Herne, Germany - A German man who turned himself in after a
three-day manhunt prompted by the stabbing death of a 9-year-old boy
that was posted online has confessed to that crime and one additional
murder, police and prosecutors announced Friday.
However, questions linger about the case. Whereas the 19-year-old
suspect - identified only as Marcel H in adherence with German
privacy law - confessed to the murders in great detail, he denied
posting the pictures online.
Authorities say they are investigating now whether he is competent to
stand trial for the crimes.
During a Friday press conference, Dortmund police chief Gregor Lange
described him as "in many respects, an unusual, dangerous and brutal
criminal." Authorities also noted he was "ice cold" as he dictated
the circumstances of the crimes during his interrogation.
Forensic specialists examine a mattress in front of a house in Herne, Germany. Police say they have arrested a 19-year-old man suspected of killing a 9-year-old boy in the western city, and posting pictures of the victim's body on the internet. Picture: Roland Weihrauch/dpa via AP
"He talks a lot," said Klaus-Peter Lipphaus, head of homicide for the
Bochum Police Department.
Police had begun searching for the murderer after the body of
9-year-old Jaden was discovered in a cellar of a neighbour belonging
to Marcel H in the western German town of Herne. The case shook
Germany after images of the murder appeared online, showing the
assailant covered in blood next to the body.
Arousing further horror, an audio clip then appeared in which Marcel
H allegedly talks about the murder.
"I just killed my neighbour. Really, it doesn't feel that special, to
be honest. My hands are bleeding now, and that is the only thing
that's really bugging me," he says. The clip has been accessed
hundreds of thousands of times.
But the suspect disappeared for three days, only showing up in a
Greek diner in his neighbourhood on Thursday night to turn himself
in. When police came to take custody, he alerted them to yet another
body, in a burnt-out nearby flat.
Police said on Friday that Marcel H has confessed to both murders. He
was formally charged earlier Friday.
According to Jaden's brother, the killer had asked for help holding a
ladder before the boy disappeared.
After the murder, Marcel H told police he took some pictures and then
took refuge in a forest for a while. At some point, he arrived at the
home of the second victim, a 22-year-old they knew through a mutual
acquaintance, where they ate together and played video games.
Marcel H also slept at the apartment before setting it on fire.
Lipphaus said the second man was killed because he wanted to go to
the police about the first murder. It was not clear at which point
the other man was killed. Police said the body had 68 stab wounds and
trauma to the neck.
Authorities described Marcel H as a vocational student frustrated
after being turned down for multiple jobs and getting a rejection for
a spot with the army. They said he was obsessed with computer games.
Prosecutor Danyal Maibaum said the suspect acted out of a lust for
murder and malice. But Lipphaus said the suspect only turned to
murder after several failed suicide attempts.
Undertakers lift a stretcher with a bodybag into a hearse in Herne, Germany. Photo: Marcel Kusch/dpa via AP
"We've experienced a lot of atrocities, but a murder case like this
really gets under your skin," said Lipphaus.
Lipphaus also said they do not suspect Marcel H of any further
homicides.
The suspect is still expected to appear in court at some point
Friday.
Although details of the last week's events remained unclear, local
residents said they were relieved that a suspect had been captured.
"It affected us all," said one 40-year-old woman, who noted she had
rearranged her shifts this week so she could escort her two children
to school herself.
Jaden's parents said through a lawyer that they were also relieved.
"They are happy that he has been captured," Reinhard Peters told dpa,
since it will help them bring the matter to a close.
"They want to understand what happened here," he said.
A commemoration service for Jaden is planned for Wednesday, with the
burial expected on Thursday.
But the death continued to rattle the town and the country. In Herne,
flags were at half-mast, while visitors could sign a condolence book.
Georgios Chaitidis, the owner of the Thessaloniki Grill, where Marcel
H turned himself in, said Friday that he didn't recognize the man who
entered his restaurant.
"He came in at 8:10 pm wearing black clothes, carrying an umbrella
and a bag of onions."
When the teenager told him he was 'Marcel,' Chatitidis responded
"Which Marcel are you?"
At that point, Marcel H told the store owner to look at his tablet
computer, at which point his identity became clear. Five to 10
minutes later, police came to take Marcel H into custody.
# Notebook
## Note to editors
- Releads with police announcing confession
* * * *
The following information is not intended for publication
## Editorial contacts
- Reporting by: Helge Toben in Herne and Arne Meyer in Dusseldorf
- Editing by: Niels C Sorrells, +49 30 285231472,
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