Acquittal or life imprisonment: In the trial of a murdered teacher, there is a world of difference between the demands of the prosecution and those of the defense just before the verdict is reached. A verdict is now due to be announced next Friday at the Potsdam Regional Court.
While the prosecution demanded a life sentence taking into account the particular gravity of the crime, the defense attorneys requested an acquittal for their two clients.
Forced off the road by car and then shot
In May last year, a 40-year-old teacher was shot dead in her car on the hard shoulder of the A9 near Brück (Potsdam-Mittelmark district). Her former partner and his former schoolmate have now been charged.
They are said to have decided together to kill the woman after a long-standing custody battle with her ex-partner over their child. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the woman was eventually forced off the road by her school friend in a car and then shot.
In the circumstantial evidence trial, over 180 witnesses were questioned over more than 35 days. To date, no murder weapon has been found and none of the defendants has confessed. Instead, the two men accused each other.
Public prosecutor paints a coherent picture
In a closing statement lasting almost four hours – supported by WhatsApp conversations and location data – the public prosecutor outlined the alleged course of events for this crime. According to the statement, the custody dispute between the deceased and her ex-partner escalated over months. This was followed by some open threats and finally a plan to kill the woman with the help of a former schoolmate in an untraceable car.
The ex-partner’s henchman and co-defendant was supposed to leave the country after the criminal and receive financial compensation from the woman’s estate. This is what the public prosecutor’s office assumed. Both defendants contradict this version.
Defense sees gaps in chain of evidence
The defense attorneys for the two defendants said that there were gaps in the prosecution’s statements and the evidence. There was no concrete evidence of the crime and the motive was not clear. They also expressed doubts that the former school friend was actually capable of committing such a serious crime.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240915-930-233087/1
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