Lawyer Arrested Over Murder Of Famous German Scientist And Daughter, 14, For Stradivarius Violin

A lawyer has been arrested for helping a gang to steal a priceless Stradivarius violin, whose owner was tortured and shot dead along with his daughter during the robbery.

Bernard von Bredow, 62, and his daughter Loreena, 14, were found dead in their home in the city of Aregua, which is located in the Central Department in Paraguay, on 22nd October.

The lawyer, 46-year-old Jimmy Alberto Paez Giret, was found with documents with forgeries of the murdered man’s signature when he was arrested at his home.

Bernard Raymond Von Bredow who was murdered in Paraguay. (Newsflash)

The police said he had long been giving von Bredow legal advice, even though his licence to practice was withdrawn several years ago, as reported in German news outlet TAG24 on Thursday, 18th November.

His arrest came on Tuesday night, 16th November, following raids on his and his mother’s properties, and he has since been charged with being an accessory to murder and producing fake documents.

In addition to the several documents with the victim’s forged signature in the suspect’s home, the police also found an unspecified amount of Paraguayan guaranis and euros in cash.

The prosecutor Sandra Ledesma (left) and the lawyer Jimmy Paez Giret (right), during the search connected with the murder of Bernard Raymond Von Bredow and his daughter. (Fiscalia Paraguay/Newsflash)

The properties raided were in the cities of Asuncion and Lambare, but local media did not specify which house belonged to which family member.

Giret joins three German nationals, Volker Grannass, 58, Yves Asriel Spartacus Steinmetz, 60, and Stephen Jorg Messing Darchinger, 51, on the list of suspects in the double murder case.

Von Bredow was reportedly tortured before being shot in the back of the head, while his daughter died of blood loss after being shot in the stomach.

The prosecutor Sandra Ledesma (left) and the lawyer Jimmy Paez Giret (right), during the search connected with the murder of Bernard Raymond Von Bredow and his daughter. (Fiscalia Paraguay/Newsflash)

The suspects allegedly carried out the murders so they could get their hands on a Stradivarius violin, which they believed the victim, who collected instruments, kept in his home.

Stradivarius violins were made by the Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari in the 17th and 18th centuries, and with just 650 left in the world, they are incredibly valuable, selling for millions.

For the violin to have any value on the market, its authentication papers are needed, and it is believed the suspects tortured the victims because they could not find the documents.

The prosecutor Sandra Ledesma (left) and the lawyer Jimmy Paez Giret (right), during the search connected with the murder of Bernard Raymond Von Bredow and his daughter. (Fiscalia Paraguay/Newsflash)

Many of the instruments owned by the collector and their corresponding documents were kept in a safe that the suspects failed to crack open.

The authorities managed to open the safe last week using welding equipment and a cutting torch, according to German daily Bild.

The safe was found to contain seven violins of high value and several documents that could confirm the authenticity of the Stradivarius and other instruments.

Bernard Raymond Von Bredow (left) and his daughter Loreena Lydia Von Bredow (right) who were murdered in Paraguay. (@bernardraymond.vonbredow/Newsflash)

The exact type of instruments and their value has not been confirmed by the authorities.

Suspect Volker Grannass, whose house was found to contain some of von Bredows violins, earlier told Bild: “The allegations are false. Bernard was a close friend of mine. His family asked me to take the valuable instruments from the unsecured home into my care after the crime. That’s why I had the violins with me.”

He added that several witnesses could testify that he was at his hacienda in northern Paraguay when the murders were committed.

Bernard Raymond Von Bredow who was murdered in Paraguay. (@bernardraymond.vonbredow/Newsflash)

Von Bredow was a talented amateur scientist who discovered the skeletal remains of a mammoth in 1975, when he was just a schoolboy. He is believed to have moved to Paraguay from his native Germany in 2016.

Giret is being held in detention while the investigation continues.