A BEER manager’s body has been discovered in his car eight years after he went missing.
A property manager was inspecting a garage in Essen, Germany, when she came across the corpse lying in the driver’s seat of an abandoned Mercedes.
A beer boss’ body was discovered inside a carCredit: Police
Police launched a major search for the man who went missing eight years agoCredit: Police
The discovery, which was made at around 8am on October 23, was immediately reported to police.
DNA tests later confirmed the dead body belongs to König Pilsener head Ralf K.
Ralf, who was last seen in February 2017, is thought to have taken his own life – after a recent autopsy ruled out foul play.
It comes as the 42-year-old’s family spent eight years in the dark – unaware of his whereabouts.
Cops launched a widespread search when he went missing but were unsuccessful.
At the time, it was even suggested he may have rented a garage but no leads were ever confirmed.
And while police said they received numerous tips, none ever amounted to anything.
Described as “caring” and “reliable”, Ralf is also said to have been “well-connected” in the industry and was frequently seen at events or giving interviews.
On the day of his disappearance, it’s understood he contacted a friend from Duisburg.
Then, after a company party in Mülheim-Styrum, both his phones were switched off.
This was the last time anyone ever saw or heard from him.
Essen-Borbeck police said in a statement: “On Thursday three weeks ago (October 23), the body of Ralf K., who had been missing since 2017, was found in Essen-Borbeck.
“Extensive search efforts in 2017 had already yielded no clues as to the man’s whereabouts.
“Numerous tips from the public – including information about the location of his vehicle – also proved unsuccessful at that time.
“Around 8:00 AM, a witness opened a garage while performing her job and immediately noticed the car parked inside, which seemed suspicious to her. She then promptly contacted the police.
“Investigators arrived at the scene shortly afterwards and discovered a body in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
“As part of the initial investigation, officers had already looked into whether the missing man might have rented a garage.
“However, no evidence of a possible tenancy was found.
“An autopsy performed on October 29 at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Essen confirmed the identity of Ralf K. through DNA analysis.
“There is no evidence of foul play.”
It comes as a young boy, on October 10 when he failed to return home in Güstrow, south of the city of Rostock,
Cops launched a massive search operation for the eight-year-old, whose body was mysteriously found four days later by his dad’s ex-girlfriend.
She discovered his burned body at the edge of a pond near Klein Upahl, some 10 miles away, while allegedly walking her dog.
His mum, Dorina L., said that she left him alone in the house that morning because he was feeling ill and instructed him to stay at home while she went to work.
