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Boyfriend of Murdered Backpacker Sues NSW Police Over Arrest - Lismore, NSW
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Tobias Moran has launched civil proceedings against New South Wales Police, alleging malicious prosecution after he was charged over the 2005 death of his German girlfriend, Simone Strobel. The criminal charges agains...
A man who was previously charged over the unsolved murder of German backpacker Simone Strobel has launched civil proceedings against the New South Wales Police Force, alleging that he was maliciously prosecuted.
Tobias Moran, formerly known as Tobias Suckfuell, was charged in 2022 in connection with Strobel’s death. She was 25 when her body was discovered near the caravan park where she had been staying in Lismore, northern New South Wales, in February 2005.
Moran spent 10 days in custody after his arrest and was subsequently subject to bail conditions for approximately 10 months. The charges against him were withdrawn by prosecutors in 2023. He has consistently denied killing Strobel.
The new civil case, filed in the NSW District Court, challenges the police investigation and the decision to prosecute him. Moran alleges that investigators focused on him rather than pursuing the evidence needed to establish who killed Strobel. These are allegations made in the civil proceedings and have not been established by a court.
Strobel disappeared from the Lismore Tourist Caravan Park on 11 February 2005. She had been travelling with Moran, his sister and a friend. The group reported her missing after she failed to return from a walk following an argument. Six days later, her body was discovered concealed beneath palm fronds at a bocce court less than 100 metres from their campsite.
The case has remained unresolved for more than two decades. In late 2025, a state coroner overturned findings from an earlier inquest and reconsidered the circumstances surrounding Strobel’s death.
The coroner concluded that Moran could not be completely ruled out as a suspect but found it unlikely that he could have killed Strobel and disposed of her body without assistance. The findings also assessed the likelihood of involvement by the other people who had been travelling with her. The inquest did not establish who was responsible for the killing.
Moran’s legal representatives say the civil action will examine the investigation and prosecution and seek compensation. They argue that the proceedings are an opportunity to scrutinise the basis for the charges and address the impact the case has had on their client.
Moran has also said he hopes the lawsuit will renew attention on Strobel’s death and help bring answers to her family. The case has raised continuing questions about the original investigation and why the person responsible for her killing has never been brought to justice.
NSW Police confirmed they were aware of the civil proceedings but declined to comment on the matter. The civil case is scheduled to be heard in the NSW District Court on 27 January 2027. Its outcome may address Moran’s allegations about the prosecution, but it does not by itself determine who killed Strobel. For Strobel’s family, the central question remains unanswered: who was responsible for her death in Lismore in 2005?
StrobelMoranCivilBeenCase
A man who was previously charged over the unsolved murder of German backpacker Simone Strobel has launched civil proceedings against the New South Wales Police Force, alleging that he was maliciously prosecuted.
Tobias Moran, formerly known as Tobias Suckfuell, was charged in 2022 in connection with Strobel’s death. She was 25 when her body was discovered near the caravan park where she had been staying in Lismore, northern New South Wales, in February 2005.
Moran spent 10 days in custody after his arrest and was subsequently subject to bail conditions for approximately 10 months. The charges against him were withdrawn by prosecutors in 2023. He has consistently denied killing Strobel.
The new civil case, filed in the NSW District Court, challenges the police investigation and the decision to prosecute him. Moran alleges that investigators focused on him rather than pursuing the evidence needed to establish who killed Strobel. These are allegations made in the civil proceedings and have not been established by a court.
Strobel disappeared from the Lismore Tourist Caravan Park on 11 February 2005. She had been travelling with Moran, his sister and a friend. The group reported her missing after she failed to return from a walk following an argument. Six days later, her body was discovered concealed beneath palm fronds at a bocce court less than 100 metres from their campsite.
The case has remained unresolved for more than two decades. In late 2025, a state coroner overturned findings from an earlier inquest and reconsidered the circumstances surrounding Strobel’s death.
The coroner concluded that Moran could not be completely ruled out as a suspect but found it unlikely that he could have killed Strobel and disposed of her body without assistance. The findings also assessed the likelihood of involvement by the other people who had been travelling with her. The inquest did not establish who was responsible for the killing.
Moran’s legal representatives say the civil action will examine the investigation and prosecution and seek compensation. They argue that the proceedings are an opportunity to scrutinise the basis for the charges and address the impact the case has had on their client.
Moran has also said he hopes the lawsuit will renew attention on Strobel’s death and help bring answers to her family. The case has raised continuing questions about the original investigation and why the person responsible for her killing has never been brought to justice.
NSW Police confirmed they were aware of the civil proceedings but declined to comment on the matter. The civil case is scheduled to be heard in the NSW District Court on 27 January 2027. Its outcome may address Moran’s allegations about the prosecution, but it does not by itself determine who killed Strobel. For Strobel’s family, the central question remains unanswered: who was responsible for her death in Lismore in 2005?
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