100-year-old woman with dementia was decapitated in her wheelchair by her axe-wielding grandson who struggled to care for her, murder trial hears
- Amalie G. was found dead in her Hamburg apartment in March
- Grandson Artur B. regularly cared for her but was also accused of theft
A man accused of decapitating his century-old grandmother with an ax as she cowered in her wheelchair has gone on trial in Hamburg.
Amalie G., a retired farm worker, was found dead in her apartment in the city of Hamburg after the attack by her grandson Artur B., 37, in March, according to investigators.
While awaiting his trial following his arrest, Artur, who had been treated and prescribed medication for psychological problems according to the German media Picturesaw a psychiatrist and said he was struggling to care for his wheelchair-bound grandmother who suffered from dementia.
But a relative told Bild that Artur, a former soldier, was considered “the black sheep of the family” and that Amalie regularly complained that he was stealing from her.
“Most of the time he was unemployed and constantly short of money. His family members have kept their distance from him,” the relative added.
Artur was arrested after calling the police to inform them of his crime.
Coroners determined that Amalie was struck 16 times with the weapon as she unsuccessfully tried to defend herself with a cordless vacuum cleaner, and died when a blow severed her spinal cord.
Amalie G., a retired farm worker, was found dead in her Hamburg apartment after her grandson Artur B., 37, was attacked in March, investigators said.
While awaiting trial after his arrest, Artur (left in court this week and right in undated image), who had been treated and prescribed medication for psychological problems according to German media outlet Bild, consulted a psychiatrist and claimed that he had difficulty managing with his wheelchair. tied grandmother who suffered from dementia
Artur allegedly called the police to tell them that he had beheaded his grandmother and when the police arrived at the scene of the bloody crime, they discovered an axe.
“Based on the preliminary results of the autopsy, it can be assumed that a section of the cervical cord caused by sharp, blunt force is the cause of death. The alleged crime is an ax found at the crime scene,” Attorney General Liddy Oechtering said after the murder.
A neighbor of the murdered centenarian told Bild: “We actually had good contacts before she died. Amalie told me that her grandson had already broken into the apartment from the balcony and wanted to steal her money.
The neighbor said Artur regularly came to look after his grandmother, but the two men argued frequently and were often loud enough to be overheard.
“The grandson came regularly to his grandmother’s apartment and took care of her. But there were still arguments.
Relatives of Artur B. and Amalie G. said it was possible an argument over money escalated the situation on the night of the murder.
Questioned by BILD, the prosecutor said that Artur B. had no criminal record.
According to information available to the daily Hamburger Abendblatt, the man was only known to the police for minor offenses and none of them were acts of violence.
Artur is due to testify in court in Hamburg on Monday.
