A young man who allegedly locked his friend in a cave in a test of courage that ended up costing the latter his life has been charged with murder and now faces 16 years behind bars.

The public prosecutor in Brugg-Zurzach, in the Swiss municipality of Brugg, in the canton of Aargau, has charged Pascal K., 22, with murder and attempted murder in connection with the body of Linus A., who died at the age of 24 when he was allegedly locked in a cave on Bruggerberg Mountain on 7th April 2019, only to be found by chance by passersby nearly a year later, in April 2020.

The public prosecutor accuses Pascal of having locked his friend in the cave under the pretext of a test of courage by burying the entrance to the cave. They allege that as a result, the victim died of hypothermia.

The public prosecutor accuses Pascal of having deliberately caused the young man’s death and of having acted particularly cruelly, which is why they have charged him with murder.

The indictment also states that Pascal has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly attempted to push the victim off a ledge while hiking on a mountain in Ticino on 31st March 2019.

On that occasion, the victim survived with only minor injuries.

Pascal K. allegedly confessed to the crime in a letter he is said to have written to his parents from prison, according to local media.

The public prosecutor’s office has demanded a prison sentence of 16 years and four months and that the accused be placed in a hospital. It is currently unclear if the accused has undergone a psychiatric evaluation.