Herne
The investigation into the murder of a 66-year-old man in the Ruhr region, in which his penis and testicles were cut off by his assailants, has brought back a 32-year-old man who was previously a prime suspect. A prosecutor’s spokesperson said a new genetic report had concluded that the suspect could not be convicted beyond a shadow of a doubt based on DNA traces from the Herne crime scene.
The authorities actually wanted to charge the 32-year-old man soon, but now there are no more urgent suspicions. The man was released from custody, “WAZ” previously reported.
Prosecutors stressed that the investigation is continuing. Initial suspicions remain about a 32-year-old man, a close relative of the victim. Investigators had DNA traces of the man at the crime scene, even though he claimed he had not been in the apartment for a long time.
The new report says the 32-year-old and 66-year-old victims were so closely related that it cannot be absolutely ruled out that DNA traces at the crime scene came from the victim and not the perpetrator, prosecutors said.
You may have suspected the wrong person
The 66-year-old man was found seriously injured in his home in the Ruhr region city in late February. His dog’s persistent barking attracted the attention of neighbors.
Investigators did not find any severed genitals or weapons of the crime. The possible background to the crime was still unclear. The victim survived life-threatening injuries but died of natural causes shortly thereafter.
Now the investigation continues with a new focus. A spokesperson for the authorities told WAZ that numerous other traces were found in the apartment. “We are still examining the items.” However, the investigation is currently underway in another direction. “It is possible that we suspected someone completely wrong.”
notification: This report is part of an automated service of the German Press Agency (dpa), which operates under strict journalistic regulations. The AZ Online editorial team does not edit or check it. Please send questions or comments to Feedback@az-muenchen.de.
