LISMORE, Australia — The family of Simone Strobel, who was murdered during a vacation in northern New South Wales two decades ago, expressed disappointment following a recent coronial inquest. They believe the inquiry did not include testimony from crucial witnesses that could have shed light on the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death.
Twenty-five-year-old Strobel’s body was discovered naked under palm fronds near a bocce court days after she vanished on February 11, 2005. At the time, she was staying at a caravan park approximately 90 meters from where her body was ultimately found, accompanied by her boyfriend Tobias Moran, his sister Katrin Suckfuell, and friend Jens Martin.
The group told authorities that Strobel went missing after wandering away from the campsite and was last seen walking along a nearby road shortly before midnight. Despite these claims, family members contend the inquest failed to extract testimony from the most significant witnesses.
State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan delivered her findings on Thursday, concluding that Strobel’s death was a homicide committed by an unidentified individual. This assessment contradicted earlier findings from a 2007 inquest, which suggested strong suspicions surrounding Moran’s potential involvement.
Christina Strobel, Simone’s sister, expressed their hopes for clarity regarding the case, lamenting that the latest inquest did not bring them closer to understanding how Simone died. “We had hoped, at last, to learn more about what happened to our sister,” she remarked.
While Jens Martin testified during the initial inquest, neither Moran nor Suckfuell were compelled to provide evidence in either inquiry. Both had previously submitted statements to police, and Moran made contributions in the latest inquiry. However, the coroner noted that contemporary statements from those witnesses might not be as reliable after a lapse of 20 years.
The findings of the first inquest were revisited by O’Sullivan, who indicated that her review benefited from a greater volume of evidence than what was available to her predecessor, Paul MacMahon. MacMahon had concluded there was a strong suspicion of involvement by Moran and Suckfuell but did not find sufficient evidence to support charges.
O’Sullivan clarified that legislative changes had altered how coroners can express guilt, marking a significant difference in her conclusions about the potential involvement of Moran and Suckfuell. “I do not, however, accept that the evidence goes so far as to support a finding by me that it is very unlikely Mr. Moran was involved in Simone’s death,” she added, stating it was improbable he acted without assistance.
In a previous development, Moran faced charges regarding Strobel’s death in 2022, which were later dropped in June 2023, resulting in him being awarded costs. O’Sullivan noted insufficient evidence to back the earlier hypotheses concerning asphyxiation or smothering as causes of death.
The inquest proposed that the case be transferred to the New South Wales Unsolved Homicide Team, with particular emphasis on reviewing DNA evidence found on Strobel’s clothing, which matched that of an unidentified male, as well as a hair sample located near the site where her remains were hidden.
The Strobel family acknowledged the efforts of law enforcement agencies in both Australia and Germany but reiterated their desire to uncover the truth behind Simone’s tragic death. “We continue to hope that one day we will learn the truth about what happened to Simone,” they stated, as their pursuit of justice endures.