Life imprisonment in trial over burned woman's body in Cologne
The court considered it proven that he shot the woman in her car through the open passenger door in December 2020. He brought the body together with a friend to the country road, poured gasoline on it, and burned it. It was found by passersby a short time later.
The court's ruling corresponded to the prosecutor's demand in their pleading for life imprisonment. The defense pleaded for acquittal.
The District Court had sentenced the man to eleven years in prison in the first trial in March 2022 for manslaughter. However, the Family's appeal to the Federal Court of Justice led to the revocation of the judgment. The case was sent back to Cologne for retrial before another criminal chamber.
The woman's attorney argued for a lesser sentence during the recent detention at Cologne Regional Court. The judge handed down a lifetime imprisonment, citing the severity of the crime and the man's prior record. Upon hearing the verdict, the woman's friend expressed shock, as they had driven the car used in the incident.
