“Aktenzeichen XY… unsolved” has been dedicated to unsolved criminal cases since 1967 – including so-called cold cases that date back many years. The ZDF program was launched long before documentary series and podcasts about spectacular criminal cases were known as “True Crime”.
Also in the current issue of 24. August 2022 is a particularly startling, previously unsolved case in the program that more than ten years ago in Hanover led to the death of a 40-year-old father.
A lethal injection in the umbrella: what is known about the attack
A street attack resulted in a treacherous, agonizing death: the 2011 case, in its insidiousness and unlikely execution, ticks all the boxes of a disturbing crime.
A 40-year-old IT specialist was July 15, 2011 in downtown Hanover, in the area of Fischerstraße/corner of Moorwegsgasse at the Bremer Damm underpass, when he was stabbed several times in the buttocks with an umbrella while passing by.
Someone had converted that umbrella into a weapon. the tip of the umbrella which the victim was able to snatch from the perpetrator turned out to be Injection out, filled with mercury.
At first it was assumed that a mercury-thallium compound was used, as was found in thermometers in the past. The perpetrator could have taken the liquid from an old device. But this theory is no longer up-to-date and the case becomes even more mysterious.
How did the perpetrator get hold of the highly toxic substance?
According to the current status Methylquecksilber in the syringe. This highly toxic substance is much harder to obtain than the mercury found in old thermometers. This raises the question of how the perpetrator got hold of the material in the first place and how he was able to handle it.
The effect came with a delay
As for the victim, the deadly effect was not immediately apparent. First days after the attack the victim’s health deteriorated – until the man finally became a full-time patient. To ten months of suffering he died on May 9, 2012, leaving behind an unsolved mystery. About a year later, the public prosecutor’s office in Hanover dropped the investigation due to a lack of traces.
At first glance, the fact that it was carried out using an umbrella may seem reminiscent of a murder commissioned by a secret service. The fact that the attack is so incomprehensible is still the reason unclear motive behind. The victim may have been chosen at random.
That’s known to the suspect
According to a witness description published by NDR, the suspect should have looked like this:
- 1.75 to 1.85 meters tall
- between 40 and 50 years old
- very slim
- gaunt face with thin lips, prominent cheekbones, tanned skin, and small pox-like scars; large, beige patch on the right cheek
- dark blonde to light brown short hair
- spoke accent-free German
- wore a baseball cap with white lettering and occasionally sunglasses
- wore a black, shiny leather jacket, the jeans were light blue and faded
- Umbrella including stick was black
Hints the police in Hanover will answer the number 0511 109 2715 or by email to [email protected].
The other cases at “Aktenzeichen XY…unsolved” on August 24th
- Ambush mother and son: An 82-year-old woman and her son are at home when two masked men burst in.
- Brutal robbery series: Two men break into a couple’s home, one of the victims is attacked with a branch; The act is probably part of a series of raids in northern Germany.
- Attack during Corona times: While contact restrictions are in place in the country, a goldsmith’s shop is robbed.
- The XY Prize 2022: A young couple pursues a purse snatcher, so they have been nominated for the 2022 XY Prize.
The “Aktenzeichen XY… unsolved” episode on August 24th will be broadcast live on ZDF at 8:15 p.m. and online in the stream.