Double murder solved after 29 years: Völklingen perpetrators in court!

Double murder solved after 29 years: Völklingen perpetrators in court!

The double murder of a married couple in Völklingen, which was considered unsolved for almost 29 years, continues to make headlines. On December 15, 1996, the 51-year-old woman and her 40-year-old husband were brutally killed. The perpetrator, a 70-year-old man, was recently convicted before the Saarbrücken regional court and received a prison sentence of 14 years for murder in two cases and attempted murder in seven other cases. stern.de reports on the shocking details of the crime, which shook the country forever.

The defendant allegedly killed the victims with a broken curtain rod and then set their apartment on fire. This dastardly act also endangered the lives of seven other residents of the building, who narrowly escaped death. Despite numerous tips and evidence, including photos of the perpetrator in the apartment and witness statements, the case could not be solved until 2024.

The investigations

The case was reopened thanks to the intensive work of a special “cold case” department that deals with unsolved cases. A crucial DNA trace discovered under the victim's fingernails and in a burned wallet led to the identification of the perpetrator. saarbruecker-zeitung.de describes how important these traces were for the outcome of the proceedings.

In the run-up to the trial, both the public prosecutor's office and the co-prosecution demanded life imprisonment because they considered the particular gravity of the guilt to be given. The defense attorney, however, pleaded for acquittal. Despite the defendant's previous convictions, including 17 convictions for theft and drug trafficking, the judges decided not to impose a life sentence because they recognized the perpetrator's reduced control capacity.

Revision and further steps

After the verdict was passed, both the defense and the prosecution filed an appeal. This is now leading to a review of the judgment by the Federal Court of Justice in Leipzig. So the defendant's future depends on this decision as the public continues to grapple with the grisly details of the crime.

This case clearly shows how dramatic and complex solving cold crimes can be and that justice can still be achieved decades later. The events in Völklingen remain in the memory and illustrate the challenges that the justice system faces when it comes to solving crimes from the past.