Infant found dead on the Rhine in 1987 – The case is now finally to be solved

In 1987, a newborn baby was found on the banks of the Rhine. 36 years later, the Bonn police are again looking for clues.

Bonn – It must have been an absolute shock: Over 30 years ago, a walker in Bonn (North Rhine-Westphalia) discovered a black bag. Inside were blood-stained towels – and a dead baby. Where the newborn came from is still unclear. The police will now change that – and are once again looking for clues. The case is also part of “Case number XY… unsolved”.

Cold case from Bonn: Walker discovers dead infant in bag on the Rhine

What exactly happened in December 1987 is unclear. One thing is certain: on December 10, 1987, a Thursday, a walker made a gruesome discovery on Bonn's Fritz-Schroeder-Ufer, more precisely on the NATO ramp between Wachsbleiche and Rosental. He discovered a black cloth bag right on the waterline of the Rhine. “The walker looked into the open bag and saw the body of an obviously newborn baby next to several towels with blood on them,” said the Bonn police.

An autopsy later revealed that the baby was a viable premature birth in the 7th or 8th month of pregnancy. There had been a month of pregnancy that had resulted in death due to external influences. However, the mother of the child was never identified. Despite intensive investigations by the medical profession into pregnant women who could not provide evidence of having given birth, the case remained unsolved. Until now.

Infant found dead on the Rhine in 1987 – now the case is finally to be solved

Almost 37 years later, the Bonn police Cold Case Investigation Group has reopened the case and is asking for information. They have published photos of the towels found at the site, which can be viewed on the police wanted persons portal. The baby's bag and clothing can also be viewed there. This should finally solve the case and clarify the baby's identity.

The investigators are addressing the following questions to the public:

• Who can provide information about a woman who was pregnant in the autumn/winter of 1987 and possibly gave birth to her child without assistance or hospitalization?
• Who can provide information about a household in which the towels or clothing items pictured were present before December 10, 1987, but then disappeared?

The Bonn police are accepting tips by calling 0228 15-0 or by emailing [email protected]. The case will be presented on September 11, 2024 by Franz Wirges, a member of the Bonn police's Cold Case Investigation Group (EG), in the ZDF program “Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst”. It is not the only cold case from NRW in this program. The case of 17-year-old Claudia Wilbert is also finally to be solved.