Rhineland-Palatinate
According to the autopsy, the dead bled to death at the fair in Wittlich
Marking boards for securing evidence at the crime scene in Wittlich. photo
© Harald Tittel/dpa
A festival in Wittlich is overshadowed by the violent death of a young man. The mayor speaks of “great concern” in the place. Two suspects were arrested hours after the crime.
For the death of a 28-year-old at a fair in According to an autopsy, Wittlich in Rhineland-Palatinate caused several knife wounds in the upper body area. “He ultimately bled to death,” said senior public prosecutor Manfred Stemper on Monday in Trier. According to the current status of the investigation, “a scuffle” broke out during a dispute on Saturday night, in which two US military personnel are said to have attacked the victim.
The two suspects, aged 25 and 26, were handed over to US law enforcement agencies after their arrest under the NATO troop statute. “Both soldiers will remain in American custody for the duration of the investigation,” said the US Airbase Spangdahlem in the Eifel district of Bitburg-Prüm. The Office of Special Investigations (OSI), the airbase’s investigative authority, has taken over further investigations.
The suspects initially did not get involved, said Stemper. One of the men said he couldn’t remember. The motive for the alleged act was “completely unclear”. The background to the dispute, which then escalated, is also unknown. The soldiers had visited the fair with friends.
Whether a knife found in nearby Bach Lieser was the murder weapon is still being investigated, said Stemper. According to the police, several items have been seized that are still under forensic investigation.
The incident overshadowed the traditional Säubrenner fair, which also attracts national visitors. Up to 100,000 people were expected by the end of this Monday. Wittlich, with almost 20,000 inhabitants, is in the district of Bernkastel-Wittlich.