Duisburg/Moers (dpa/lnw) - In the case of the 56-year-old man from Moers, who has disappeared since September 12, 2022 and is believed to have been killed, the police have now arrested two suspects. As the public prosecutor's office in Moers (Lower Rhine) and the Duisburg police announced on Wednesday, the 20-year-old son of the alleged victim and a 48-year-old acquaintance from Neukirchen-Vluyn were arrested last Monday. They are strongly suspected of having murdered the 56-year-old together after his return from Turkey on September 12. The body of the 56-year-old is still missing and there is no indication of his whereabouts, it said.
According to the information, four residential addresses and a shop in Moers and Neukirchen-Vluyn were searched on Monday. Three vehicles, several data carriers and mobile phones were secured. That same evening, investigators from the Duisburg Homicide Commission arrested the two suspects. They have been in custody since Tuesday.
The urgent suspicion against the son and the 48-year-old result from witness statements, the evaluation of traces in the apartment of the alleged victim and other investigations. Investigators assume that the 56-year-old was murdered in his own apartment and then disposed of. Whether other people were involved in the act or helped to dispose of the body is the subject of further investigations. The authorities did not provide any details about the background to the alleged crime.
The 56-year-old had demonstrably returned to Germany after a vacation in Turkey on September 12. However, family members and friends could not reach him. Initially, the authorities assumed that the person was missing. The police looked for the man with mug shots and calls for witnesses - without success. He may have been the victim of a crime or be in a helpless lag, it said in a statement on October 19. Düsseldorf and Switzerland were also mentioned as possible places to stay.
Gradually, evidence of a crime accumulated. The Duisburg homicide commission took over the case and, from the beginning of November, also used wanted posters to search for witnesses. Now the case is apparently before the clarification.
