Stuttgart Murder Trial Begins: Man Accused of Killing and Walling Up Partner
A chilling case is unfolding in Stuttgart, Germany, as a man stands trial accused of murdering his girlfriend and concealing her body behind a wall in their shared home. The trial began recently in the Stuttgart Regional Court, bringing to light a disturbing series of events that began in the summer of 2024 when the woman disappeared without a trace.
The accused, a Romanian national of the same age as the victim, is facing charges of manslaughter. Prosecutors allege that he killed his partner, also a Romanian native, during an argument in early July 2024. While investigators haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact date of the crime, they believe the fatal altercation involved a knife.
According to the prosecution, the man allegedly hid the victim’s body in a stairwell, covering it with insulation material before constructing a wall to conceal it. The alleged crime took place in the southern part of Stuttgart, where the couple jointly owned and operated a pub.
The disappearance of the 47-year-old woman sparked concern among her family and friends, who were unable to reach her for weeks. Growing anxiety led them to report her missing to the police. In late October, law enforcement officers, accompanied by a cadaver dog, searched the man’s apartment located in the back building of the pub. The search yielded a gruesome discovery: the woman’s remains, partially mummified and decomposed, were found hidden behind a newly erected wall in the stairwell.
During the opening of the trial, the defendant vehemently denied the accusations leveled against him. "I am not guilty at all," he declared to the court. After consulting with his defense attorney, he initially declined to provide further details regarding the charges.
Prior to his denial, the 47-year-old provided a lengthy account of his life, peppered with claims of memory loss. The presiding judge repeatedly pressed him for specific details, but her efforts were largely unsuccessful. The man claimed he couldn’t recall the name of his company, when he started school, which bank held his account, or even when he first met his partner. "I have a problem remembering dates," he told the court.
However, he did recall heavy alcohol and drug consumption in the six months leading up to the alleged murder. He admitted to drinking roughly half a bottle of liquor each day, in addition to wine and beer. Furthermore, he confessed to using cocaine and amphetamines. He described the effects of amphetamines as energizing and fatigue-resistant, while claiming that cocaine had a calming effect on him.
The defendant stated that he arrived in Germany in 2015 or 2016, after serving five and a half years in prison in Romania for tax evasion. In Germany, he initially earned a living with his own construction company before opening the pub with his partner. This same pub, in the south of Stuttgart, became the location where he allegedly murdered and entombed her.
Testimony from a witness suggests that the body’s decomposition quickly generated a foul odor within the building. A regular customer of the pub testified that, after the woman’s disappearance, the defendant asked him for help with renovations. The witness stated he helped seal the wall, behind which the victim’s body was likely hidden, with foam and plasterboard. During this process, he noticed a strong stench and saw worms on the floor.
The witness reported that the defendant claimed the smell originated from a leaking sewage tank behind the wall. “I then said that we need to figure out why it stinks. He didn’t want to,” the witness recounted. He added that he found this behavior suspicious.
The son of the deceased, who resides in Romania, testified about his unsuccessful attempts to contact his mother during the previous summer. After she became unreachable by phone and inactive on social media for several days, he contacted the police and reported her missing. He also spoke with the defendant during this time. “I asked him: Where is Mama?” the 26-year-old told the court. The defendant allegedly claimed that she had gone to Greece.
The son stated that his mother didn’t share much about her relationship with the defendant. He was unaware of any problems between them. “Once, she told me that he helps with work and that he is a good person,” he said.
The court has initially scheduled eight trial days for the case. The proceedings are set to resume on May 13th, with a potential verdict expected by the end of June. This trial promises to be complex, requiring the court to meticulously piece together the available evidence and weigh the credibility of the witnesses to determine the truth behind the woman’s tragic death and the man’s alleged role in it. The outcome will undoubtedly bring a measure of closure, however small, to the grieving family and friends left behind.
