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A renewed appeal is being made for information on a man known as Peter Bergmann whose body was discovered 14 years ago in Co Sligo.
Locate International, a global missing persons register, has issued a fresh appeal seeking information about the unidentified man who was found dead on Rosses Point beach on June 16th, 2009.
The man, thought to be in his 50s or 60s, had been staying at the Sligo City Hotel in Sligo town. He checked in for three days under the name Peter Bergmann and gave an address in Vienna, Austria, but both proved to be false.
The man, who was 178cm tall and had grey hair and blue eyes, disposed of his belongings in a purple plastic bag during his trip, avoiding CCTV while doing so.
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On his second day in Sligo, he purchased eight stamps and airmail stickers from a post office, but it was never established who the letters were sent to.
[ The unsolved mystery of Peter Bergmann ]
[ A lonely Sligo death still shrouded in mystery ]
On the day before his body was found, the man had asked a taxi driver to take him to the quietest beach in Sligo for a swim. He was brought to Rosses Point.
The man was last seen alive shortly before midnight on the beach.
A man and his son who had been training for a triathlon were walking along the beach when they found a body on the shore at about 8am.
All labels on the clothes the man was wearing had been carefully removed, leaving no clues as to where they were bought. Despite extensive investigations by gardaí and international police authorities, the man’s true name and place of origin remain unknown.
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He was buried in an unmarked grave at Sligo cemetery, with six people attending the funeral on September 18th, 2009.
A postmortem found he had advanced prostate cancer and bone tumours, had suffered several previous heart attacks, had one kidney and had a gold tooth.
In a statement, Locate International said: “This baffling case has captured the hearts and minds of those who know about it, and our renewed appeal seeks to spread more awareness and reignite interest in hopes of solving the mystery.”
Locate International has worked with ThingLink, an interactive media platform, to turn images and videos into an ‘interactive asset’, allowing people to actively learn more about ‘Sligo man’ and the ongoing investigation.
Forensic imaging consultant Hew Morrison has produced a new depiction of the man, and there is also a YouTube video featuring exclusive CCTV footage of the man during his time in the area.
[ Podcast: Atlantic – The Unsolved Mystery of Peter Bergmann, Episode 1: Land of Heart’s Desire ]
Locate International appealed to the public to come forward if the false address provided by the man – Ainstettersn 15, Wien 4472 – means anything to them or if they received a letter from Sligo at around this time.
“Did any member of the public treat him or anyone who matches his description for cancer in the late 2000s? Does anyone know anyone from Germany or Austria who ever had a connection with Sligo, Derry, or the west coast of Ireland and if anyone who suddenly disappeared, or lost contact with, who looks similar to this man,” Locate International said.
If anyone has information that may be of use, however insignificant they think it may be, they are asked to call 0300 102 1011 or email appeals@locate.international. Information can be submitted anonymously.