Authorities are intensifying their search for 16-year-old Laura, who has been missing for 23 days, as new evidence suggests her disappearance may have involved a carefully planned trip to Germany and possible guidance from unknown individuals.
Greek police are closely examining the teenager’s digital footprint, including an email address she provided to a travel agency to receive a boarding pass and data from her two cell phones. Officials believe these electronic traces could provide critical answers about her movements and contacts.
The travel agency owner said the girl declined to provide a contact phone number and shared only an email address, as required for ticketing. However, video from inside the agency appears to show her using a messaging application. At one point she is seen typing and closing the app, while minutes earlier she had apparently received a voice message.
Police have formally notified German authorities of the two phone devices linked to Laura. If either phone is activated, an alert is expected to be triggered.
Taxi ride to the airport
A taxi driver who transported the teen to the airport told investigators she had a working phone and made a call during the ride, indicating she had an active SIM card. He said she paid in cash, carried only a small bag, and spoke very quietly on the phone, possibly in Russian.
The driver is expected to give a full statement to authorities about what he observed on the route from central Athens to the airport.
One-time email and social media link
According to information aired by a Greek investigative television program, the email Laura gave to the travel agency in the early hours of January 9 appeared to be linked to a Facebook profile of a user listed as living in Frankfurt. After the program contacted the account, the listed location reportedly changed to Vienna.
One of the main scenarios under consideration is that Laura may be in Hamburg, the German city where she was born and raised. She is known to have friends and contacts there, and according to descriptions gathered by police, she was fond of the city and reluctant to leave it for Greece.
Focus on new phone purchase
Authorities analyzing video and other evidence believe it was not coincidental that Laura made a stop in the Zografou area of Athens before her departure. Investigators suspect she obtained a new cell phone there.
Police continue to analyze footage, digital data, and witness accounts as the search for the missing teenager remains ongoing.
