A teenage angler has been arrested on suspicion that he stabbed a German florist to death with a knife used to gut fish.
The body of florist Beatrix G., 50, was found lying in a pool of blood after people noticed that the store was still open long after it should have closed in the town of Lichtenfels, in the German state of Bavaria.
Police discovered that money was missing from the cash register and launched an investigation on suspicion of robbery and murder of the woman, known locally as Trixi.
An appeal for witnesses resulted in four people putting forward the name of the teenage gymnast and hobby fisherman Derrek B., aged 17, who lives locally with his mother and two younger sisters.
His mum Sonja B., however, has denied that her son was involved, claiming that he was home with her at the time and saying they were targeted because she was a single mother living off benefits, and her son was dark-skinned and lived nearby.
She said: “He is simply not capable of such a brutal murder.”
She added that he was currently doing his driving test, and was hoping eventually to get a job as a customs agent.
The mum said the fact that he was caught on video riding past the area was no surprise as he worked at a cafe nearby.
But she did admit that he was a keen fisherman, and that he owned knives used to gut fish which he had taken with him in a backpack to a competition around the time of the murder.
After arresting the teenager, police also seized computers belonging to him and his mother, and mobile phones after an anonymous informant claimed that a darknet posting had been made a few days earlier that seemed to predict the killing.
Its details seemed to match the crime that was later carried out on Friday, 10th March.
The posting had reportedly been made by a user with the nickname ‘Sorarak’ but it was deleted before police could examine it, claims the informant.
Police confirm they are looking into the allegations that the posting might be linked to the murder, but declined to comment further.
Derrek B. denied murdering the florist at the magistrate hearing in the town of Kronach, Upper Franconia region, on Saturday, 25th March.
Police have seized the knives and are examining whether there are any traces of blood as the investigation continues.
