The murder of nine-year-old girl Peggy from Lichtenberg, Bavaria, remains unsolved after nearly a quarter of a century. She disappeared without a trace on May 7, 2001, only for her remains to be found by a mushroom collector 15 years later in a nearby forest. A man was initially convicted of the murder and later acquitted of all charges. However, there is still no closure due to lack of evidence. The case is now back in court, not as a criminal trial, but as a civil lawsuit. Peggy’s mother, Susanne Knobloch, is seeking at least €75,000 in damages from Manuel S., a new suspect presented by the police in 2018.
During a lengthy interrogation, Manuel S. confessed to hiding Peggy’s body in the forest, claiming he was asked by another man to dispose of it. However, he later retracted his confession, leading to the closure of the investigation. S. claimed he was denied legal representation during the interrogation and felt coerced into making false statements. The court has yet to review the full video recording of the interrogation. S.’s lawyer maintains that his client had no involvement in Peggy’s disappearance or death, and therefore, cannot provide any relevant information.
The central question in the ongoing trial is whether S.’s confession can be used as evidence for the damages claim. Peggy’s mother’s lawyer argues that the confession is credible and should be considered in the case. The unresolved case has led to years of anguish for Susanne Knobloch, exacerbated by online harassment and conspiracy theories linking her to disturbing allegations. The failure to solve Peggy’s murder is part of a pattern of miscarriages of justice in Bavaria, where innocent individuals have been falsely convicted in high-profile cases.
The police briefly investigated a potential link to the neighbors of Peggy’s family in Lichtenberg, where multiple generations of children had been sexually abused. An initial suspect, a 17-year-old nephew of the neighbors, raised suspicions due to his close relationship with Peggy and a shrine dedicated to her in his room. However, this lead was dropped when the first suspect confessed to the crime, which was later proven false. Subsequent investigations revealed that the nephew had a history of sexual abuse, but he denied any involvement in Peggy’s disappearance.
The failure to fully investigate all leads in the case has left many unanswered questions and unresolved trauma for all involved parties. The lack of closure after 23 years continues to haunt Peggy’s mother and others affected by the tragedy. Manuel S., now facing a lawsuit for damages, has also suffered from the fallout of being implicated in the case. The trial will continue on May 22, with the hope of finally bringing some form of justice and closure to the long-standing mystery of Peggy’s murder.
