For the family of forty-year-old Wanda Szeptun, a resident of Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, a spring weekend in late April 2009 was supposed to be a respite from everyday life and a chance to celebrate with friends. None of the participants in the planned expedition expected that the idyllic atmosphere of a camping trip in the bosom of nature would soon turn into a nightmare.
In the period immediately preceding the trip, the heroine's behavior caused some concern among her children. They noticed that their mother had seemed unusually worried and depressed for several days, and was behaving differently than usual. Despite her worsening mental state, Wanda Szeptun decided not to cancel the planned trip. This inconspicuous detail about her mood would later play a key role in police hypotheses, dividing the family and investigators in their assessment of what had actually happened by the water.
On Friday, April 24, 2009, Wanda Szeptun, her husband Jacek, and two married couples traveled to Lake Nysa. The group, who knew each other well from their work at a Wrocław security agency, chose a secluded spot rarely visited by tourists. They set up camp on a wild beach located between the villages of Głębinów and Wójcice. The main purpose of the gathering was to celebrate the name day of one of the women present. The atmosphere was initially very cheerful and relaxed. Two small children of one of the couples slept nearby, while the adults feasted around a bonfire. Alcohol was also available.
To fully understand the dramatic events, investigators had to meticulously reconstruct the chronology of that night. It all began with a arrival at the lake and setting up camp during the day. In the evening, a feast began among six adults. The turning point came around 11:30 PM (although some sources indicate 10:30 PM). It was then that Wanda Szeptun rose from the fire, grabbed her cell phone, and informed her companions that she needed to go into the forest for a moment to relieve herself. Wanda wasn't the only one doing this – other women in the group had also gone into the forest earlier.
Around 11:50 PM, several minutes after her departure, her friends began to feel uneasy. When she didn't return, the revelers began searching for her on their own, calling out to others and searching the dark forest, convinced she had simply lost her bearings in the darkness. Unfortunately, the nighttime search proved fruitless. Only after two hours of fruitless attempts did the worried and helpless partygoers decide to notify the police, which they did at 1:30 AM. Due to difficulties pinpointing the unattended campsite in the darkness, the police didn't arrive until around 3 AM on April 25th.
The initial search began immediately upon the arrival of officers, who used a tracking dog. Adult campers and two fishermen nearby were interviewed. These witnesses reported that the area was quiet – they heard no arguments, loud screams, or cries for help. The first phase of the search concluded before 6:00 a.m.
A few hours later, operations resumed on a much larger scale. Firefighters, divers, the local community, and employees of a private company were involved. They searched the lakebed and nearby forests, interviewed residents of nearby towns, and checked local guesthouses and recreation centers. Despite the search lasting until April 30th, no trace of the woman was found. Her body, clothes, and the cell phone she was carrying were never found. Wanda Szeptun had literally vanished into the ground.
To facilitate identification, police prepared a detailed profile of the missing woman. At the time of her disappearance, Wanda Szeptun was 40 years old (born in 1968). She was a slim woman, approximately 161–165 cm tall, and weighed approximately 49 kg. She had an oval face, green eyes, and short, curly hair. Investigators noted visible missing teeth and a significant distinguishing feature – a distinct scar on her wrist. When leaving the camp, the woman was wearing distinctive beige suede boots, gray capri pants that reached mid-calf, a yellow blouse, a cream-colored turtleneck, and a brown tank top.
The only potential breakthrough in the case came when, during the presentation of photographs of the missing woman, two independent witnesses testified that on the day of her disappearance, they had seen a woman matching Wanda Szeptun's description. This person was reportedly located near the town of Wójcice, near the mouth of the Nysa Kłodzka River into Lake Nysa. Unfortunately, this lead was never confirmed, and the identity of the woman seen there remains unknown.
The lack of any traces led to several conflicting investigative theories. Police were most inclined to believe that the woman had voluntarily left the camp and deliberately severed contact with her family, wanting to start a new life. This hypothesis was based on her earlier depression. The missing woman's children never agreed with this interpretation of events. They emphasized that their mother had strong ties to her home and would never have abandoned her daughters, then 17-year-old Patrycja and 12-year-old Klaudia, without a word of explanation.
To better understand the complexities of this investigation, it is worth examining the three main versions of events that were investigated by the police and private detectives.
The first scenario assumes a deliberate departure and escape . This version was supported by a distinct change in Wanda's behavior before leaving—depression and worry, noticed by her children, as well as an alleged sighting of a similar woman in Wójcice. The weak point of this theory, however, remains her complete lack of means of subsistence, documents, and the fact that Wanda had no change of clothes or cosmetics with her. As her family revealed years later, the meeting at the lake was intended to be merely a several-hour barbecue, from which the woman planned to return home that same evening. Therefore, it's difficult to assume that, without prior logistical preparation, she could have hidden from law enforcement for over a decade without leaving the slightest trace.
The second scenario is an unfortunate accident or suicide. Possible factors included alcohol consumption at the campsite, the proximity of the treacherous mouth of the Nysa Kłodzka River, and a scar on his wrist, suggesting previous mental health issues. However, the complete failure of divers to find the body, clothing, or phone, despite an immediate search of the lakebed, raises questions. However, proponents of this theory point out that in the case of drowning in a river with a strong current, the body could have been quickly carried away by bottom sediments or become trapped in underwater crevices, making it impossible to locate during the search.
The third, most dramatic scenario assumes the involvement of third parties and the commission of a crime. The length of the revellers' own search gave the potential perpetrator a huge advantage – the more than two-hour delay before calling the police could have proved crucial. This version is countered by the lack of motive and the fact that anglers fishing nearby heard no screams or sounds of a struggle. Despite the lack of evidence of murder, the woman's disappearance sparked a wave of speculation and a local lynching in her hometown. Neighbours quickly began accusing Wanda's husband, Jacek, of the crime. Fingers were pointed at the man, and after being beaten by unknown assailants and facing public stigmatisation, he decided to emigrate to Germany.
Despite the passage of time, the disappearance of Wanda Szeptun remains one of the most enigmatic criminal cases in the region. The lack of any tangible evidence means that none of the above theories can be definitively confirmed or refuted. Years later, when Wanda's daughters were grown, they decided to revisit the case themselves. They rented a boat and attempted to search the lake's uninhabited islands and undergrowth, which they believed might have been missed during the initial police investigation. To date, however, they have found no trace.
Renowned investigative journalist Janusz Szostak and his Na Tropie Foundation also became involved in the case. According to Szostak, Wanda Szeptun is likely dead, and the focus should be on finding her body. Her image has been repeatedly published on posters, missing persons websites, and featured on television programs, including the magazine "Whoever Saw, Whoever Knows." The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department of the District Police Headquarters in Nysa, under the supervision of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Opole.
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