The boyfriend of slain German backpacker Simone Strobel has been arrested by homicide detectives in Western Australia and is set to be extradited to NSW.
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Tobias Friedrich Moran, formerly known as Tobias Suckfuell, 42, faced Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday from custody in regards to an extradition application.
Simone Strobel's father has expressed his shock at the news someone is believed to have been arrested over her death.
Gustl Strobel said: "We are totally surprised. We cannot believe it. We first have to realize what happened there".
The man was arrested following an extensive investigation into the homicide of German backpacker Simone Strobel, in Lismore more than 17 years ago.
Simone, aged 25, was last seen at the Lismore Tourist Caravan Park on Friday February 11, 2005, after a night out with her then-boyfriend and friends.
Her body was found six days later (Thursday February 17, 2005), concealed under palm fronds at a sportsground less than 100m from the caravan park.
Simone, a kindergarten teacher, had been on a backpacking holiday around Australia.
At a coronial inquest in 2007, then-State Coroner, Paul McMahon, ruled there was insufficient evidence to lay charges over Simone's death.
Detectives from Richmond Police District established Strike Force Howea in February 2005 to investigate Simone's murder - with assistance from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad, and their counterparts at the Wuerzburg Criminal Police and the Prosecutors Office in Wuerzburg.
In October 2020, the NSW Government announced a $1 million reward for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Simone's homicide. The Bavarian Office of Criminal Investigation had also announced a 10,000 Euro reward for residents of both Germany and Australia back in 2014.
IN OTHER NEWS
Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives travelled to Western Australia, where - with assistance from Western Australian Police Force - a 42-year-old man was arrested at a home today (Tuesday July 26, 2022).
NSW detectives will apply for an extradition warrant.
Strike Force Howea investigators are continuing to work with their international counterparts, with investigations continuing.