Cold case breakthrough: Missing Hungarian man confirmed murder victim after 24 years
Hungarian police have uncovered the truth behind a decades-old disappearance in western Hungary, confirming that a man reported missing in 2001 was murdered and buried at a rural property near Devecser. The shocking revelation came 24 years after the man vanished, when new information prompted investigators to reopen the case.
According to the police, the man, who was 35 years old and living in Ajka at the time, was reported missing by his sibling in the spring of 2001. Despite an official search and a nationwide alert, no trace of him was found for more than two decades, and the case eventually went cold.
The breakthrough came in November 2025, when the Veszprém County Police received new intelligence suggesting foul play. Officers questioned two individuals connected to the victim: his former spouse and the spouse’s lover at the time of his disappearance.
The perpetrators admitted to having murdered the man
During questioning, both admitted to killing the man in 2001 and burying his body in the garden of a weekend house near Devecser, a small town not far from Ajka.
Following the confession, the Veszprém County Police, assisted by the National Bureau of Investigation, carried out a targeted search at the property. Human remains were discovered exactly where the suspects had indicated. The findings confirmed the long-suspected tragedy behind the man’s disappearance.
The suspects – a 57-year-old woman and a 67-year-old man – have been taken into custody, and police have initiated proceedings to formally place them under arrest while the investigation continues.
No further details disclosed
Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the motive or the circumstances of the killing, but the case is expected to draw significant public attention due to the length of time that passed before the crime was revealed.
The police provided more information about the investigation at a press conference held in Budapest on 7 November 2025, led by senior officials including retired Major General Attila Petőfi and Colonel Tamás Suszter of the Veszprém County Police.
The extraordinary length of time between the crime and the confession makes this case one of the most striking cold case resolutions in recent Hungarian history.