Overview
- ARD makes the special available in the ARD Mediathek from December 31, 2025, with a Das Erste broadcast set for Monday, January 5, 2026, at 20:15.
- The story revisits a two‑year‑old disappearance that led to an acquittal, then intensifies after remains surface and fresh indications point back to the previously cleared suspect.
- Investigators confront the ne bis in idem barrier to re‑prosecution as tensions escalate between the victim’s and suspect’s families.
- Series leads Sven Martinek, Ingo Naujoks, Julia E. Lenska and Jonas Minthe return; Tanja Roitzheim directs from a screenplay by Annette Hess.
- A kidnapped alibi witness who urgently needs insulin raises the stakes, and reporting indicates production on a 13th season will follow, with new episodes expected in autumn 2026.