Overview
- In the night of November 12, 1997, Manfred Meisel, his eight-year-old son Patrick and animal keeper Claudia Leisten were shot dead at Meisel’s finca in S'Aranjassa, Mallorca.
- ZDF’s Aktenzeichen XY... International aired a program on October 7, 2026 that summarized forensic findings, outlined motive theories and asked viewers to contact Kripo and the Frankfurt prosecutor with tips.
- German investigators say Spain’s statute of limitations has expired but the Staatsanwaltschaft Frankfurt remains active because Meisel was a German citizen and murder is not time-barred under German law.
- Key forensic clues highlighted include shoeprint traces suggesting at least one small-footed perpetrator, use of a 6.35 mm handgun with PMP and S&B ammunition, and the unexplained fact that the guard dogs did not bark.
- Authorities note a 2007 arrest produced insufficient evidence for charges and point to Meisel’s valuable parrot-breeding business and possible organized-crime or rivalry motives as lines of inquiry as they seek fresh leads.