Bieliniec, Tarnobrzeg, Rzeszów. Experts managed to isolate the DNA of the missing Michał Karaś from his old notebooks and diplomas

Experts examined old school notebooks and certificates for sports achievements, which were secured in the home of Michał Karaś in July this year. As prosecutor Michał Lasota from the District Prosecutor's Office in Tarnobrzeg, who took over the investigation into the murder of the 16-year-old, told us, experts managed to isolate Michał's DNA from them “with high probability”.

The 16-year-old's DNA will be compared with the DNA of men from the NN database (register of deceased persons of unknown identity), whose bodies were found after the boy disappeared.

Why is it important? – Finding his body would be a turning point. We would be certain that Michał is dead – said prosecutor Michał Lasota in an interview with tvn24.pl. He emphasized that this investigative version – taking into account the findings so far – is treated as the most probable, although not the only one.

Prosecutor Lasota also informed tvn24.pl that the activities in the case were transferred from the police in Nisko to the investigation department of the Voivodeship Police Headquarters in Rzeszów.

From the National Police Information System, the prosecutor obtained a list of all corpses that had been found throughout Poland since August 19, 2000, the day Michał disappeared. The database has about three thousand records. It contains information about every death. It usually presents a description of the deceased person and their approximate age, as well as information about the possible collection of biological material from the corpse. Currently, it is standard to collect samples in the case of a body of unknown identity, two decades ago this was not a common practice.

Investigators will check all men aged 10 to 60 who match the description of the missing Michał.

Read also: Searching for traces on the soul and the mystery of Michał Karaś's disappearance

The prosecutor will also contact hospitals, clinics and clinics that may have medical records of the missing Michał. The idea is to determine whether the boy had any special signs, such as birthmarks or scars, whether he had undergone any procedures or surgeries, whether he had a broken leg or arm, for example. This information may be useful in the later identification process.

When the identification of the NN body is completed, investigators will apply to selected police departments that conducted searches for missing persons and to prosecutors' offices that conducted cases concerning finding bodies of unknown identity, to provide files from these cases. – We will analyze them. Perhaps the collected material will include photos of the body, clothing or personal items found with the deceased person, which can be shown to Michał's siblings for identification purposes – explains the prosecutor.

The prosecutor is also waiting for the results of the forensic analysis of the note that the brother of the missing Michał, Andrzej, found on Mother's Day under one of the candles standing on their mother's grave. – It was small, folded in four. On the note, someone wrote the name “Michał” with a blue pen, and next to it the name and surname of another man and the name of the town – the brother of the missing 16-year-old told tvn24.pl.

She lay under the candle – as he said – for no more than two weeks, because on May 15 – their mother's name day – they were at the cemetery with their sister and there was no card at that time.

Read also: A new lead in the search for Michał. A note was found on his mother's grave

The investigators already know who the man whose name and surname are on the card, but they are not revealing his personal details. It is only known that he lives in the Podkarpacie region. They are now determining whether he may be connected to Michał's disappearance, and if so, what. The man has not yet been questioned.

The police are also trying to determine who and for what purpose left the note on the grave. They sent it to the forensic laboratory in Rzeszów, where experts are trying to look for dactyloscopic traces (fingerprints) and biological traces, such as epidermis, saliva or sweat.

Prosecutor Lasota reports that the note was previously photographed so that, if necessary, an expert in handwriting could examine the note. Such examination could help identify the author.

Investigators also managed to obtain a list of telephone numbers from which Michał Karaś's home number was called on the day of his disappearance and in the following days. The investigation is ongoing to identify people who contacted Michał and his family on the day of his disappearance and after his disappearance. Investigators are doing this based on an old telephone book. The selected people will be questioned.

The prosecutor is also analyzing the thread of the “mysterious blonde” with whom Michał was supposed to dance at the disco. Unofficially, we know that they have a lead in this thread.

The plan also includes an inspection of the building that housed the “Babilon” discotheque and the access route to it and the adjacent areas.

One of the last actions will be the interrogation of Marek K., aka Wielki Mistrz, who in 2000, when Michał disappeared, owned a disco in Bieliny. He is currently serving a 13-year sentence for, among other things, leading a criminal group.

Investigation into the murder of Michał Karaś was initiated on September 28, 2023 by the District Prosecutor's Office in Nisko. On October 16, the case was taken over for further proceedings by the District Prosecutor's Office in Tarnobrzeg. As prosecutor Andrzej Dubiel told us at the time, this was due to the “importance of the case.”

The case was initiated after the sister and brother of the missing 16-year-old filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office. Michał's siblings believe that the boy may have been the victim of a crime.

– We believe that Michał could have been murdered – Bożena Martyna, the sister of the missing teenager, told us. – Michał was a responsible person, he did not cause any behavioral problems. He took care of his sick father, helped on the farm. He had never failed to return home at night before. He was not a confrontational person, he had no enemies – she pointed out.

Read also: They are trying to solve a mystery from 23 years ago. They are counting on witnesses to Michał's disappearance.

The case of the disappearance of Michał Karaś was described extensively on the tvn24.pl portal in early September 2023. The boy lived with his sister and father in Bieliniec, a small village in the Podkarpacie region. On Saturday, August 19, 2000, he and a group of friends went on a bike ride to a disco in Bieliny, four kilometers away, and disappeared without a trace. The family initially searched for the boy on their own, and on Monday they reported the disappearance to the police.

It was not possible to establish much in this case, and the police from Nisko, who conducted the activities in this case, provide very brief information about the activities themselves. Staff Sergeant Katarzyna Pracało, press officer of the District Police Headquarters in Nisko, informed us that in the case “a number of people were questioned and interrogated, the received content was analyzed and verified.”

Read also: He danced with a mysterious blonde and disappeared. “She is the key to solving this mystery”

The thread of the “mysterious blonde” with whom the 16-year-old had been partying at the disco on the fateful evening was investigated. According to witness accounts, cited by the police, Michał allegedly left the disco with her, got into the car and drove away in an unknown direction. The police also considered the version that he was “pulled” into the car, because that was what witnesses reported. It was not possible to establish the identity of the young woman, the make and color of the car, or the direction in which he was supposed to have driven away. The case of Michał Karaś's disappearance has remained a mystery for 24 years.

People who have information about the missing Michał, were at the disco in Bieliny on August 19, 2000, or may have important information in the case are asked to contact the police – you can come in person to the District Police Headquarters in Nisko, call the phone number 47 826 33 10contact the District Prosecutor's Office in Tarnobrzeg at the following number: 15 866 81 11 or the ITAKA Foundation, which is conducting a search for Michał at the number 22 654 70 70.

Investigators guarantee informants anonymity.