It’s been over four decades since 15-year-old Michaela Godau disappeared without a trace from her Davoren Park home.
What happened to her remains one of Australia’s most baffling unsolved cold cases, and no one has been held accountable.
Was this a murder mystery hidden in plain sight?
Or did Michaela run away, as her stepfather claimed?
Let's get into the details
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| Michaela Godau |
Who Was Michaela Godau?
Michaela Godau was born on April 15, 1967, in Germany.
At 14 years old, she moved to Australia with her mother, Emmi, her stepfather, Herwarth Godau, and her brother, in November 1981.
The family settled in Elizabeth Field,a suburb that is now called Davoren Park, in South Australia.
Michaela was described as a slim, fair-skinned teenager with brown hair and blue eyes, standing at 170 cm tall.
She went to Fremont High School, but she didn’t enjoy it much—according to her mother, she was more interested in sports and music than schoolwork.
"She was certainly challenging as a teenager, she was headstrong. She liked her sport and music, but she didn’t like going to school,’’ said Mrs Godau
In July 1982, her mother decided to return to Germany for work, leaving Michaela and her brother under her stepfather's care.
According to crime stoppers, Mr Godau was struggling to care for the three children alone, and also faced challenges finding a good job.
Around this time, child welfare services became involved after concerns were raised about his children's wellbeing.
By December 1982, the family planned to return to Germany as they were struggling, but Michaela reportedly didn't agree with the idea.
Then, on the night of December 19, she went to bed—and by morning, she was gone.
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| Michaela Godau and her stepfather Herwarth Godau |
The Dissappearance of Michaela Godau
On the evening of December 19, 1982, 15-year-old Michaela Godau went to bed at her family’s home on Walpole Street in Davoren Park around 10 PM.
The next morning, she was gone.
Her stepfather, Herwarth Godau, waited until 5:35 PM that day to file a missing person report with the local police department.
In his statement to authorities, Herwarth claimed Michaela had run away.
He reported that she took $460 in cash, her passport, toiletries, and, oddly enough, some sleeping pills.
Because of this, the local police treated Michaela’s case as a possible runaway, and no official search was conducted.
Despite his claim that she had run away, investigators noticed several inconsistencies in Herwarth’s story.
Suspicions falls on Michelle Godau's Stepfather
After detectives uncovered inconsistencies in Herwarth Godau’s account of that night, he quickly became a person of significant interest in Michaela’s disappearance.
Several factors contributed to police suspicions, starting with Herwarth’s delayed report of Michaela’s disappearance.
Despite noticing her absence on the morning of December 20, 1982, Herwarth waited until 5:35 PM that evening to notify authorities.
The circumstances surrounding Michaela's disappearance also raised further questions.
Herwarth claimed Michaela had run away with $460 in cash, along with her passport, toiletries, and some sleeping pills.
However, police pointed out that $460 was a large sum of money at the time, and given the family's financial struggles, it seemed unlikely they would have that amount readily available at home.
Police also found it odd that sleeping pills were among the missing items, as these wouldn’t normally be associated with someone planning to run away.
As part of their investigation, detectives later obtained child welfare records that revealed previous concerns about Herwarth’s relationship with Michaela.
The documents showed that welfare authorities had intervened months before Michaela’s disappearance because of unspecified issues between her and Herwarth, leading to her being placed in temporary care at least once.
After Michaela went missing, Herwarth didn’t tell the police about the earlier welfare concerns, so the investigators didn’t know initially that there might have been domestic violence issues at home.
A friend also told investigators that there was some tension between Michaela and her stepfather, and that "all was not well" at home.
However, her mother later argued that Michaela and Herwarth had a good relationship, saying Michaela would often go to him instead of her when she wanted something.
Adding to the suspicious circumstances, a witness, who wanted to buy their home as the family was moving, reported seeing Michaela with an eye injury in the weeks before she vanished.
The witness stated that during a visit to the Godau residence in early December 1982, he noticed Michaela's injured eye, but no clear explanation for the injury was ever given.
Herwarth's behavior during the missing person investigation only increased suspicions.
He initially cooperated with the police, but when detectives started questioning him about his Land Rover, he suddenly stopped assisting and hired a lawyer.
Later, in the late 1980s, Herwarth sold the vehicle to a Northern Territory tourism operator, which prevented any forensic examination that could have provided valuable clues.
In the years after Michaela’s disappearance, Herwarth's business ventures included several companies bearing Michaela's name—something that struck investigators as unusual.
Major Crime detectives have publicly stated that they believe the circumstances surrounding Michaela’s disappearance were "concocted" to mislead authorities, and that Michaela may have met foul play.
While no charges have ever been filed, police maintain that Herwarth Godau remains a person of interest in what they believe to be a homicide case.
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| Age progression picture of Michaela Godau |
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| Herwarth Godau’s car which was sold |
Ongoing Efforts to Solve Michaela's Disappearance
Michaela’s mother, Emmi Godau, still holds out hope that her daughter may be alive.
Now in her old age, she refuses to give up, saying, "I am a positive person and until I’m shown proof, I will always hope she is alive."
She believes Michaela may have run away because she didn’t want to return to Germany with the family, but she also acknowledges the possibility that something more sinister happened.
The South Australian government has offered a $1 million reward for information that helps solve the case.
The money will be paid to anyone who can provide creadible details that can resolve this cold case
Police continue to urge anyone with information—no matter how small—to come forward.
If you know anything about Michaela’s disappearance, call Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
Please consider sharing her story too—because you never know who might have the information that could help bring closure to this case.
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