DNA hit

Arrest in the murder case surrounding the dead removalist

It was quiet for a long time in the murder case surrounding the dead furniture removalist Stefan M.: The body of the man from Salzburg was found in his apartment in Gabelsbergerstraße on May 31, 2023. Now, more than a year and a half later, detective DNA has led to a suspect: The 35-year-old remains silent and is in custody.

Police spokesman Hans Wolfgruber confirmed to the "Krone" newspaper that the suspect had already been arrested on January 10: he is a 35-year-old from Salzburg who is already in custody in Puch prison. According to the police, the 35-year-old was questioned about a burglary towards the end of the year and his DNA was added to the database. "The DNA comparison led to a match," explains Wolfgruber. According to "Krone" information, the man denies any involvement and otherwise remains silent on the murder allegation. 

Support for Salzburg's detectives
The detectives will now focus on determining the course of the crime and the possible motive, emphasizes Wolfgruber. The investigation into the case has already been going on for more than a year and a half. The public prosecutor's office also brought in the well-known case analyst Thomas Müller, who wrote an extensive expert report on the murder case, to provide support. The judiciary also submitted a request for legal assistance to the US company Meta (Instragram, WhatsApp and Facebook) in order to obtain valuable information to solve the case. 

According to the coroner's office, the victim died as a result of serious bodily injury, i.e. blunt force trauma. Relatives found Stefan M. dead in his apartment on the third floor of a high-rise building. The victim's mother and partner are being represented by lawyer Stefan Rieder from the White Ring Victim Protection Association.