- Escaped killer, suspected accomplice arrested
A 45-year-old man from the Germersheim district has been arrested for allegedly assisting the escape of the murderer from Bruchsal in October. The Landau Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the suspected accomplice was presented to a judge at Landau District Court on Sunday, who issued an arrest warrant and the suspect was immediately taken into custody.
According to the reports, the suspect was involved in the escape plan of the then 43-year-old prisoner and allegedly helped him escape from the Bruchsal Prison. The convicted murderer was then on the run for nine months until he was rearrested in Moldova in July, following international cooperation. The case kept the public in suspense for months.
Escape during supervised outing at gravel pit
The escaped murderer was serving a life sentence in Bruchsal Prison, with the severity of the crime being established by the Karlsruhe Regional Court in 2012. He had strangled a 44-year-old man.
The now 44-year-old murderer fled into an adjacent forest area from a gravel pit in Germersheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, during an outing supervised by two prison officers. The Landau Public Prosecutor's Office stated that the man who was later arrested picked him up in a car. The murderer's electronic ankle monitor was found in the Germersheim city area shortly afterward. He had previously met with his wife and children at the gravel pit, which was his eighth escorted outing.
Prison officers fined
After the incident, the Justice Ministry acknowledged that mistakes during the outing may have allowed the man to escape despite being supervised by two prison staff members. The two officers were fined, but they continue to work at Bruchsal Prison, according to the ministry.
Investigations by the Landau Public Prosecutor's Office and Criminal Inspectorate continue following the arrest of the suspected accomplice. His electronic devices have been seized and are being examined.
The case regarding the escape of the convicted murderer is now being handled by The Office of the Prosecutor in Landau, as they continue to investigate the role of the arrested man in the incident. The arrest warrant for the suspected accomplice was issued by a judge within The Office of the Prosecutor in Landau District Court.
