Process by 47-year-old murder: US soldier in court in Schweinfurt!

Process by 47-year-old murder: US soldier in court in Schweinfurt!

In the Schweinfurt district court, a particularly lengthy process is coming to an end: after almost 47 years, the case of an unexplained murder of a young woman in Kolitzheim is now being negotiated. The Plädoyers could start on Friday, while the judge and participated in conclusions, such as Radio Gong The focus is on a 71-year-old American who was once stationed as a soldier in Schweinfurt. The indictment considers him to be Culpable, because the 18-year-old woman with whom he had an affair was murdered on the night of April 21, 1978. She threatened to tell his wife about this relationship, which drove him into the tightness. The alleged perpetrator is said to have acted not only out of jealousy, but above all from the intention of covering up his affair.

The cruel murder

The crime was brutal: the accused is accused of having stabbed the young woman with a bayonet knife 14 times. While the body was found slightly dressed in a sugar beet field near Kolitzheim, the perpetrator left a handbag next to it, as described by the Bayern . These were not only witnesses that made the cruel discovery, but also the ones that were created due to the high memory values.

Modern forensic techniques, however, have contributed to refreshing the case again. DNA traces of the accused were found on the victim's clothing, which was crucial for the investigation. His second wife also burdened him because he was said to have confessed to her counterpart.

A look at the legal fronts

The process could be exciting, since all other offenses that could have been persecuted have already been statute -barred. This no longer applies to the murder itself. The senior prosecutor sees the accused as insulted acting, motivated by low motives. Possible judgments range from an acquittal to a conviction with penalty.

While the judiciary in Germany was faced with a decline in general crimes in recent years - as the current statistics suggest - this long case shows, for example, how profound crime can still act on society decades later. The police crime statistics reported around 285 murder victims in 2024, 14 less than in the previous year. The reason for the decline is, among other things, the partialization of cannabis, which influenced criminal prosecution in other areas, as shown on Statista

The citizens in Schweinfurt may be excited about completing this extraordinary process. The possibility that clarity about the events of that time will finally be created after almost half a century brings justice to the victims, but could also be a further step towards a safe cooperation in the region.