of the bumper car ride, near which the girl was seen before her disappearance. Fairground workers from North Rhine-Westphalia were also interviewed. However, it has not yet been possible to establish where Isolde went.

The investigation's theory and an appeal to witnesses

The police believe the girl is most likely no longer alive and do not rule out that she fell victim to a violent crime. Isolde would now be 66 years old. The investigation continues: the police are asking anyone who attended the fair in Windeck-Dattenfeld from May 19 to 21, 1973, to come forward — after half a century, someone might recall a detail they previously overlooked.