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POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland have launched a fresh appeal for information regarding the murder of an 18-year-old German backpacker who was last seen 30 years ago today.
Inga Maria Hauser had travelled to Northern Ireland from Scotland on that date, and appeared to be in high spirits before her disappearance.
Her body was discovered at the remote Ballypatrick Forest, near Ballycastle in Co Antrim, on 20 April 1988. Police believe she was subjected to a ruthless assault, which left her with a broken neck, shortly after arriving by ferry at Larne in the northern county.
Now the PSNI is set to launch a two-week operation aimed at bringing Inga’s killers to justice.
“We still believe we are extremely close to progressing criminal justice action against Inga Maria’s killer or killers,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray, the officer leading the investigation which will span both Northern Ireland and Scotland and will see fresh information released into the public domain.
We hope this sustained approach will help jog people’s memories and encourage anyone who knows anything about the murder to come forward to police.
DNA evidence
The operation will seek to identify the DNA of a man which was found at the crime scene.
“A previous DNA screening process was one of the largest ever conducted and involved many hundreds of people, throughout the UK,” said Murray.
As time evolves so does DNA science so we have carried out further familial DNA screening and are keeping an open mind about where this will lead the investigation.
A postcard written by Inga to a friend in Germany showed her excitement at travelling to Ireland:
“‘My journey through England is wonderful – I’d rather not come back. The day after tomorrow – it’s on to Ireland – which pleases me most of all,” she wrote.
She is described as having been a friendly and popular person by friends and family, someone with a keen interest in meeting new people.
Murray says he hopes to speak to anyone who may have seen Inga in Scotland, and particularly on her ferry journey to Larne, where her trail ran cold.
‘Scratches on his face’
“I also have a report that a man in the rural area east of Ballymoney was seen soon after the murder in April 1988 with scratches on his face and that there was concern in the community that he had some sort of involvement,” he said, adding that whoever killed Inga owes it to her family to come forward so they can have closure.
“I am making a direct appeal to the family and friends of the murderer or murderers to come forward. Thirty years have passed and in that time we have to ask not only what impact this murderer has had on the Hausers but what impact has he had on his own family,” he said.
After 30 years it’s time to tell us what you know.
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Best band in the world right now.
@Karl Keane: Great to have the passion for music and specific artists but I’d find it hard to pick just the one as the best in the world! There’s so many great bands who have either been doing it a long time or are flying under the radar. There’s also the album vs live aspect. There are a lot of bands who maybe haven’t produced their best albums later on but when they meld their strongest material with the best of their new stuff live, they’re total fire! Anyway, ramble over, enjoy the music :)
@SerotoninWars: Totally agree, but for me I can’t remember the last time a band had 4 albums in a row evolve the way they have. I can hear New York Dolls, Joy Division, The Fall, The streets, Arctic Monkeys but they have their own undeniable sound which is fantastic, best band to come out of Ireland since U2 in my opinion.
@Karl Keane: It’s great when you really go on a journey with a band. Watching them evolve and grow. I’m at the stage where I’m totally fine with the missteps too. It’s incredibly difficult to keep knocking it out of the park. There’s gonna be duds along the way no matter who you are! Main thing is thank fook for music. Life would be a total disaster without it!
@SerotoninWars: Ah man, absolutely, you can’t beat putting a record on and listening to an album from start to finish, after a hard day’s work either reminiscing about ones you loved or discovering something new.
@Karl Keane: Definitely! Half of us would go spare if there wasn’t music there to vent to, wallow in during the bad moments and get lifted up by no matter where your head is at – up for some mischief or in need of a shot of positivity!
The great thing about getting a bit older is that you really really don’t care once it’s good. Even if you were pretty open-minded when you were younger, most of us would have to admit there was a bit of snobbery or tribalism or gatekeeping going on! Techno, metal, jazz, ambient, post-punk, dub, outlaw country, blues, trad, good pop stuff and a gazillion other styles and sub-genres – it doesn’t matter at all once it hits the spot and speaks to something.
Joy Division, The Fall and The Streets are all top drawer btw!
@SerotoninWars: agree in general. But the bands you mentioned sounded like nothing else when they came along. Fontaines are the opposite. They sound like everything else. A shame that there is no risk taking or innovation. Still, best of luck to them. A Bandcamp award might give people a better idea of what is going on out there.
@Alan: Was this meant for Karl? He’s definitely the big Fontaines fan here. Being brutally honest I haven’t listened to a whole lot of their stuff, but good luck to them for sure.
I’m a big Bandcamp fan. So much great independent music is being released across every style and genre imaginable. Said it before, but the received wisdom and borderline cliché that there’s no good music being made anymore is hysterical!
@SerotoninWars: yes it was. I’ve seen Fontaines. The gigs are enjoyable, big good time events. Which is fine. There is always a market for that. But for people who are more interested in music itself they don’t really make much of an impression. As you say, Bandcamp is where you are more likely to find people who aren’t concerned with arenas. A different audience with different expectations I suppose. Local shop as opposed to supermarket!
@Alan: Haha, def! While not quite in the same vein after being bought out, it at least retains some of the ‘buy from your local Mom and Pop store’ ethos that Underground Resistance was promoting many years ago. Not on their own, of course – tonnes of independent scenes over the years have made similar efforts – but your comment made it spring to mind!
@SerotoninWars: great stuff lads! Any recommendations on Bandcamp? Im listening to a fantastic audiobook at the moment in the jingle jangle jungle by Joel Gion from the Brian Jonestown Massacre, absolutely hilarious but a super insight into the music scene in California in the 90s.
@Karl Keane:
Well done, lads.
Great to see stormzy win and also recognised with his own meal in McDonald’s
How does she win songwriter of the year when she didn’t write the songs? There’s 12 of them on every tune
Sha Sha Sha
Great band, great song writing.
Amazing band , delighted for them.
Great Mayo connection alot of up and commers take note.#
Good on them, but where has the Love of Beautiful Music gone ?
There’s no way around it, I’m getting old! I didn’t recognise a single winner the came up to the stage to collect their trophy at the Brit Awards last night. It’s moments like this that make you realise that a lot has changed in the past 30 years in society and culture. It’s crazy how not a single rock band won anything and all the performances sounded very similar to one another. As I turn on the radio on my way into work, I find there’s a serious lack of unique music being produced. Maybe it’s just another sign that the years are catching up to me.
@William Jennings:
We were spoiled in the 90s, we just didn’t see it at the time.
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