Tradesman stabs ex-wife before children's eyes – murder trial in Landshut
A 46-year-old tradesman must answer charges of murdering his divorced wife in Landshut. The act took place before the eyes of their shared children.
Tradesman stabs ex-wife before children's eyes – murder trial in Landshut
Since Thursday, Landshut Regional Court has been hearing charges against a 46-year-old tradesman from Wallersdorf in Lower Bavaria. The man is accused of killing his ex-wife (38) on the night of 26 December 2025 before the eyes of their shared children. Details from the trial's opening were published by Bild.
Shortly after midnight, the 13-year-old son desperately called for help: his mother was being attacked with a knife. When police arrived at the crime scene seven minutes later, the woman was already dead. The defendant is said to have inflicted numerous stab wounds to her head out of jealousy.
Only in October 2025 had the victim obtained a court-ordered contact ban against her violent ex-husband. The tradesman apparently did not accept the separation. According to prosecutor Maria Offenbeck, he repeatedly threatened to kill the woman if she entered into a new relationship.
On the evening of the crime, the man waited in Wallersdorf for his ex-wife's return. When she was brought home by her new partner, he attacked her. The 13-year-old son tried to protect his mother and held a kitchen knife towards his father. The defendant struck the boy in the face, wrested the weapon from him, and chased after the fleeing woman. A few hundred metres further on, he caught up with her and stabbed her to death.
The prosecution alleges premeditation: the defendant had previously taken the children's phones away to prevent a warning call. In court, however, he claimed he could not remember the actual act. The image of the lifeless woman by a fence had, however, imprinted itself deeply on him.
The defendant blamed his victim for what happened. He complained that she had neglected his company's accounting and instead sold household appliances, whilst he had to sleep in his car.
On the first day of the trial, the man turned to his three children. He said he had not only killed the woman he had once loved, but had also taken their mother from them. The sons continue to suffer from their experiences to this day. The youngest son (6) demonstrated to the first police officer at the crime scene the stabbing motions he had witnessed.
The verdict is set to be announced on 14 July. The man faces a life sentence.
Source: BILD