A businessman from Horb is killed in 2018. But who killed him remains uncertain even after the January 2020 verdict. The Federal Court of Justice is not satisfied with this and orders a new hearing. Now a new verdict is imminent.
Rottweil (dpa / lsw) - In the second trial about the violent death of a real estate entrepreneur from Horb am Neckar (Freudenstadt district), the verdict against two defendants is expected today. The men, who are now 31 and 36 years old, were sentenced in January 2020 in the first instance by the Rottweil District Court for the 2018 crime. But who killed the businessman remained uncertain even after the guilty verdict at the time. The defendants appealed to the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe, whereupon the federal judges overturned the first judgment on all counts and ordered a new hearing.
In their pleadings, the public prosecutor's office had demanded, among other things, a life sentence for murder. The prosecution also saw a particular severity of guilt. For the 36-year-old defendant, the prosecution called for a total of seven years and nine months in prison for extortionate kidnapping, extortion and failure to provide assistance.
The case is about the death of a wealthy businessman. The single 57-year-old was overpowered in his house in November 2018, threatened and blackmailed for 3,000 euros. At first only one of the two men was in the house, then the later main accused, an acquaintance of the victim, was added. The 57-year-old with lung disease was then strangled. In the first trial, the court could not determine with certainty who of the two alleged perpetrators. In early 2020, the two were sentenced to six and four and a half years in prison, respectively, for robbery and extortion.
