Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Body dismembered in the bathroom – trial begins in Stralsund
One of the two defendants before the start of the trial in the Stralsund regional court. photo
© Bernd Wüstneck/dpa
One of the defendants describes what happened in an apartment in Greifswald as a “really bad film.” But it was reality. The body of a 38-year-old was dismembered.
In the trial surrounding the death of a 38-year-old and the subsequent dismemberment of his body, the main defendant partially admitted the crime. He had drunk alcohol with the victim the evening before. The 28-year-old said at the start of the trial in the regional court that he died during the night after an argument and a fall Stralsund the events of the end of October 2023. He cut up the body together with a friend who was also accused. The 28-year-old clearly rejected that on Monday: “I didn’t saw anyone in half. No, 100 percent not.”
The public prosecutor’s office accuses the main defendant of grievous bodily harm resulting in death. The court signaled that a conviction for manslaughter due to failure to act would also be considered. The co-defendant is charged with, among other things, disturbing the peace of the dead and attempting to thwart punishment. The two defendants described the incident from their perspective on October 20th and 21st last year. The body was dismembered in a bathtub using a saw, knives and a machete.
The second defendant, who was released from prison just hours before the incident, emphasized that his friend initially told him that he had killed someone. He didn’t want to believe that until he saw the body in the box under the couch under a mountain of laundry in his friend’s apartment. “It was a really bad film, a complete disaster.”
The main defendant later threatened him with a gun and forced him to call an acquaintance to help dispose of the body parts. But he refused and instead called the police. According to the public prosecutor’s office, if convicted, the main defendant faces between 3 and 15 years in prison and the co-defendant faces a maximum of 5 years. Both are in custody. Both are considered innocent until the proceedings are legally concluded. The trial continues on April 10.