Suvechha Sarkar
In November 1983, the 22-year-old Swiss national Herbert Ernst Wanner was on his third trip to Brazil. However, his life took a tragic turn the following month when he unexpectedly disappeared after sending his last letter to his parents. It left his loved ones searching for answers for several months until a breakthrough arrived in 1984 when his remains were discovered in the wilderness. The details of the investigation come into focus in HBO Max’s ‘Death and Mystery in the Amazon’ through discussions of the evidence and the case’s unsolved status to this day. The documentary further features in-depth interviews with the experts who discuss the unanswered questions surrounding the homicide.
Herbert Wanner’s Remains Were Identified Through His Dental Characteristics
The birth of Herbert Ernst Wanner sometime around 1961 filled his parents’ hearts with immeasurable joy. He grew up in a loving household in Zofingen, Switzerland. He had always maintained a very close relationship with his parents, who have consistently supported him through every milestone of his life. Besides that, Herbert fostered a great love for exploration and nature. After completing his formal education, he began his career path as a Forester. Over the years, he had visited Brazil twice, exploring the Amazon Rainforest. During that period, he came across the journalist Karl Brugger’s book, ‘The Chronicle of Akakor,’ which discusses the lost civilizations of Akakor and Akahim.
In that book, Karl had chronicled the claims about those lost cities by a man, Tatunca Nara. Tatunca further claimed that he was the prince of the jungle tribe Ugha Mongulala. Eventually, it led Herbert to his third trip to Brazil on November 13, 1983. Following that, his parents received several letters and pictures from him, in which he posed in camouflage pants or by the banks of the Rio Negro. On December 10, 1983, Herbert’s parents received another letter from him, in which he informed them that he had finally reached Barcelos, Amazonas. However, things took a grave turn when they stopped receiving any letters from the 22-year-old following that. Herbert’s parents grew increasingly concerned as the months passed, realizing that he had gone missing.
In 1984, when the local inhabitants discovered partial human remains in the wilderness, they were unable to determine the identity of the person. That changed when a Swiss dentist couple was shown the remains during a tour, and they noticed a sports shoe and a Swiss Army beret also present at the scene. Reports state that they observed the initials “H. W.” and the label “Made in Switzerland” inside the beret. The skull also had a bullet hole in the back. The couple eventually took the lower jaw and handed it to the authorities in Switzerland, and even published that particular dental chart in dental journals. Ultimately, a dentist used those records to identify the remains as Herbert’s. His manner of death was ruled a homicide with the cause linked to the bullet wound in his skull.
Herbert Wanner’s Death Continues to Remain Shrouded in Mystery to This Day
When officials initially began the investigation, they narrowed down the date of Herbert’s death between December 1983 and January 1984. It wasn’t long before the experts determined that his death was caused by a Brenneke shotgun projectile. Reports state that his parents provided officials with the pictures he had sent during his last trip to Brazil before he disappeared, in which he was seen standing beside Tatunca Nara. Herbert’s parents also told the police that he had met Tatunca during his previous trip. The 22-year-old’s last letter reportedly also mentioned that he was staying with Tatunca at the time.
In their statements, Herbert’s parents revealed that Tatunca had claimed in a letter to them that their son had left for Venezuela in February 1984. According to Swiss police reports, the authorities eventually learned from some of the local residents that Tatunca had the same caliber weapon that killed Herbert. Further reports suggest that, as the investigation continued, detectives discovered that Herbert had several traveler’s checks totaling around $2,000 with him during his trip to Brazil. However, they learned that those were cashed out on February 14, 1984, several weeks after Herbert’s death. It led them to theorize that the motive behind the homicide could have been financial.
Although some reports claim that Herbert might have lent Tatunca a sum of money during one of the former’s previous visits, there is no evidence to support that claim. They further turned their attention to Tatunca when German authorities eventually discovered that his real name was Hansi Richard Günther Hauck and that he was a German citizen. As per the reports, they also discovered that two other people, John Reed and Christine Heuser, had mysteriously disappeared after contacting Tatunca. However, it is quite important to note that despite the various allegations surrounding Tatunca, he was never charged or convicted in connection with any of these cases, including Herbert’s murder. As of writing, the 22-year-old’s murder still remains unsolved.
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