HAMBURG, GERMANY- A German man is currently on trial, accused of brutally murdering his 100-year-old grandmother with an axe while she was in her wheelchair. The victim was identified as Amalie G, a retired farm worker. She was discovered dead in her apartment following the alleged attack by her 37-year-old grandson, Artur B. The brutal murder took place in March according to investigators.
Artur had a history of psychological issues and was on prescribed medication. The suspect was arrested after the incident took place. After his arrest, he sought psychiatric help and claimed that he was finding it difficult to care for his grandmother, who was wheelchair-bound and suffered from dementia.
However, family members painted a different picture of Artur, who is also a former soldier. They described him as the ‘black sheep of the family’, with Amalie often accusing him of theft. A relative revealed to the German media that Artur was frequently unemployed and was always short of money, leading to the family maintaining a distance from him.
The gruesome details of the crime were revealed when Artur himself called the police to report his actions. The autopsy report indicated that Amalie was struck 16 times with the weapon, and she attempted to defend herself with a cordless vacuum cleaner. The fatal blow was one that severed her spinal cord. The suspected murder weapon, an axe, was found at the scene of the crime.
A neighbor of the victim shared that Amalie had confided in her about Artur’s previous attempts to break into her apartment through the balcony to steal money. The neighbor also mentioned that Artur regularly visited his grandmother to care for her, but their interactions often involved loud arguments.
Family members speculate that a disagreement over money may have triggered the violent incident on the night of the murder. Despite the shocking nature of the crime, Artur was only known to the police for minor offenses, none of which involved violence. Artur is scheduled to testify in court on Monday.