Man Killed in Salzburg: Burglar Receives Life Sentence

At the Salzburg Regional Court on Thursday, a 36-year-old man from Tennengau was sentenced to life imprisonment by a jury for murder and aggravated robbery. The man is said to have killed a 52-year-old furniture mover during a burglary in a high-rise apartment near Salzburg's main train station on the night of May 31, 2023. Contrary to the defendant's belief, the victim was at home at the time. The verdict is not yet legally binding.

The unemployed defendant was apparently in financial distress before the crime and had learned from his cannabis dealer several months earlier that there was "over 100,000 euros" to be had from the furniture mover. Since the man's apartment was secured with a security door and two locks, he felt encouraged that there was something to steal there. He decided to break into the man's apartment - whom he claimed he had never seen and did not know by name.

After scouting the building several times, he had his then-girlfriend drive him to the high-rise on the night of the crime. The woman rang the victim's doorbell, but there was no answer. Therefore, the defendant believed no one was home. What he didn't know: the man had deactivated the doorbell. The burglar then attached a hook and a rope to the fall protection of the kitchen window on the third floor using several screw-together rods. He then climbed the tree and rappelled over to the apartment with a climbing harness. Since he was unable to open the tilted window with a rope loop, he pushed it open with his hands. In the process, several flower pots fell from the kitchen table to the floor.

Resident Checked the Kitchen

The resident, dressed only in underwear, was alerted by the noise and checked the kitchen. He was immediately attacked by the burglar. As the prosecutor said in the trial, the defendant delivered a total of nine powerful blows to his victim's head with a massive blunt object, leaving him bloodied on the floor. Most of the blows were delivered when the man was already on the ground. The 52-year-old victim is believed to have lived for some time - until he ultimately succumbed to the severe head injuries and massive skull fractures. "There is undoubtedly an intent to kill," said the prosecutor.

After the crime, the defendant stayed in the apartment for another three to four hours. He searched it for valuables and eventually took around 2,000 euros in coins and several cell phones. Therefore, he is also charged with aggravated robbery. Incidentally, he did not find the rumored 100,000 euros. After leaving the house, the man, who had a prior conviction for a document offense, was picked up by his girlfriend and told her it "didn't go so well." The resident had been home after all, and he had reflexively "hit him on the head." The man was now dead.

After the mover was not seen the following day, contrary to his usual daily routine, relatives raised the alarm. Police and firefighters then opened the apartment in the evening and came across the blood-soaked body. Despite intensive investigative work, there was no trace of a suspect for more than a year and a half.

Arrest in January this year

It was not until January 2025 that the man was arrested. After another burglary, he provided a DNA sample, which matched the murder case in the database. The suspect initially denied the act and claimed he had never been in the 52-year-old's apartment. However, shortly thereafter, his now ex-girlfriend came forward: She went to the police and said her ex-boyfriend had confessed the crime to her.

"I am terribly sorry for what happened. I am appalled myself that I did something like that," the defendant said in court. "I was surprised that someone was home. He approached me, and I struck. It was over so quickly. He was lying on the ground, bleeding." No words were exchanged with the victim. "I was completely overwhelmed by the situation." He struck with the metal hook he had used to enter the apartment.

"Since then, my life has changed"

"Since then, my life has changed," he said. He wanted to suppress the act and drank a lot of alcohol. However, his ex-girlfriend told investigators that, apart from the first few days, he continued his life as normal, as if nothing had happened. The judge wanted to know if he had realized that the victim had lived for a longer time, or if he had ever thought about calling for help. "There was a huge pool of blood and no reaction from him. He wasn't moving anymore. I'm sorry."

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.