Original subtitles

Thank God you're Chief of Police. You'll find her.

I'm Hamburg's Chief of Police. The Weesenburg police are investigating.

She's your sister.

Barbara Neder. You said you knew her.

No, I met her once at a party. I wouldn't say I knew I her.

Want to search his house.

Stop, now and for ever! Otherwise you're in trouble.

They're the rules.

Don't you understand? Now the only suspect is your brother-in-law.

Move in now and you'll confirm everything the police suspect.

- Like what? - You don't think Barbara will return.

What do you think? Is she alive?

DARK WOODS

1993, HAMBURG

Police!

Get on the ground!

Keep going.

Dead person in the basement, t, female.

- Call Forensics! - They're on their way.

Do you really want this?

Yes, of course.

Fine

So? Was it Barbara?

He held several women hostage That's all we know so far.

- Have you told your mother? - No.

She should live with us. She can't manage anymore.

I know.

I hoped it wasn't her in the basement.

I don't know what else to hope for.

He...

Talked about metal barrels

Behringer will question him tomorrow.

She isn't dead until I've found her.

Why won't this print?

What?

I see. You have to enter via the new intranet.

Smile for once.

Now print.

Bach, Gerke! We have news.

Bethge caught a serial killer in Hamburg.

They think he might have kidnapped and killed Barbara Neder.

- At last.. The. The guys in Hamburg finally did their job.

- I'd like to be there for the questioning. - Get moving. It will start soon.

But...

- Barbecue? - I might come later, okay?

The metal barrels are filled with women's remains.

Well, their genetic material.

- How many? - No idea.

- Are there more barrels? - You don't have to answer.

- Miss Bach, I'm glad you made it. - Thanks for letting me come.

Which woods? Woods? You're bullshitting us

How many?

Five?

Six?

Seven? Seven women?

Tell me their names.

Anna.

Barbara.

Claudia, Doris, Emilia Frederike and Gerlinde.

He's listing the alphabetically. Alphabetically. names

Barbara... Tell me her last name

Talking...

Always talking...

Do you know what he does? He quotes Shakespeare.

- And... - Says the names backwards.

"Talking" is reden. Barbara Neder.

Do you t think he killed my sister?

Where did you meet her?

It was very romantic. We went into the forest

Did you see you see him pause?

- Where? - I suggest you remain silent.

He needs to think about which answer can shock us.

He wants wants attention.

He enjoys the suffering of the bereaved

Their uncertainty.

Yes.

He's toying with with I me.

My boss and Prosecutor Leest still suspect your brother-in-law.

Is that your only angle?

What about you?

Back then you told me to follow the rules. Remember?

Motive, opportunity, his boat.

Even though nothing was was found on it.

Leest's theory, not mine.

I can't believe it.

I think I saw saw Barbara.

What? - Barbara?

Where did you see her?

At the beach promenade in Groemitz. She was with a man.

- Did you talk to her? - No, she got in a car and drove off.

What kind of car? Did she see you?

Why didn't you stop her?

It happened too quickly.

Did she get into the car voluntarily?

I don't know. The car was Japanese, I think.

Silver.

Barbara is alive.

Are you sure it was Barbara?

- You have to tell the police. - What could the police do? Losers.

We have to do something.

Maybe we should talk to Erika.

That's not a good idea. She'd get too excited.

Yet we have to give my mother something to do.

If Barbara...

If it was Barbara... this could help us.

What?

I know the chief editor of the chief editor of Missing

You want her to go on that show?

Marianne doesn't want that.

She'll feel responsible if it doesn't help

I'm for it. - You could join her.

That's not a good idea. She's weak and depressed.

Thomas!

Can you call the editor?

- I already did. - And?

He'll do it.

Good. People will see I had nothing do with it.

That's crazy.

I lose business if people think I killed my wife.

- My firm is being ruined. - What's the firm got to do with it?

Grandma.

Thomas and Robert are right I'm sick of waiting.

I'll talk on that TV show.

- Is this right? - Yes.

This is my daughter, Barbara.

She's 40 years old.

She's my only daughter.

My brother-in-law-thinks he saw saw my sister.

At a beach promenade near Groemitz. Two days ago, in the late afternoon.

- Did he tell you? - No he didn't, did he?

- No. - What else do you have?

We exhausted every lead because of the Iseforst murders

Towns, villages, spas, hotels, psych , villages, spas, hotels, psych wards.

Even abroad, Wales and Italy.

Had we found anything about your sister..

Any link between the murders and my sister's case?

No. The Iseforst murder victims were two couples.

That was random Unlike with your sister.

- You questioned a suspect. - Juergen Becker.

He had minimal contact with your sister.

The night of the party, he was worried about your sister's well-being.

- No further contact, no motive. - Unlike your brother-in-law.

He had a motive. And no alibi.

We calculated it

He had enough time to use his boat to dump the corpse at sea and return

Those are assumptions, not proof.

Did you search the house thoroughly back then?

Whatever you think about us, Mr Bethge, we're good at our jobs.

Here, prosecutors aren't shot in front of our men.

Wes searched the house and found nothing.

- As the chief of Hamburg's... - I'm not here as a chief.

I'm here as my sister's brother.

She disappeared four years ago and you haven't found her.

I'll call you. You. Bye.

- You know what will... - I know what you're risking.

The house wasn't searched before your brother-in-law moved in.

I'm sorry.

Yes...

Ever feel as if you were in the wrong place? As if you weren't brave enough?

I know, self-pity.

No, call it self-doubt. Everything else sounds like...

- Self-pity. - Yes.

Barbara's case will be on the next episode of Missing

That might be our last chance.

We've made so much progress in our investigative methods...

Yet we have to go on a TV show? It's absurd.

I heard their success rate is quite good.

Yes...

I organised a conference.

The world's best criminologists will discuss new lines of inquiry.

Colleagues from Quantico at the FBI a and Interpol.

Quantico? I always wanted to go to the FBI.

- I'll send you an invitation. - Thanks.

Be brave, Anne I need you here.

See what others don't see. Find what's hidden.

They both drove off in a silver, Japanese car.

We'll now show you a plea from her mother Erika Bethge.

Barbara vanished on 14 August vanished on 14 August 1989

Nobody knows where she is.

It's been almost four years.

Barbara, if you see this...

Then...

please...

Call me.

Show me you're alive.

It isn't easy for us, the family,

to deal with the situation.

I'm offering a reward of 10,000 Deutsch marks for information

Barbara, please.

We only want to know that you're okay.

If you know anything about Barbara Neder's whereabouts

or why she disappeared please call the police.

Barbara Neder. You said you know her.

No.

I met her at a party once. Wouldn't say I know her.

We used each other's last names.

She was angry with her husband. Because of the settlement.

The richest are the stingiest Who knows how he got so rich so fast?

Anyway, she was really drunk. Her neighbour asked me to take her home.

What happened there?

What do you think happened?

So? How many?

168 calls.

How many are useful?

Weesenburg is working on it. There might be more.

How many?

None are really useful.

A few denunciations that Robert is the murderer, but..

I know.

I had to do something.

When did you last call your mother?

Why?

She's not answering.

Since yesterday

Mum?

It's me.

Mum?

Mum?

Mum, what is it?

No.

No...

Rescue centre.

Bethge here. Need an ambulance to Vogelbeerweg 3.

- What happened? - It looks like an overdose

Sleeping pills, I think.

- How old is the person? - 76, my mother.

- I'll send an ambulance - Hurry.

Don't die, Mum.

Don't die.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry.

- Thanks. Wait a second - Enough.

One more. One for me.

A little proud.

Come on, lighten up.

Unbelievable

And one more together.

Smile!

Thomas?

- Are you coming? - Yes.

Coming.

Look what I found.

Go through the garden here.

Yes...

This is our new garden.

No, I...

Yes, now I'm filming you.

- Is that good? - Sure.

Sorry.

- Did you talk to Theresa? - Briefly.

She doesn't want us to come.

Did she say anything about Erika?

She doesn't talk about that with me.

Just try to be there for her.

You're her father.

Alphabetically.

- B? - Yes, Becker.

Becker. E B...

B...

Here it is.

If you take anything upstairs, write it on the list.

Write down which file you took and bring it back.

Of course.

"Of course". It's not a sure thing

Do you know how much your colleagues borrowed and didn't return?

- Do you need help? - Can I hitch a ride?

Help!

Due to his father's death, Juergen Becker suffers from PTSD.

Shit.

Help me!

I ran through the night with my daughter Barefoot at O degrees.

I didn't feel a thing.

The file says Juergen Becker only attempted theft.

You woke and screamed He panicked and tried to cover your mouth

He was already choking me when I woke. He had a huge knife.

- Did you say this in court? - Of course.

His mother said her son isn't dangerous, but...

he over-reacted because became aggressive.

They both deserve an Oscar for their performance.

The son lacked paternal authority, they said. He He was a war was a war hero.

He fought till the end, for the Fatherland The boy was twelve when he died.

- And the kitchen knife? - The judge didn't care.

And the verdict was a joke. Four weeks for trying to kill me.

Thanks

No problem.

He got four weeks youth detention for attempted murder.

Which 14-year-old chokes a new mother?

It wasn't theft. He had a knife!

What's so fascinating about the guy?

Or is it Bethge?

- Come on. - Are you working with him?

Anne, this isn't Hamburg. This is Lower Saxony.

Be careful here Make a mistake and you're gone.

How much longer shall this go on?

With us?

- Could you stay on topic? - This is my topic.

The files say he raped a hitchhiker and tried to kill her.

He got five years. You didn't mention that during questioning

I did. You were there Becker said she lied.

- Leest ended it - Okay!

What?

Why didn't you tell me?

Shit, man!

How can I get to him now?

Leest is chief prosecutor and has lost interest.

You need someone to help you.

There's a new woman in prosecution.

Your age. Hermes.

- Do you know her? - No.

But you need something concrete. This won't be enough.

A prosecutor needs two skeletons in a closet.

Hello

Robert.

- Why are you here? - Wanted to say happy birthday.

Who is this?

- My father. - Really? Not your mother?

- This is all for you? - Theresa gave it to us. It's ours.

And you can go now.

Excuse me.

What are you doing? Are you mad?

- Party's over. - Leave now!

You're not the boss!

- Are you mad? - Get out now.

What's wrong with you?

- They're my friends - Get lost!

Get lost!

You don't have to go.

He has no say here. You don't have to leave. Stay.

Sorry, man.

Bye, Theresa.

Great. You ruin everything!

- What do you want? - To celebrate. This is from Lisa.

And your book cover. We can print it once you're done.

I don't want want gifts from Lisa.

Mum hasn't read the poems yet. We can't print the book.

This is crazy.

Did you really see her?? Tell me!

I can't.

Prosecutor Hermes?

Excuse me. I'm Anne. I'm Anne Bach.

It's about Barbara Neder might know where she is.

Barbara Neder disappeared 13 August 1989

The next day one Guenther Mueller was buried in the cemetery.

- Do you know what a double-decker is? - A bus.

A corpse buried on top of another. To save space.

- Cemeteries have a space problem. - I have a time problem.

We had a suspect, Juergen Becker, a gardener at the cemetery.

I reviewed the file. That man has a record.

As a 14-year-old he choked a woman He tried to kill her.

Six years later he tried to kill a hitchhiker. Two attempted murders.

Wasn't that Chief Prosecutor Leest's case? Why not go to him?

We don't get along

Two more minutes.

What if Becker went to the cemetery on August 13?

And buried Barbara Neder under sand one metre deeper in the grave?

Guenther Mueller's coffin was then placed...

On top.

As a double-decker.

- What do you want now? - To check the grave.

And I want to search Juergen Becker's house.

Keep going.

Nothing

Maybe a little deeper

- Fill it in. - Wait, we...

There's nothing Cancel the search of the house.

I'm sorry.

- You can't cancel it now. - No find, no suspicion.

Maybe Arnold did it.

Long time no see.

What were you looking for?

Not what, who

You know who I'm looking for.

You're still young

When you're young, you often do things you regret later.

You know all about that.

I just wanted to help.

You want to help me?

Just invite me, then.

To your house.

What's so special about my house?

I live modestly. It's my parents' house.

Look...

I'm a gardener here, not a gravedigger.

I don't dig graves and fill them in again. I plant flowers on the dead.

Flowers say a lot about character.

Do you have a favourite flower?

Nowadays, a tiny hair can solve a case

because we're able to tell

Which person it belongs to.

Computers give us access

to a huge amount of data

We can now easily access and evaluate.

Sometimes we encounter crime cases

Where nothing really adds up.

Lack of evidence is always a challenge,

but must not be the reason

Why a crime can't be solved.

I want to present you the case of a serial killer

in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 80s.

Seven murdered teenagers in five years

No useful DNA, no witnesses.

So we tried to understand

His psychological needs,

how he chooses what he does

And what he doesn't.

- I'm glad you made it. How are you? - Fine.

What is it?

I thought I knew where your sister is. I was wrong.

But I think I'm right about the perp

The gardener Juergen Becker?

There was a funeral the day after your sister vanished.

I had the grave exhumed, but nothing

Without evidence we can't get a search warrant.

The Prosecutor's Office won't budge.

- We need good arguments. - Yes. But where from?

I'd like you to meet someone

Thelma, sorry.

My former student Anne Bach She's working a tough case.

Impressive speech today. I It was really...

- We can speak German, Anne. - Good.

A tough case?

I have a murder suspect, but I lack data and evidence.

- Is there a motive? - I can't find one.

He tried to murder two women when he was young.

Two? And now another? Three makes you a serial killer, right?

The first two survived, but the third has been missing for years

- I don't know how to proceed. - Don't look for a motive, but his needs.

Those needs lead to motive.

Start earlier. In his childhood.

The mother trivialises the first murder attempt.

She lies for him and says he lacks the father's firm hand

Find out what his father's firm hand means to him.

What does the mother, who defends him when he does something bad, mean to him?

Did he have a violent childhood?

If you understand his formative childhood experiences.

You'll know who he is.

You'll know what he's capable of.

- Thanks. - No problem.

The father was often violent towards his son.

He learned two things, power and manipulation.

That doesn't make him a murderer.

He's tried to kill twice. He'll do it again. Maybe he already has

He won't stop.

You think he killed Barbara Neder and hid her in his home? He's married.

I'm sure we'll find something.

He grew up in that house and first attempted murder there.

That house is his realm He controls everything. Even his wife.

If we don't search there, it will happen again.

Would you prefer the responsibility for a failed search or a murder?

You act like a man now.

Here, it's the only way to get things done.

All right...

gentlemen.

Inspired by true events

Subtitles @SBSAustralia 2021