November 11th 2024.
Nearly two decades ago, a tragic event occurred that shook the small town of Lismore in the NSW northern rivers region. The body of 25-year-old kindergarten teacher, Simone Strobel, was discovered hidden under palm fronds at a local sports ground in February 2005. Her death sparked an initial investigation, but it was soon derailed by the lies and deceit of her former boyfriend and others.
Now, almost 17 years later, a second inquest has been opened in Sydney to re-examine the case. The hearing will take into account a large amount of new evidence that has surfaced since the previous inquest in 2007, which was unable to determine who was directly responsible for Simone's death.
Counsel assisting, Philip Strickland SC, revealed that the evidence to be examined includes lies told by Simone's boyfriend at the time, Tobias Moran, about their relationship. Moran, who was present at the inquest, had previously been charged with Simone's murder in 2022. However, the charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence.
Simone had spent the last two weeks of her life travelling the east coast of Australia with Moran, his sister Katrin, and another person, Jens Martin. Strickland explained that all three individuals had lied to police about various aspects of the case, including whether Simone and Moran had been arguing, the level of intoxication on the night of Simone's disappearance, and whether they had consumed drugs.
According to Strickland, Moran later claimed that he had lied to make sure the police took Simone's disappearance seriously. However, his actions had the opposite effect and hindered the initial investigation. The police were left to wonder why the group had lied to them, causing them to focus their investigation on the wrong leads.
On the night that Simone went missing, the group had been drinking at a nearby hotel and continued to consume alcohol and cannabis when they returned to their campground. They claimed that Simone had left the site after becoming upset with Tobias and his sister's argument over "family matters". However, Strickland revealed that diary entries made by Simone in the days leading up to her death showed issues in her relationship with Moran and the overall mood of the group.
Despite this, evidence from Simone's family and friends portrayed her and Moran's relationship as generally loving and harmonious. Her sister, Christina, and brother, Alexander, even travelled from Germany to attend the inquest in their ongoing quest for answers.
The week-long hearing will also examine physical evidence, including the cause of Simone's death and various persons of interest who may have been involved. In July 2022, Moran was charged with Simone's murder and perverting the course of justice. However, the charges were later withdrawn, and he was awarded $190,000 in compensation.
In 2020, after 15 years of working with German authorities, NSW police announced a $1 million reward for any information that could lead to justice for Simone. As the second inquest delves deeper into the case, her family and loved ones are still searching for closure and the truth behind her tragic death.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
