Trial in Leoben: Pensioner is said to have stabbed his wife

The defendant was a 62-year-old who is said to have killed his wife with 40 stab wounds in the Murtal district in November 2023. He suspected her of having a lover, which was in no way confirmed by the witnesses. According to the expert, he suffers from a serious mental disorder.

The couple had been married since 1987 and had a son together. The woman (57) worked in a retirement home, where she is said to have gotten closer to a carer after her husband’s suspicions. The defendant could neither describe his rival exactly nor give his name.

Also read: Dead woman (57) in Styria: husband (61) confessed the crime

Violent argument over alleged infidelity

On the day of the crime there was another heated argument because of the alleged infidelity. The husband claimed to have discovered a hickey on his wife’s neck. When the argument was over, the pensioner went into the kitchen and got a 34 centimeter long kitchen knife. With that he stabbed his wife, who was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper, in the neck. She ran away, but he chased her. He continued to attack her in the stairwell and in front of the house.

The medical examiner recorded 40 massive stab wounds in the head, face, neck, shoulder, collarbone and back. According to forensic psychiatrist Manfred Walzl, the accused suffered from a delusional disorder but was sane.

“A switch flipped in his head.”

“A switch turned on in his head,” said the defense attorney, who did not gloss over his client’s crime, but only referred to the confession.

“Do you still believe that your wife cheated?” Judge Richard Gollner asked the defendant. “Yes,” was the short answer. The 62-year-old cited porn films on his wife’s laptop and traces on her underwear as “evidence”. She also constantly bought new clothes. The judge pointed out that the victim had worn uniforms in the home. “So why new clothes for a lover?” he asked.