A hunter furious that his younger wife wanted a divorce shot her and finished her off as she lay injured on the ground begging for her life.
Christian K. took his wife to a posh restaurant in Oldenburg in Holstein, Germany, on the evening of 12th May to celebrate his 73rd birthday.
After returning home, he went to his gun cabinet, took out his hunting rifle, and shot Kirsten K. out of the blue.
Kirsten, 58, ran out of their home but collapsed a few yards away as her husband chased her.
According to reports, she begged for her life as she lay on the ground. But merciless Christian K. finished her off with another shot.
Shocked neighbours who witnessed the bloodbath called the emergency services.
Rescue teams and a special police unit from Kiel rushed to the scene but could only pronounce Kirsten dead.
Christian K., meanwhile, fatally turned the gun on himself.
Kirsten’s mother, Tea T., later told local media: “I always had a bad feeling about my daughter’s husband. He was very impulsive and rude. Nobody really liked him.”
A fortnight before the killing, her daughter had told her that she wanted a divorce.
Tea, 89, said: “She was very unhappy and had announced this decision to him on that day.”
She suspects that this, along with Christian K.’s alleged financial troubles, may have impelled the crime.
Tea told local media: “My daughter had previously sent money to her husband several times. He used to own a farm and sold it. He had financial problems back then.
“The shared semi-detached house in Oldenburg belonged to both of them. Christian was supposed to buy her out. It’s all such a tragedy.”
Chief Public Prosecutor Jens Buscher said: “There were reportedly problems in the marriage. The background of the crime is likely to be found in the couple’s separation.”
According to Dr Buscher, the couple had likely already made agreements regarding their financial situation prior to the shooting.
Kirsten had defeated cancer after a long battle and had pursued her job as a personal banking advisor at a local bank with passion.
She had reportedly separated from her husband during Easter.
