On the first day after the disappearance of 14-year-old Ayleen A. from southern Baden, the police searched with sniffer dogs and helicopters in Gottenheim, Umkirch and March.
About a hundred firefighters took part in the search on July 22, and some winegrowers from the area also helped.
Vain.
It was said that the girl was seen on the evening of July 21 on the northern Tuniberg, which is in Breisgau between the Black Forest and the Rhine.
Between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. she wanted to bring a hoodie back to a friend.
But according to the current investigations by the public prosecutor's office and the Freiburg criminal police, the girl, who was described as "shy and reserved", had arranged to meet a man via chat that evening.
Ruediger Soldt
Political correspondent in Baden-Württemberg.
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Like almost all young people of her age, Ayleen A. used various messenger services and the chat function of the online gaming platform "Fortnite".
Arno Englen, head of the Freiburg criminal police, said on Monday at a press conference on the Ayleen murder: "We quickly had to realize that we were dealing with a digital search for clues." Only once did the mobile phone provider of the missing person report an attempt to log in - in Hesse .
Through an extensive analysis of digital data, the investigative team finally managed to locate the girl's body on July 28 with a helicopter in a difficult-to-access quarry pond near Bad Nauheim.
The alleged perpetrator, with whom Ayleen A. had apparently made an appointment in Gottenheim, is said to have driven to Hesse with her on the evening of July 21.
"We were able to apprehend the perpetrator 72 hours after finding Ayleen's body," Englen said.
The police did not find him in his apartment, but in Frankfurt.
The suspect is a 29-year-old German citizen with a criminal record from near Wetzlar.
At the age of 14, he had "attacked from behind" and sexually molested an 11-year-old girl.
He was subsequently convicted of sexual abuse and attempted rape.
From 2007 to 2017 he was housed in the correctional facility for the serious sex offence.
After his release, he was checked for five years, until January 25, 2022, by the central office for the surveillance of sex offenders at risk of recidivism (ZÜRS) of the Hessian State Criminal Police Office.
The program includes regular talks with those who are at risk and support from the social welfare offices.
The accused is said to have only contacted Ayleen A. via the social networks after the end of the control measures.
Personal belongings of Ayleen A.
On July 29, police searched the suspect's home and found several of Ayleen A's personal belongings. Police arrested the suspect a few hours later.
"We are conducting investigations into the confiscation of minors, sexual assault and murder with intent to cover up," said prosecutor Franziska Scheuble on Monday.
Because the body must have been floating in Teufelsee in the Wetteraukreis in Hesse for several days, the autopsy was extremely difficult.
It lasted seven hours, and the girl's body could only be identified based on the status of her teeth and her DNA profile.
The coroner has not yet been able to clarify whether and in what form the victim was sexually abused or raped;
the exact cause of death has not yet been determined.
The suspect arrested on Friday has been in custody since Saturday.
He is said to have initially denied the crime, but he is now exercising his right to remain silent.
"Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to find Ayleen alive and in time.
That's bitter," said Freiburg police chief Franz Semling.
The anonymity on the Internet protected the perpetrator, unfortunately Ayleen's cell phone could not be located.
In spite of many educational events, young people still use the contact possibilities of the internet without any worries.
From the case it can be learned that it is helpful if at least one second person is present as a witness at a first meeting that was arranged on the Internet.
According to an initial assessment by the investigators, ten million digital traces will have to be evaluated over the next few weeks to reconstruct the course of the crime.
The Gießen senior prosecutor Thomas Hauburger said that the young woman probably left the "place of disappearance" alive.
Whether she was killed on the journey or at the lake has yet to be clarified.
According to the current state of investigation, no other people were involved in the chat communication and the appointment.
"There is no evidence of anyone who was in the know, but we still have to evaluate very extensive chat histories." The alleged perpetrator and Ayleen A. apparently prepared their meeting via chat for months, until the fateful encounter in southern Baden took place on the afternoon of July 21 .
the young woman probably left the “place of disappearance” alive.
Whether she was killed on the journey or at the lake has yet to be clarified.
According to the current state of investigation, no other people were involved in the chat communication and the appointment.
"There is no evidence of anyone who was in the know, but we still have to evaluate very extensive chat histories." The alleged perpetrator and Ayleen A. apparently prepared their meeting via chat for months, until the fateful encounter in southern Baden took place on the afternoon of July 21 .
the young woman probably left the “place of disappearance” alive.
Whether she was killed on the journey or at the lake has yet to be clarified.
According to the current state of investigation, no other people were involved in the chat communication and the appointment.
"There is no evidence of anyone who was in the know, but we still have to evaluate very extensive chat histories." The alleged perpetrator and Ayleen A. apparently prepared their meeting via chat for months, until the fateful encounter in southern Baden took place on the afternoon of July 21 .