- Charge of stabbing changed - Arrest warrant not executed
After the fatal knife attack in June in Kaiserslautern, the public prosecutor's office is no longer investigating on suspicion of manslaughter, but on suspicion of bodily harm resulting in death. The reason for this, according to the prosecution in the Palatinate city, is the evaluated video material from the surveillance cameras at the station. The evaluation showed that it was presumably not a deliberate use of the knife with intent to kill, considering the dynamics of the incident.
The 20-year-old suspect denied the intent to kill during questioning with the investigating judge. The arrest warrant issued on suspicion of manslaughter was amended and suspended with conditions. Investigations into the background of the crime, including why the woman had a knife, are ongoing. "Furthermore, there are still further witness interrogations and results of forensic investigations pending."
Knife to the heart
The suspect, according to the prosecution, is an American citizen born in Germany, with no connection to the U.S. military. She is alleged to have killed a 64-year-old man in the underpass of the main station. The victim died from a knife wound to the heart, according to the autopsy results. The suspect surrendered shortly after the incident.
The public prosecutor's office announced at the beginning of July that, based on initial evaluations of the video surveillance, the 64-year-old had grabbed the 20-year-old by the buttocks in the underpass. There, a verbal argument ensued, during which the woman pulled out a knife and pointed it at the man. He then backed away.
The amended arrest warrant stated that 'The following is added: the 64-year-old's actions prior to the incident, which had not been fully investigated earlier, may have provoked the suspect.'
The subsequent investigations revealed that 'The following is added: the 64-year-old's behavior towards the suspect, although not justifying the violence, could have potentially escalated the situation leading to the use of the knife.'
