Federal Court of Justice quashes verdict in contract killing case from Heilsbronn – retrial in Ansbach
A Turkish perpetrator was convicted of a knife attack on a sportswear manager in Heilsbronn. The Federal Court of Justice has now quashed the verdict.
Contract killing in Central Franconia: Federal Court of Justice sends case back to regional court
The Ansbach Regional Court must retry an attempted contract killing in Heilsbronn. As reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in Karlsruhe has quashed the verdict against a Turkish national after he filed an appeal.
The Regional Court had sentenced the man to 13 years and six months' imprisonment in late 2025. He had intercepted the victim – a senior manager at a popular sportswear brand in Ansbach – on a February 2025 morning in front of his house in Heilsbronn. The then 26-year-old, who had most recently lived in the Breisgau region, deliberately stabbed the then 40-year-old in the neck and upper body. Both injuries were life-threatening. Following the attack, the victim was able to call the emergency services himself and was rescued.
The Federal Court of Justice found no legal error to the defendant's detriment in the guilty verdict, but pointed to a possible error in sentencing. A different chamber of the Regional Court must now reopen the case. According to the court, the date when the new trial will begin has not yet been determined. "Since the facts of the case and its legal classification are established by the guilty verdict, there will be no extensive new evidence hearing," said a spokeswoman for the Regional Court.
After the attack, the perpetrator fled via France to Great Britain, where police arrested him. An accomplice who had assisted him during the act and the flight was also involved. According to investigations, the perpetrator and his accomplice were allegedly promised 50,000 euros for carrying out the order.
The background to the contract killing remained unclear during the proceedings to date. Investigators suspected that the act was connected with the victim's professional activities. The sportswear brand in question produces, among other things, in Turkey and also maintains a branch there.
Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung