After more than two decades of uncertainty, the mystery of the “Woman with the German keys” has finally been solved. The woman whose lifeless body was discovered in the sand dunes near Wassenaar, a quiet Dutch coastal town, on July 4, 2004, has been identified as Eva Maria Pommer, a 35-year-old German national. The breakthrough, announced by the Dutch police on October 10, marks another success for Operation Identify Me, an Interpol-led initiative that aims to restore the names and identities of women who died under suspicious or unexplained circumstances across Europe.

Eva Maria Pommer’s case had confounded investigators for years. When her body was first discovered, there were no immediate signs of violence or struggle, nor any documents or personal belongings that could reveal who she was. All detectives had to go on were a few clues – her distinctive brown plaid leggings, a pair of red shiny patent shoes, and a key that appeared to be from the German city of Bottrop, located near the Dutch border.

That key, in particular, gave the unidentified woman her haunting moniker: “The Woman with the German keys.” Despite extensive investigative work by Dutch authorities – including isotopic analysis, fingerprint comparison, and multiple television appeals – her identity remained shrouded in mystery for nearly 21 years.

Forensic experts and detectives spent years chasing every possible lead. The dunes near Wassenaar were thoroughly combed for evidence. Her clothing was displayed on Dutch investigative programs, and isotope testing attempted to trace where she might have lived based on chemical signatures in her hair and teeth. But nothing led to a breakthrough.

In 2023, however, a new hope emerged when Interpol

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