Inga Gehricke missing case revived on ZDF's Aktenzeichen XY episode
Five‑year‑old Inga Gehricke vanished on 2 May 2015 during a family gathering at the Wilhelmshof site near Stendal, Germany. A cold‑case unit of the Halle police has been re‑examining the disappearance since 2023, assisted by archaeologists and geologists. No remains or conclusive evidence have been found, and police keep accident, kidnapping and violent crime among possible explanations.
The case was featured on ZDF’s programme Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst on 29 July 2026. Police chief commissioner Michael Ripke said the broadcast generated “very many new pieces of information”. New tips submitted after the show are being reviewed, though details have not been disclosed. The episode also presented other unsolved crimes, but the Inga Gehricke case attracted the largest volume of public leads.
Entities: Aktenzeichen XY · Aktenzeichen XY … Ungelöst · Beauty & The Nerd · Club der roten Bänder (TV series) · Club der roten Bänder – Die neue Generation · Daniel Emminger · Felix Binder · Gerda Müller · Halle police Cold‑Case Unit · Inga Gehricke · Lieselotte Hohlmann · Michael Ripke
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 12 SOURCES] No trace of Inga Gehricke has been found despite extensive search efforts by police and family. (ZDF program and news reports)
- [● 12 SOURCES] ZDF’s programme “Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst” aired a new episode about the Inga Gehricke case, hosted by Rudi Cerne. (ZDF programme)
- [● 12 SOURCES] Inga Gehricke, aged five, disappeared on 2 May 2015 during a family gathering at the Diakoniewerk Wilhelmshof near Stendal. (ZDF program and news reports)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] An aging image showing how Inga may look today has been released to aid public recognition. (Police release)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately one thousand personnel—including police, firefighters, THW volunteers, dogs and helicopters—searched the Wilhelmshof area after the disappearance. (Search operation reports)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Police consider accident, kidnapping or violent crime as possible explanations. (multiple)
- [● 17 SOURCES] The case was broadcast on ZDF’s Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst on 29 July 2026. (multiple)
- [● 2 SOURCES] A cold‑case unit in Halle (Saale) continues to investigate the Inga Gehricke disappearance. (Police updates)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Inga Gehricke disappeared on 2 May 2015 at the Wilhelmshof near Stendal, Germany. (multiple)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The broadcast aims to solicit tips from the public, reaching a large audience. (source)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Inga Gehricke was five years old when she disappeared. (multiple)
- [● 19 SOURCES] No remains or solid leads have been found since the disappearance. (multiple)