Since the discovery of the woman in the dunes near Wassenaar on July 4, 2004, the local police and later the Cold Case and Missing Persons Team of the Den Haag unit have been conducting extensive investigations into her identity. The site of discovery and the victims body have been examined, the victims clothing has been shown in investigation programs, isotope research has been conducted, and all possible traces have been followed up. There were quickly strong indications pointing towards Germany. For example, she wore clothing that was mainly sold there, and a keyring was found with the woman. One key was found to have a link to the German city of Bottrop, not far from the border with the Netherlands. Due to a fire, an archive was lost, preventing the key from being linked to a specific address.
Identify Me
In October 2024, the Dutch police, together with Interpol and five neighboring countries, organized the second Identify Me campaign. These campaigns are an initiative of the National Team for Investigation Communication, part of the Communication Service of the Police Service Center. The campaign published a list of cases where the identity of the victim is unknown. Well-known women from the participating countries stood up for these victims in the campaign. Through Identify Me, the public worldwide can contribute to identifying women whose names are unknown and who have died as a result of a crime or have been found under unclear circumstances. The case from Wassenaar was given the name “The Woman with the German Keys.” Due to the campaign, the case received extensive attention in Opsporing Verzocht and last January also in the German investigation program Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst. The link to Bottrop was also explicitly mentioned in those broadcasts.
Tips
Hundreds of tips came in regarding the case. Thanks to the new tips and the police investigation that followed, the key could ultimately be linked to a list of possible addresses in the Bottrop region. While the German and Dutch police were following up on this information, a very interesting tip came in at the Dutch foundation Coldcasezaken about a German woman who had been missing for about 20 years. Director Sander Meyer shared this information after his own investigation with the police. This information matched well with the lead that the police were already pursuing in Bottrop, causing the investigation to gain momentum. Through DNA research by the NFI, it has now been established that it indeed concerns Eva Maria Pommer from Germany.
New Questions to the Public
Now that the victim has her name back, the police in the Netherlands and Germany also want to find out how the woman ended up deceased in the dunes in Wassenaar on July 4, 2004. The police therefore ask everyone to reflect on the summer of 2004 in combination with the name Eva Maria Pommer. The woman may have stayed in a hotel or a recreation park at the time, and she may have had contact with people in the region or beyond in the period leading up to her death. If you have information, please contact the police using the contact details below.
