The sister of German backpacker Simone Strobel has told a coronial inquest that her death changed her family’s lives forever “in the most radical ways”.
Christina Strobel spoke through tears, accompanied by her brother Alexander, as photos of their sister were shown to the Coroners Court in Lidcombe.
Simone Strobel, 25, was found dead and her naked body discovered under palm fronds in a recreational facility in Lismore, northern New South Wales, in February 2005.
The kindergarten teacher had been staying at a nearby caravan park with her then-boyfriend Tobias Suckfuell, now known as Tobias Moran, his sister Katrin Suckfuell and their friend Jens Martin.
“My parents … became mere shadows of themselves … sinking deeper and deeper into despair,” Christina Strobel said.
Ms Strobel’s siblings Alexander and Christina travelled from Germany to attend the inquest. (ABC News: Ethan Rix)
She spoke of the family’s pain at never knowing the truth of the circumstances around Simone’s death, and their frustration at continuing to have unanswered questions despite this inquest and a previous inquest in 2007.
Christina Strobel said she had “the closest bond” with Simone, but that Simone had never been able to meet her husband, children, or attended many of the biggest moments in her life.
“This loneliness will never change,” she said.
“The belief that everything will be okay no longer exists. The unthinkable, the worst possible thing, can become reality overnight.”
Ms Strobel’s parents Gabi and Gustav Strobel have never received answers over her death. (Supplied: Strobel family)
A forensic pathologist gave evidence that she performed the autopsy on Ms Strobel’s body after it was discovered.
Dr Judith McCreath said she was unable to determine a cause of death, because there was no evidence of significant injury or illness which would have caused death.
However, she said the body was in a state of decomposition which meant identifying whether some injuries were present may have been difficult, such as signs of strangulation or asphyxiation.
This memorial seat, located near where Simone’s body was found, features the 25-year-old’s favourite quote. (ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
Investigation of boyfriend
Mr Moran was arrested in 2022 to face charges of murder but they were withdrawn last year.
Since then, no-one has been charged over her death.
The officer in charge of investigating Ms Strobel’s disappearance since 2012, Detective Sergeant Dave Mackie, gave evidence to the inquest on Tuesday and Wednesday.
CCTV footage shows Simone Strobel outside the Gollan Hotel in Lismore on the last night she was seen alive. (Supplied: NSW Police)
Sergeant Mackie told the inquest that despite a lack of evidence, it was his opinion that “it is probable that Simone was killed in the caravan by Tobias on the night of the 11th and 12th of February”.
However, under questioning by counsel for Mr Moran, Tim Game SC, Sergeant Mackie said several attempts at undercover police operations had failed to gain any admission of involvement from Mr Moran, and his DNA sample had not yielded proof of any connection to Ms Strobel’s death.
Other avenues of inquiry
The inquest heard that various people from around Lismore had, unrelated to each other, claimed responsibility for Ms Strobel’s death in the days or weeks after her disappearance.
One man was seen waving a palm frond prior to the discovery of Ms Strobel’s body, and later replied “yeah” when neighbours asked him if he had something to do with her death, although he gave no further detail.
Earlier in the inquest, Sergeant Mackie had given evidence that the man was an “odd person” who was known to ramble, had discussed witchcraft and whose admissions were not considered reliable.
In 2020, the NSW government offered a $1 million reward for information on Ms Strobel’s death. (Supplied: New South Wales Police Media)
Separately, another person gave evidence that they had a conversation with a man staying at the caravan park who had allegedly referred to “killing” Ms Strobel and called women “sluts and whores repeatedly”.
That man gave evidence that he had never met Ms Strobel and denied he was prone to violent activity.
Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan will consider the evidence from the inquest before handing down her findings.