Overview

• Authorities report evidence that the 61-year-old, believed injured during the attack, took refuge in a roughly 60-centimeter pipe in the Elbbach and died there.
• The suspected murder weapon was recovered inside that pipe, about 100 meters from where the remains were found in early August.
• An autopsy could not determine a precise cause of death because of advanced decomposition, though the suspect’s injuries from the crime are deemed significant.
• Police say a heavy rain event in early June likely flushed the body from the pipe to the eventual discovery site, a timeline that aligns with witness statements.
• The find ends a four-month manhunt that had previously combed the area with dogs and helicopters, with investigators noting the swampy terrain and concluding the body was not at the site during earlier searches.