Overview

Date Last Seen: March 18, 1998

Location Last Seen: Anchorage, Alaska (after arriving on a United Airlines flight)

Main Circumstances

• Investigation remains active.
• German tourist visiting Alaska.
• Arrived in Anchorage on the morning of March 18, 1998.
• Disappeared shortly after arriving.
• No confirmed sightings after her arrival.
• No confirmed evidence explaining what happened.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Sabine Duellmann Disappearance (1998): German Tourist Who Vanished After Arriving in Anchorage

Case Summary

German citizen Sabine Duellmann, 31, disappeared shortly after arriving in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 18, 1998. She had flown into Alaska on a United Airlines flight and was last confirmed to have arrived that morning. Despite an extensive investigation spanning more than two decades, no verified sightings have been confirmed, and no trace of her has ever been found. Authorities continue to classify the case as an active missing person investigation.

Duellmann had traveled from Germany to Alaska, reportedly intending to visit the state as part of a sightseeing trip. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain largely unknown. There has never been any publicly disclosed evidence confirming whether she voluntarily disappeared, became lost in the wilderness, or was the victim of a crime.

Because she vanished almost immediately after arriving in Anchorage, investigators have long focused on determining her movements after leaving the airport. However, very little information about those movements has ever been released publicly. Authorities have withheld many investigative details, making the case particularly difficult for both investigators and the public to reconstruct.

Sabine was described as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore either eyeglasses or contact lenses and reportedly did not usually wear makeup. At the time she disappeared, she was wearing:

• Black wool coat
• Blue and green sweater
• Blue Levi’s jeans
• European-style hiking boots

These details have remained consistent across law enforcement bulletins for years.

Investigation

The Alaska State Troopers remain the primary investigating agency. Although the investigation has remained open since 1998, very little additional evidence has been released publicly.

Sabine’s disappearance is included in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), allowing investigators nationwide to compare unidentified remains and missing persons records. Her case has also been highlighted by numerous missing persons organizations in hopes of generating new leads.

No confirmed suspects have ever been publicly identified, and authorities have not announced any evidence establishing whether foul play occurred. Likewise, no confirmed financial, passport, or communication activity has been publicly reported after her arrival in Anchorage.

Latest Investigation Information

As of 2026, Sabine Duellmann remains missing and her disappearance is still considered an active case.

There have been no publicly announced breakthroughs, arrests, recoveries, or identifications connected to her disappearance. Her NamUs listing remains active, and investigators continue to encourage anyone with information—even details that may have seemed insignificant in 1998—to contact law enforcement. Modern forensic resources available through NamUs continue to support long-term missing person investigations when new evidence becomes available.

Last Seen Summary

Date Last Seen: March 18, 1998

Location Last Seen: Anchorage, Alaska (after arriving on a United Airlines flight)

Main Circumstances

Investigation remains active.

German tourist visiting Alaska.

Arrived in Anchorage on the morning of March 18, 1998.

Disappeared shortly after arriving.

No confirmed sightings after her arrival.

No confirmed evidence explaining what happened.