A woman who was ‘murdered’ in 1984 has shocked the world by turning up alive and well, more than 31 years later.
Petra Pazsitka set off a national wide search when she went ‘missing’ just before her brother’s birthday in 1984. Pazsitka, who was 24 and living at university at the time, seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth.
After searching for any trace of Pazsitka for more than five years, police closed the case when a carpenter’s apprentice, who had previously been convicted of the rape and murder of a 14-year-old, confessed to her murder.
Although her body was never found, or any murder weapon or forensic evidence, the case was closed in 1989 and Pazsitka was declared dead.
Except Pazsitka was neither missing, nor dead, but living safe and well in Dusseldorf.
The police were alerted to Pazsitka’s location and condition when she called the police to report a burglary more than 31 years later.
Pazsitka, who called herself “Mrs Schneider”, summoned the police to her Dusseldorf home to investigate a robbery and revealed herself to be the long lost Petra Pazsitska when she produced her identification.
When the 55-year-old was questioned by police if she was the missing student, she confessed that she was. Patsitka revealed that she had fled to Dusseldorf to secretly move into an apartment that she had been saving for, without telling her friends or family.
When pressed, Pazsitka would not reveal why she did not inform anyone of her plans.
“As to the motive of her disappearance, she gave no explanation and expressly said that she continues to want no contact with the public or her family,” said a representative of the Braunschweig and Wolfsburg Police.
“Her father passed away a few years ago, but her brother and mother were in shock and tears when they heard the news,” he continued.
Police have confirmed that Pazsitka has not committed any crime and will not be required to take any further action, other than to change her registered status from ‘deceased’ to ‘alive’.
