Missing German doctor reappears after 22 years

Father of two Siegfried B went awol shortly after his 50th birthday back in May 1985. He told his wife he was going out and duly exited his house in Bergholz-Rehbrücke, south of Berlin, never to return. Police subsequently searched the premises, including the garage, but didn't check a large dovecot above.

His wife recently decided to renovate the garage roof, and workers got a nasty shock when they set to work. Prosecutor Wilfried Lehmann explained: "When they removed the layers of asbestos they discovered the mummified skeleton. Siegfried B was hidden in the roof, and next to him were a schnaps bottle and a suicide note."

As an added twist to this macabre tale, there was speculation that the East German secret police might have had a hand in his death. Neighbours "reported seeing a dark limousine draw up outside the house several times, and the men inside it pulling Siegfried B into the car and driving off".