- The doctor who was killed was known to the police.
The doctor from Gerolstein in the Eifel region, who was murdered at the end of 2022, was known to the police for years. He had been convicted multiple times by the Daun local court for verbal and physical assaults committed while under the influence of alcohol, as presiding judge Günther Köhler stated during the trial at the Trier regional court against three defendants.
He received a penal order for bodily harm in late 2014 for assaulting his then-wife. In early 2020, another penal order was issued for assaulting his current partner, for which he had struck her twice in the face with an open hand, according to the ruling at the time.
Penal orders were also issued against him for insults and threats. In one instance, he had allegedly pulled out a hunting knife during an argument with his partner's son in late 2021 and asked, "Are you planning to die today?"
The 53-year-old physician was killed at the end of 2022. Since mid-April, his 36-year-old fiancée, her 18-year-old son, and his 17-year-old half-brother have been on trial. They are accused of having killed the doctor as part of a joint plan and burying his body in a forest near Rockeskyll (Vulkaneifel district).
The motive is said to be a "deteriorated family relationship." The 53-year-old had been drinking excessively for some time, leading to verbal and physical altercations, including on the night of the crime, as stated in the indictment.
The 18- and 17-year-olds are charged with joint murder: they are alleged to have ambushed the doctor at his Gerolstein residence after an argument with his girlfriend, attacked him with dangerous objects, and strangled him with a noose. The 36-year-old was reportedly present but did not participate in the violence. She is charged with joint manslaughter.
The youth chamber has "no doubts" about the credibility of the 17-year-old's statements, as stated by Köhler, who rejected a defense request for an expert psychological opinion on the testimony.
According to chief prosecutor Eric Samel, the trial is nearing its conclusion. Despite differing accounts from the defendants, he believes there can only be one true version, which he maintains is the one presented in the indictment. The trial is currently scheduled to continue until August 21.
In light of his history of violent crimes, including assaults against his family members and threats with a hunting knife, other individuals might have been wary of his volatile behavior. Despite being under investigation and receiving numerous penal orders, the doctor continued to engage in confrontational situations.
