The Hinterkaifeck Massacre is one of Germany's most puzzling crimes. The events begin in 1921, when a maid quits working for the Gruber family, as she believes the farm is haunted.
Six months later, the entire family and the newly arrived maid are murdered. The killer is never identified.
Six months later, the entire family and the newly arrived maid are murdered. The killer is never identified.
Maid Quits - Farmhouse Haunted
Hinterkaifeck Farm. Late 1921 the family maid at the Hinterkaifeck farm, 70km north of Munich, suddenly quit and gave the most perplexing of reasons – she was scared, she said the farmhouse was haunted and she would no longer work there. This was not good news for the Gruber family - Andreas Gruber and his wife Cazilia, their widowed daughter Viktoria Gabriel and her two children, Cazilia (7) and Josef (2) - as they needed the maid to run the day to day domestic duties as they saw to their farm.
However they had to let her go after which they set out to find a replacement. They were unable to find a new maid until the following year and when one finally did arrive she would only work for the Grubers for a few hours.
Before the new maids arrival, and the ensuing massacre, several other strange events took place at the farm in March 1922.
Young Cazilia had trouble staying awake in school and one day she was found to be asleep in class. When she was awoken by the teacher and asked why she had been so tired, she told how she had spent the night looking for her mother who had run away into the woods the night before, and when she was discovered she was crying uncontrollably.
Also footsteps in the attic were keeping her awake at night, but no one believed her.
A few days later Andreas Gruber discovered footprints in the snow leading towards the farmhouse. As he backtracked them he found they had come from the woods – however there was no trail leading back. Andreas rushed to the farmhouse and gave it a thorough search. When he heard footsteps coming from the attic, he grabbed his gun and went for a look, but found no one there.
Puzzled, Andreas approached neighbouring farms to see if they were having any troubles, but all reported things as normal. However one neighbour did remind Andreas of the reason why his maid had quit months beforehand – the farm being haunted.
Andreas, being a 'logical' type of person, brushed the suggestion off as foolish, and went back to the farmhouse. It was there that he discovered his keys were missing.
It was all very puzzling for the Gruber family, and no doubt quite scary for the young children of the household.
On the Friday 31st of March the new maid arrived at the house. Maria Baumgartner may or may not have heard the stories of the apparent haunting of Hinterkaifeck. If she had, and was nervous, she would not have to wait very long because in a matter of hours she, along with the entire Gruber family, would all be dead.
However they had to let her go after which they set out to find a replacement. They were unable to find a new maid until the following year and when one finally did arrive she would only work for the Grubers for a few hours.
Before the new maids arrival, and the ensuing massacre, several other strange events took place at the farm in March 1922.
Young Cazilia had trouble staying awake in school and one day she was found to be asleep in class. When she was awoken by the teacher and asked why she had been so tired, she told how she had spent the night looking for her mother who had run away into the woods the night before, and when she was discovered she was crying uncontrollably.
Also footsteps in the attic were keeping her awake at night, but no one believed her.
A few days later Andreas Gruber discovered footprints in the snow leading towards the farmhouse. As he backtracked them he found they had come from the woods – however there was no trail leading back. Andreas rushed to the farmhouse and gave it a thorough search. When he heard footsteps coming from the attic, he grabbed his gun and went for a look, but found no one there.
Puzzled, Andreas approached neighbouring farms to see if they were having any troubles, but all reported things as normal. However one neighbour did remind Andreas of the reason why his maid had quit months beforehand – the farm being haunted.
Andreas, being a 'logical' type of person, brushed the suggestion off as foolish, and went back to the farmhouse. It was there that he discovered his keys were missing.
It was all very puzzling for the Gruber family, and no doubt quite scary for the young children of the household.
On the Friday 31st of March the new maid arrived at the house. Maria Baumgartner may or may not have heard the stories of the apparent haunting of Hinterkaifeck. If she had, and was nervous, she would not have to wait very long because in a matter of hours she, along with the entire Gruber family, would all be dead.
A Grisly Discovery
The dead found in the barn. For the following couple of days things at the farm seemed to be almost normal to the outside world. Smoke could be seen coming from the chimney and the animals were fed. However, on the following Tuesday, 4th April, people started to get worried. Young Cazilia had not turned up to school, the postman noticed the mail was piling up and the neighbours had not seen the Grubers for a number of days.
The neighbours went to investigate and were shocked by what they found. Andreas Gruber, his wife, their daughter and granddaughter Cazilia were found dead in the barn. They had been stacked on top of each other and lay in their own blood. A search of the house found the youngest of the Grubers, Josef, just two years old, and the new maid also murdered.
The neighbours went to investigate and were shocked by what they found. Andreas Gruber, his wife, their daughter and granddaughter Cazilia were found dead in the barn. They had been stacked on top of each other and lay in their own blood. A search of the house found the youngest of the Grubers, Josef, just two years old, and the new maid also murdered.
Josef's basinet. On the 5th of April, the day after the bodies were discovered, the autopsies were carried out. Interestingly they were carried out in the barn where most of the victims had been found. The physician was able to identify the weapon as either a pick axe or mattock, however it was believed the killer took it away with them. Also it was determined that the murders had taken place over that Friday night/Saturday morning.
It was also discovered that young Cazilia had lived for several hours after being attacked, and that sometime during this period had torn out clumps of her own hair.
With the autopsy complete all of the bodies were decapitated, defleshed and the skulls sent to Munich where clairvoyants were hoped to use their abilities to give further clues, however these amounted to nothing.
A picture of the crime was put together, investigators were able to piece together what most likely had happened on that night.
It was also discovered that young Cazilia had lived for several hours after being attacked, and that sometime during this period had torn out clumps of her own hair.
With the autopsy complete all of the bodies were decapitated, defleshed and the skulls sent to Munich where clairvoyants were hoped to use their abilities to give further clues, however these amounted to nothing.
A picture of the crime was put together, investigators were able to piece together what most likely had happened on that night.
Unsolved Murder
The maids bedroom. Those found in the barn had been lured out there somehow, one at a time, only to be assaulted. As more of the family entered they too were killed. Then the killer entered the house where young Josef was next to be killed, before the new maid, arriving just hours earlier, was the last to die.
The Hinterkaifeck Massacre would end up becoming one of Germany's most notorious cold cases. More than 100 suspects were questioned, but nothing concrete could be made and no charges were pressed. All leads were dubious at best and there were many puzzling factors.
The motive was not believed to be a robbery, as it seemed all the money and valuables went untouched. Whoever committed the crime was also believed to have stayed at the house for a number of days looking after the cattle, and even preparing and eating the Grubers food. If they were after money or other valuables, they had plenty of time to make off with them.
The Hinterkaifeck Massacre would end up becoming one of Germany's most notorious cold cases. More than 100 suspects were questioned, but nothing concrete could be made and no charges were pressed. All leads were dubious at best and there were many puzzling factors.
The motive was not believed to be a robbery, as it seemed all the money and valuables went untouched. Whoever committed the crime was also believed to have stayed at the house for a number of days looking after the cattle, and even preparing and eating the Grubers food. If they were after money or other valuables, they had plenty of time to make off with them.
The coffins laid out. It is said that the murder weapon was eventually found, the farm was partially burned in a fire the following year and was then demolished. A pickaxe, with bloodstains still visible was found in the attic. The police and other investigators had thoroughly searched the entire attic during the initial investigation the year before, as the footsteps the family had heard leading up to the crime were a promising lead. However they never did find the weapon at that time.
The family and the maid were buried near to each other in the Waidhofen graveyard. However the bodies are not whole. The skulls were never returned and were since lost during the fighting and turmoil of world war two.
Many theories have been presented by amateur detectives over the years, but by far the most enduring and mysterious is that the deaths were paranormal in nature... some negative agent or entity being the culprit of murdering the entire family in cold blood.
The family and the maid were buried near to each other in the Waidhofen graveyard. However the bodies are not whole. The skulls were never returned and were since lost during the fighting and turmoil of world war two.
Many theories have been presented by amateur detectives over the years, but by far the most enduring and mysterious is that the deaths were paranormal in nature... some negative agent or entity being the culprit of murdering the entire family in cold blood.
Ashley Hall 2013
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