France still fears for Lena
In the town of Saint-Blaise-La Roche, police and volunteers have been searching for three months for the 15-year-old, who disappeared without a trace on the way to the train station. Following Lina’s boyfriend, her mother now also finds herself in a whirlwind of speculation.
Police launched an appeal for witnesses via social media to find 15-year-old Lina.
Source: Gendarmerie de Chermek
On Saturday, September 23, 2023, Lena mysteriously disappeared on the three-kilometre road between her home in Plaine and the Saint-Blaise-La Roche train station in the Basse-Rhin department. The teenager has not been found since.
The 15-year-old wanted to go to Strasbourg to see her boyfriend, and two witnesses saw Lina on her way to the train station. But it did not reach Strasbourg. Investigators know she never took the train.
Lina’s cell phone was turned off at 11:22 a.m. and investigators found the last signal one kilometer from her mother’s home. Shortly before, she sent a photo to her boyfriend who was waiting for her in Strasbourg. Then the girl’s trail is lost in a forest near Saint-Blaise La Roche.
One witness claimed that he saw the young man riding in a small blue car. Investigators evaluated recordings from surveillance cameras, which is why investigators targeted owners of such cars in the area. But the gendarmerie forces have not yet found more information.
Investigators combed the area around Saint-Blaise La Roche several times
About 400 residents participated in the search, which has not been successful so far.
Photography: Patrick Herzog (AFP)
Several homes were also searched, as well as containers at the waste dump.
Photography: Patrick Herzog (AFP)
Even divers from the German-French water police were deployed and searched the pond.
Photography: Patrick Herzog (AFP/DPA)
The friend also found himself among the suspects
The investigation also focused on Lena’s boyfriend. What was suspicious about him was that, according to his friends, the 19-year-old had asked for a shovel and tarpaulin shortly before Lena disappeared. He also lied about the whereabouts of his cell phone. He said he lost it in a manhole cover the day he disappeared. However, investigators found him in a relative’s garage. The 19-year-old denied any involvement, explaining: “She wanted to come to me, why should I kidnap her?”
Lena’s friend commented on the TV screen.
Source: TF1/Police
In fact, investigators determined that Lena’s boyfriend was undoubtedly in Strasbourg on the morning of the disappearance. They also proved that it would have been impossible for him to travel back and forth, make the teenager disappear and come back. In addition, his cell phone was not near Lina on the day of the disappearance, Le Parisien reported. Therefore, he is no longer on the list of suspects today.
No scenario is ruled out
Two months after the disappearance, investigators searched the home of one of the men in the area. According to investigators, this does not mean that there is a specific suspect, as French media reported in November. Reports go on to say that it was an “operation to clarify doubts.” The Strasbourg public prosecutor ordered the search. But the issue of missing persons has not been resolved yet.
The investigation is ongoing. The prosecutor says they are preparing for “long-term” investigations in which “no path is rejected or favored.”
The first statement from the mother
About a month ago, Lina’s mother commented on the status of the investigation for the first time. For her, it was “impossible” for Lina to run away from home voluntarily. “She was so happy, she radiated happiness and love, and she was really beautiful. The evening before we sat at the table together and laughed,” she said on the TFX TV show “Chroniques Criminelles.” But Lena’s mother also found herself in the middle of a whirlwind of speculation. .
At the end of November, a YouTube user posted a video in which he said that Lena’s boyfriend and her mother were having an affair. The mother has now filed a complaint for “defamation”. Lena’s disappearance remains a mystery, while the investigation continues with the utmost secrecy.
AFP / DAP / No
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