19-year-old prisoner killed in Klagenfurt – 17-year-old cellmate under suspicion
A 19-year-old youth was found dead in his cell at Klagenfurt Prison. A 17-year-old cellmate is the prime suspect.
Dead prisoner in Klagenfurt prison – murder investigation against 17-year-old
As reported by Google News AT — Crime (de), a 19-year-old prisoner at Klagenfurt Prison (JA) was found dead in a two-person cell in the early morning hours. The Justice Ministry confirmed the incident on Tuesday morning and is treating it as a homicide.
A 17-year-old cellmate of the victim is considered the prime suspect. "The State Criminal Office and the State Prosecutor's Office have launched an investigation on suspicion of murder," the Justice Ministry stated.
Both were held in normal custody in the youth division of Klagenfurt Prison. The 17-year-old was being held in custody pending trial, whilst the later victim was serving a sentence. According to initial information, neither of the two was imprisoned for serious offences.
According to Klagenfurt State Prosecutor's Office, the victim was inflicted with fatal cuts to the throat area using the blade of a disposable razor. No signs of a struggle were reported. Prison guards discovered the dead man in the early morning; an emergency doctor could only confirm the man's death. The alarm button had not been pressed.
According to a report in the Kleine Zeitung newspaper, the suspect allegedly attacked the victim with an object that has already been secured. Prior to the incident, the 19-year-old is said to have threatened the alleged perpetrator. How long the two had shared the cell and exactly what happened in the early morning hours remained unclear.
Tina Frimmel-Hesse, head of Klagenfurt State Prosecutor's Office, stated that an autopsy had been ordered but had not yet been carried out. The State Prosecutor's Office and Justice Ministry remained guarded about the detailed circumstances of the crime in light of the ongoing investigation. "The case will naturally be fully cleared up – also internally. Our deepest sympathy belongs to the victim's family," a spokeswoman for the Justice Ministry told the APA.
Ombudswoman Gabriela Schwarz (ÖVP), who is responsible for the prison service, expressed herself as "deeply shaken" by the homicide. "We must await the investigations of the State Prosecutor's Office and the Justice Ministry. I have confidence in a swift and thorough clarification," Schwarz said.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)