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Trials Open in Krefeld Store Killing and 2003 Cold Case

Prosecutors in Krefeld say the accused likely lacks criminal responsibility due to paranoid schizophrenia, underscoring the role of psychiatric and DNA analyses in both proceedings.

Overview

  • At the Landgericht Krefeld, a murder indictment was read against a 25-year-old employee accused of fatally stabbing his 41-year-old store manager in May, and the defendant remained silent at the brief opening session.
  • Prosecutors consider the Krefeld defendant not criminally responsible and state he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, with the man currently held in a psychiatric clinic.
  • The next Krefeld hearing is scheduled for 20 November, and a conviction could lead to court-ordered placement in a psychiatric institution rather than conventional imprisonment.
  • Police say the Krefeld suspect initially fled the scene but was arrested near the store, and emotions in the courtroom led to a visitor being removed after insults directed at the accused.
  • Separately in Paderborn, a 57-year-old went on trial for a 2003 killing after modern DNA re-testing and a mass saliva screening of 120 contacts produced a lead, with prosecutors alleging binding, strangulation with a vacuum cable, and theft, and hearings set through January 2026.