"Peter Bergmann" was the alias used by a man found dead at a beach in Ireland in 2009. He was seen multiple times before he was found.
Case[]
On June 12, 2009, the decedent boarded a bus at the Ulster Bus Depot in Londonderry, Ireland and traveled to nearby Sligo, arriving at 6:28 PM. He then took a taxi to the Sligo City Hotel.
He checked in using the name Peter Bergmann and listed an address of Ainstettersn 15, 4472, Vienna, Austria. This address was determined to be false. He would visit a post office in Sligo the next day, where he purchased eight 82-cent stamps and airmail stickers. It was never established if he sent any mail; if he did, however, it was likely that whatever he may have sent would have identifying information.
Peter Bergmann left the hotel 13 times over the next three days carrying a purple plastic bag with something inside. The police have never been able to locate this bag or its contents, and they believe he was disposing of his personal items throughout town.
On June 15, he checked out of the hotel and went to the local bus station. When he left the hotel, he was carrying two black bags, which he had been seen carrying when checking into the hotel; however, when he arrived, one of the bags had disappeared from view. He had a meal of a ham and cheese toasted sandwich and a cappuccino in the station cafe, and on CCTV footage, he is seen looking at a small piece of paper and constantly folding it and opening it before tearing it up and throwing it in the trash bin. It has widely been theorized that this piece of paper was a checklist of what he needed to do in Sligo.
He took a bus to Rosses Point and, for the next 8 hours, was seen wandering along the beach. Many who saw him noticed that he appeared nervous and took off his clothes individually. At 11:50 PM, the decedent was last seen walking along the beach for the last time.
The next day, a father and son found his body. His clothing and personal belongings were found on rocks around 300 meters from his body. However, his glasses and a blue cardigan he was seen wearing have never been located. An autopsy confirmed that he had terminal prostate cancer, numerous bone tumours, and had suffered previous heart attacks. If he hadn't died, it would be likely he would have at most weeks to live. The theory that the decedent went to Sligo with the intent to end his own life is most accepted, but his cause of death was a heart attack and not drowning. Some speculate that the decedent thought his body would have washed out to the Atlantic, so no trace of him would ever be found.
Theories range from Peter Bergmann being a spy, an intelligence agent, or even a criminal. However, there is no conclusive evidence to confirm these theories.
Characteristics[]
- Short gray hair cut close to the scalp.
- Olive complexion.
- Slender build.
- Well-groomed.
- Clean-shaven.
- Evidence of advanced prostate cancer and bone tumors.
- Presence of one kidney.
- Evidence of previous heart attacks.
- Extensive dental work, including a gold tooth at the back of his mouth, which would have been noticeable.
- Spoke with a heavy German accent.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Navy blue T-Shirt.
- Navy underpants.
- Purple striped speedo swim trunks.
- Waterproof quartz watch.
- Black leather Finn Comfort shoes, size 44, manufactured in 2002 in Germany, near the body.
- Dark socks, near the body.
- Black leather C&A jacket, near the body.
- Navy C&A chino trousers, near the body.
- Black sleeveless Tommy Hilfiger jumper, near the body.
- Black leather belt with Key West USA, made in Italy, near the body.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Peter Bergmann at the Doe Network
- Peter Bergmann on Wikipedia POSTMORTEM WARNING
- The Irish Times
- Press and Journal