A pre-inquest review hearing took place in Omagh on Friday for the death of Inga Maria Hauser. The 18-year-old from Munich died in April 1988. Her body was found in Ballypatrick Forest in County Antrim 14 days after she was last seen on a ferry from Scotland to Larne.

Coroner Joe McCrisken is overseeing the new inquest. Counsel Philip Henry KC informed the coroner that letters inviting two individuals, previously questioned by police, to apply for Properly Interested Person status have been drafted. The letters remain unsent due to uncertain addresses.

Individuals with Properly Interested Person status gain access to case documents and can pose questions at the inquest. Philip Henry KC stated that police would hand-deliver the letters if postal addresses cannot be confirmed.

The hearing also covered the disclosure of official files from police, prosecutors, and Forensic Science Northern Ireland. The next review is scheduled after the court summer recess.

Claire McKeegan, solicitor for the Hauser family, stated after the hearing that the family welcomes disclosure progress. She noted the need for full material sharing to allow family preparation and engagement.

Police hold a male genetic profile from the murder scene. A prior DNA screening of 2,000 samples yielded no match. In 2018 police made arrests, but in 2020 prosecutors found insufficient evidence to charge a man and a woman linked to the case.