The detective investigating the death of German backpacker Simone Strobel told a coronial inquest there was no new evidence to justify charges against her then-boyfriend.

Ms Strobel, 25, was found dead and her naked body discovered under palm fronds at a leisure center in Lismore, northern New South Wales, in February 2005.

The kindergarten teacher resided in a nearby caravan park with her then-boyfriend Tobias Suckfuell, now known as Tobias Moran, her sister Katrin Suckfuell and their friend Jens Martin.

Mr Moran was arrested in 2022 to face murder charges, but those charges were dropped last year.

Yesterday, Detective Sergeant Dave Mackie confirmed his view that “it is likely that Simone was killed in the caravan by Tobias on the night of February 11/12”.

The court heard this week that undercover recording operations carried out on Mr Moran in 2009 and 2020 revealed no incriminating evidence and he always denied any involvement in his death.

Mr Moran’s lawyer, Tim Game SC, told the court that at the time of Mr Moran’s arrest a report confirmed there was no DNA evidence linking Mr Moran to the death of Ms. Strobel, but that Mr. Moran had not been informed of the test results.

When questioned, Sergeant Mackie said two undercover police officers were placed in a cell with Mr Moran after his arrest in the hope he would admit his guilt.

“Nothing has changed in terms of the evidence to warrant you pursuing him, has it?” » said Mr. Game.

Sergeant Mackie admitted no.

Sergeant Mackie denied that public comments made by Mr Moran at the time of Ms Strobel’s death, describing the police as “kindergarten cops”, had made the police “very angry”.

“I haven’t had any discussion with anyone about how angry I am about this,” he said.

“I had no knowledge or information to suggest that.”

“Unsavory” people

On Monday, counsel assisting the coroner Phillip Strickland SC revealed that several “unsavory” people in the Lismore area had allegedly confessed to killing Ms Strobel.

According to the investigation, while a police search was still underway, a man told another Lismore resident “that they will find what they are looking for behind the devil’s stones”, referring to the Aboriginal stones, at close to where Ms. Strobel’s body was eventually found.

The inquest heard the man was interviewed by police in 2009 and denied ever confessing to Ms Strobel’s murder.

Sergeant Mackie told the inquest today the man was “a strange person” who rambled for long periods and appeared to believe in some sort of witchcraft, which affected the reliability of his alleged confession.

The investigation revealed that Ms. Strobel’s body had likely been transferred to the recreation center where it was later found through a hole in the surrounding fence.

Mr Strickland asked Sergeant Mackie if he accepted it was more likely that the person who killed Ms Strobel knew locally about the hole in the fence.

Sergeant Mackie said he did not accept this proposal.

“If you were looking for a place to dispose of a body, you would find a place,” he said.

“Have you seen my girlfriend?” »

Late in the day the inquest began with testimony from Jamie Vidler, who was staying in a tent opposite the caravan park.

Mr Vidler told the court he had not seen or spoken to Ms Strobel before her disappearance “at any time”.

He told the court that Mr Moran and Mr Martin approached his tent on the morning of February 12, after Ms Strobel disappeared.

“His (Mr Moran’s) exact words were: ‘Have you seen my girlfriend?'” Mr Vidler said.

“I was a little confused by what it was about… I wanted a description of her to start.

“When he described her, he didn’t describe her much, but I could assure him she wasn’t with me.”

Mr Vidler will continue to give evidence when the inquest resumes tomorrow.