Subject in Witness Protection: Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld Abandons Location Search

Missing person investigation in East Westphalia by private detectives

The detectives of Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld were engaged in a missing person case: the 17-year-old daughter of the Bürki family, from a rural area in East Westphalia, had been missing for five days. Neither her parents, siblings, nor grandparents knew whether something had happened to her or whether she had left voluntarily. The family were deeply worried and asked the private investigators of Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld to locate her as quickly as possible. However, the available budget was tight, which immediately ruled out the use of highly efficient tracking dogs.

Preliminary research | Gathering clues by Bielefeld detectives

To establish a starting point, our Bielefeld private investigators first inquired into the background: had there been an argument, was there perhaps a man involved, or might drugs play a role? All of this was denied by the clients. The daughter, they said, was a very reserved girl who had never done anything wrong, and the subject of men had never even arisen. Minor disagreements had only occurred concerning her career path: the father wanted his daughter to become a secretary in his small business, but she had always categorically refused this option. She wanted to make her own way and be less dependent on her family. Rumour had it, the mother told Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld and East Westphalia, that the girl had taken a job at a butcher’s chain and was now working there.

No missing person report filed with the police

The butcher’s chain in question operated more than twenty branches within a 150-kilometre radius. Conducting research here would, of course, entail a certain effort for our detectives in Bielefeld. As part of their preliminary investigation, the detectives checked whether a missing person report had been filed for the subject. When this turned out not to be the case, they confronted the clients about it. The family said they wished to keep the matter as anonymous as possible, as they did not want to trouble anyone or cause a stir in the neighbourhood. Our Bielefeld private detectives found this reasoning rather peculiar and tried to persuade the clients to file a report – but in vain. They wanted nothing to do with the police. Since this raised further doubts, the detectives of Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld quickly checked whether the family members had any prior criminal record. Apart from an assault charge against the father – which had not resulted in a conviction and dated back 25 years – nothing was found.

Operational strategy of Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld

Based on the information obtained during the preliminary investigation, Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld and East Westphalia developed their operational strategy. The first step was to check the branches of the butcher’s chain within a wide radius around Bielefeld. All branch addresses had to be researched first. As the clients expressly requested that our Bielefeld private detectives neither approach the subject directly nor cause her any distress, a legend-based approach(cover story) at one of the branches or even at the company’s head office was not an option. Had there been an official missing person report, open communication with the company could have quickly revealed whether the subject worked there. Instead, our commercial investigators in Bielefeld now had to visit one branch after another.

Restrictive budget limits complicate the investigation

A major difficulty in this approach lay in the working hours. While butcher’s shops do not typically operate extreme round-the-clock shifts, the company’s opening hours indicated at least two alternating shifts. Consequently, it could happen that an observer from Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld would be stationed at the correct branch, but the subject was not present at that time. Factoring in holidays and days off made the entire operation increasingly reliant on luck.

Due to budgetary constraints, the clients demanded that only one detective conduct the search. Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld, however, refused outright – one investigator alone would be relying on pure chance. A single operative could never visit all branches within the span of an expected shift change, and even for two detectives, it would be a tight schedule. In the end, both parties agreed on a two-person team.

Finding the subject at the very last moment

The two investigators divided the list of branches between them and visited each one separately. They checked all employees at each location, yet the subject could not be identified anywhere. One Bielefeld detective was just being informed by his colleague that he had completed the last branch on his list and was about to wrap up, when he himself reached his final stop. And there she was – right outside the very last branch on his route, talking to a family (a man, a woman, and two children). A visible bruise marked her left eye.

Apparently, the girl had just finished her shift, and if that family had not turned up, our investigator from Kurtz Private Detective Agency Bielefeld and East Westphalia might not have seen her at all. He immediately instructed his colleague not to stand down but to come over and assist with the surveillance.

Successful determination of her whereabouts

By fortunate coincidence (though certainly not by design on our part), the second commercial investigator was located relatively close by and arrived at the site just ten minutes later. The missing girl was still conversing with the family. A few minutes later, a taxi pulled up in front of the shop. The girl and the family hugged, then the family drove away – without her. The subject then walked to a nearby public transport stop, followed discreetly by one of our private detectives, while the other tailed them by car. After an extended journey, she reached her current place of residence. However, complications arose at this point.

No ordinary case – no ordinary investigation report

As the detectives of Kurtz Corporate Investigation Agency Bielefeld quickly realised, the address turned out to be a facility for individuals who, due to a recognised need for protection, wish to remain undiscoverable. Being trained to handle such situations sensitively, the detectives conducted further local research after consulting with operations management. They soon learned that the subject had voluntarily entered a protection programme, having been a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her father.

The detectives immediately terminated the investigation and filed a full report. However, this report was subsequently redacted almost entirely, containing only operational times and the note that the subject had been located, but that no further details could be disclosed. Although the clients voiced strong objections to this procedure, it was clearly defined and legitimised as an exceptional case in the investigation contract. It goes without saying that private investigators must never endanger the safety of subjects by knowingly disclosing information to individuals who are under strong suspicion of having committed offences against them.

To protect the privacy and personal rights of both clients and subjects, all names and locations in this case study have been altered beyond recognition.

Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld | Germany

Queen Plaza

Herforder Straße 69

D-33602 Bielefeld

Tel.: +49 521 2567 0055

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-bielefeld.de

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-bielefeld.de/en

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