Overview

• Police confirmed Thiel’s death on July 18 at age 61 after a serious illness
• He spent decades solving dozens of homicide cases in Mönchengladbach before moving to NRW’s police training bureau and then resuming frontline work in Viersen
• In 2011, his leadership of the Mirco investigation mobilized over 1,000 officers, Bundeswehr helicopters and sifted through more than 8,000 leads to secure a conviction
• Colleagues dubbed him “Terrier” for his relentless pursuit of suspects, a drive that helped him maintain a near-100% clearance rate
• He co-authored a book on the Mirco case that inspired a 2017 TV film and has been portrayed by Heino Ferch in a ZDF crime series since 2017