Tasmania Police appeals for information about Nancy Grunwaldt, who vanished in 1993

It’s been 30 years since Nancy Grunwaldt vanished in Tasmania. With the launch of National Missing Persons Week, police and Nancy’s family are making a fresh appeal for information.

The Mercury newspaper clipping from 1993 about missing person, Nancy Grunwaldt. Tasmania Police have now renewed calls for information about her disappearance.

Thirty-one years have passed since German tourist Nancy Grunwaldt disappeared while cycling along Tasmania’s east coast.

The 26-year-old and her red bicycle were last seen on the Tasman Highway on March 12, 1993, just south of Scamander.

Nancy Grunwaldt’s younger sister Frauke, and Frauke’s daughter at Nancy’s memorial grotto at Scamander.

On Monday, as part of National Missing Persons Week 2024, police and Nancy’s family have renewed their calls for anyone to come forward with information about what might have happened to her.

“On the one hand I have come to terms with the fact that I will likely never receive an answer (about) what happened to my sister Nancy,” Nancy’s sister Frauke Grunwaldt said.

“Nevertheless, her disappearance deeply impacted my life, behaviour and relationships over the last 30 years until today.

“It is hard to trust other people. It is difficult to open up to people.

“Thoughts of ‘what if...’ never end. I wish I still had a big sister to talk to. Receiving an answer would finally give me closure to grieve properly.”

Missing person Nancy Grunwaldt. Picture Supplied

Crime Stoppers Tasmania chair David Daniels implored anyone with information about Nancy to come forward, noting a $500,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of an offender.

“Someone knows something which has the power to bring answers. Please come forward,” he said.

The township of Beaumaris and the point of entry to the beach where Nancy Grunwaldt was seen last. Picture: Luke Bowden

National Missing Persons Week, which runs this year from Monday until August 3, has highlighted eight long-term missing women across Australia - with Nancy one of them.

Tasmania Police Detective Acting Inspector Jason Jones told reporters that both the coroner and police “strongly believe” Nancy had met with foul play.

“We’re not sure exactly what happened. She was last seen on her red mountain bike in about March 1993 around the St Helens, Scamander area, and she disappeared without a trace,” he said.

“We strongly believe there are people out there that have some knowledge of what exactly happened and we implore them to come forward.

“The littlest bit of information may be what’s needed to crack the case.

“Ultimately we’d just like to find her remains so we can bring peace to her family.”

In 2004, Coroner Peter Wilson concluded Nancy died between St Helens or Bicheno, saying he believed foul play in the form of homicide had caused her death.

Other views have emerged over the years, including claims that Nancy had been accidentally killed in a hit-and-run by a tourist.

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