Exonerations in the Trial of the Dismembered Hells Angel
Over a decade ago, passersby found body parts of a Hells Angel in the Rhine. The prosecution believed that fellow bikers had murdered the man. However, because the key witness changed his testimony, the court acquitted the defendants.
A trial involving a murder in the biker scene, with a dismembered body, ended with acquittals. The judges at the Regional Court of Duisburg said in the evening that it could not be proven with certainty that the two suspects had committed the crime, as the key witness for the prosecution had revised his statements on essential points. The trial lasted more than two years.
The crime from January 2014 in the environment of the biker gang Hells Angels had caused a stir due to its brutality. The victim - the suspected traitor biker Kai M. - was killed by a shot to the back of the head. The body was dismembered, stored in barrels, covered with concrete, and submerged in waters. Walkers had discovered a tattooed arm of the dead man in the Rhine near Duisburg.
Defense criticized key witness as unbelievable
Two Hells Angels members stood trial: a 37-year-old who was supposed to have handed the shooter the weapon, and a 45-year-old who, according to the prosecution, dismembered the body with a saw after the crime. The alleged shooter Ramin Y. had fled to Iran, where he was killed in the spring. According to Iranian media, the background was a personal conflict.
The lengthy trial was based largely on the testimony of a key witness who primarily incriminated the 37-year-old. The prosecution demanded life imprisonment for this defendant for joint murder. Against the 45-year-old, they pleaded for four years and ten months imprisonment for attempted obstruction of justice.
The defense attorneys criticized the key witness in their closing arguments as unbelievable. His statements in the trial were sometimes contradictory. Details often did not match the objectively investigated facts. He had also consumed a significant amount of drugs.
The reasons for the changed testimony of the key witness could not be clarified in the trial. A police officer said at the beginning of the trial that he had heard "from biker circles" about a high payment to the key witness. However, this information came from hearsay.
The key witness's contradictory statements and mismatched details raised concerns among the defense attorney for the 37-year-old suspect. Despite the key witness's testimony, the jury could not definitively convict both defendants due to the lack of concrete evidence, leading to their acquittal. The Commission may find it necessary to investigate the alleged bribe given to the key witness, if any, to maintain accountability and integrity in the judicial system.
