“Romanian Confesses to Murdering Woman in Graz and Zurich”

A 24-year-old Romanian had to answer to the Graz criminal court on Tuesday on suspicion of murdering a 41-year-old woman. The man confessed that he killed her with multiple scissor wounds in February last year before setting a fire at her home. Shortly after his arrest, investigations into another murder in Zurich were launched against him. He also confessed to this killing on Tuesday in Graz.

After the fire in the apartment of the 41-year-old Grazer on February 7, 2022, there was a suspicion that the fire had been set to possibly cover up a murder. The body found in the apartment had numerous stab wounds. About a day and a half later, the 24-year-old was arrested. He is said to have spent the night before the fire with the woman and then killed her. Incriminating traces were also found on his clothing. During the first interrogations, the Romanian admitted that he killed her. His motive: “hatred of women”. A little later, the body of a woman was found in Zurich. The suspect admitted during his pre-trial detention that he was also responsible for this.

At the trial in Graz, however, only the case in the Styrian state capital is being negotiated, the public prosecutor’s office emphasized. The Swiss authorities will conduct their own proceedings against the man. Prosecutor Eva Pachernigg warned the jury at the beginning of the trial: “It was a very terrible act. You are confronted with human abysses and terrible images.” The results of the investigation are clear. She had no doubts about the guilt of the accused.

The 24-year-old’s defense attorney announced that his client would continue to confess: “He will take responsibility. He’s sorry for what happened.” The Romanian had a difficult childhood, drank alcohol and took drugs. That is not an excuse, but he hopes that this will result in a milder sentence.

The accused then answered all questions calmly and without emotion: he had not known the woman before. She asked him on the evening of February 6, 2022 at Graz Central Station if he would buy her cigarettes and alcohol. He did and she invited him to her apartment.

The 24-year-old said he had consensual sex with the woman, but then she fell asleep: “I got upset because she fell asleep, I tried to wake her up.” When that didn’t work, he suddenly wanted to kill her. He looked for a knife, found a pair of scissors and stabbed him until he lost his strength, he said himself during the interrogations. The prosecutor spoke of a “real overkill”.

The accused confessed that he then set a fire and left the apartment. But his jacket stayed behind. She and the video recordings from the main train station quickly transferred the man in February 2022. In court, he admitted that he wanted to kill the 41-year-old at the moment. He felt offended because she wanted cigarettes and alcohol from him. It reminded him of his former wife, who took advantage of him and left him and who he is still angry at. “When I drink, the memories come up,” he said.

The coroner said the victim was stabbed dozens of times. Death occurred by bleeding, the expert said. In view of the serious injuries, she said that a “massive effort” by the perpetrator was necessary.

Psychiatrist Adelheid Kastner then described the defendant’s biography in detail, because it was there that the background to the crime was to be found. He said he “grew up under the most terrible circumstances”, with alcoholic parents and an early life on the streets. He is like a pressure cooker “that has to explode at some point”. She found only “few functional parts” in his personality. A long therapeutic treatment of his pronounced personality disorder is necessary, but the outcome is open. Despite his alcohol and drug consumption, “the basics of sanity” were given at the time of the crime.

A verdict is expected later this afternoon.

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