Overview

• Alexandra Fröhlich, 58, a bestselling German novelist, was discovered dead on her houseboat in Hamburg's Moorfleet district last Tuesday morning by her son.
• Authorities believe she was violently attacked and fatally shot between midnight and 5:30 a.m., prompting a murder investigation led by Hamburg police and the public prosecutor's office.
• Forensic teams and divers are investigating the crime scene, with speculation that the murder weapon may have been discarded in the River Elbe.
• Police have issued a public appeal for witnesses to report any suspicious activity around the cerise-colored houseboat located on the Holzhafen bank of the Elbe River.
• Fröhlich, a former journalist and author of several Spiegel bestsellers, is survived by her three children, adding a personal tragedy to the high-profile case.