Change at "Aktenzeichen XY": New LKA officers
Change at Germany's best-known true crime program "Aktenzeichen XY... Unsolved": Alfred Hettmer, the long-standing head of the recording studio, is making his last major appearance. The former detective at the Bavarian LKA, who for around 20 years always summarized the state of the clues for viewers in the middle and at the end, will do so for the last time in the show, which is to be broadcast on ZDF on Wednesday.
"It has to end at some point. I am now 68 years old and it was clear that an end had to come," Hettmer told the German Press Agency in Munich. "At some point, someone might have said that it was time for someone younger - and I deliberately tried to avoid that point. You should always stop when it's at its best."
Hettmer was the second face of the show after presenter Rudi Cerne - and he still remembers his first appearance in front of the camera well after all these years. "That was very bad. You know there are millions of viewers. They're all looking at you," reports Hettmer. "My voice was damn quiet, I was incredibly excited and shaky."
In his broadcasts, for which he - like the detectives who take the tips - was released from duty, he came into contact with cases that also kept him busy. "There are always cases that you can't let go of - even cases that unfortunately weren't solved. Maria Börgerl is one such case - or Madeline McCann. Her parents were in the studio with us at the time - and Scotland Yard," he told dpa. "And the Lolita Brieger case, which was solved 29 years later thanks to clues in the show. I was even allowed to take one of the tips myself back then."
Over the years, you also get a feeling for whether a tip could be important: "Of course, you always have to check tips carefully first, but if it's nonsense, you know relatively quickly - or whether people just want to give general tips and ask whether the police have ever tried to locate a cell phone."
A team will now take over for Hettmer: Fabian Puchelt and Stephanie Wossilius from the LKA Bayern will summarize the tips received by "Aktenzeichen" for viewers in future.
The 68-year-old now wants to enjoy a little more freedom - also together with his wife, who is also a police officer and will retire in 2024. "Of course I will miss something in the near future after such a long time. On the other hand, vacations and other things always had to take a back seat, 14 weeks a year - if you include the special broadcasts - were basically blocked somehow. I think I'll be a bit freer in the future."
And he won't be leaving completely after all, as Hettmer told dpa: "I will stay on the show and take part three to four times a year - but only in the background, recording, processing the information and working through it."
The new team taking over from Alfred Hettmer at "Aktenzeichen XY... Unsolved" will summarize tips on television, providing updates for viewers. Despite stepping down, Hettmer's expertise in crime cases will still be utilized through his occasional contributions to the show on television.
Source: www.dpa.com
