Girl from the Main

The Girl from the Main refers an unidentified murder victim found in the Main River, in Nied, Germany. The decedent, aged 15-16 at the time of her death, had been physically abused and finally murdered before being dumped into the river, when she was found on July 31, 2001.

Case summary: 

On July 31, 2001, around 2:50 PM, passers-by found the approximately 1.57 cm tall and only 38.5 kg body of a 15-to-16-year-old girl. It had a number of injuries all over, which indicated serious abuses suffered over years, which hadn't been treated by a doctor. Among other things, her arms were malformed as a result of healed fractures, numerous longer scars in the area of the legs, trunk and forehead, burn scars from cigarettes, and a cauliflower ear caused by her injuries were found during the autopsy. It is believed that the girl looked about two years younger and had dark brown hair, about 30 cm long. Her teeth were in poor condition, and there were not widsom teeth. Her eye color was no longer ascertainable. The victim had probably been in the water for 12-14 hours. Death occured as a result of two bluntly fractured ribs that injured the lungs and spleen, no more than three days before the discovery. The body was tied up and weighed down with a parasol stand and thrown into the Main. Investigations revealed that the girl most likely was thrown into the water between the Griesheim barrage and the Wörthspitze. Among other things, due to a scarf-like object she had on her, it is assumed that the girl originated from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area, but was living in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main area, perhaps as a servant. However, on-site investigation revealed no clues about her identity or that of her killer(s). It cannot be excluded that the girl entered through diplomatic circles, in which investigations are difficult due to political immunity. The body, financed by donations from the investigators, was buried in the Heiligenstock cemetery. The case receives substantial attention even after more than ten years.