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Hinterkaifeck Murders

Published August 17, 2026Updated August 20, 2026
Jan 1, 1863

Hinterkaifeck farmstead constructed

The farm at Hinterkaifeck was built around 1863 in rural Upper Bavaria.

Mar 11, 1914

Marriage of Viktoria Gruber and Karl Gabriel; farm ownership transfer

Viktoria married Karl Gabriel; ownership of the farm was transferred to the couple on that date.

Dec 12, 1914

Karl Gabriel reported killed in World War I

Viktoria’s husband, Karl Gabriel, was reportedly killed at the Battle of Arras; his body was not recovered.

Sep 1, 1921

Former maid Kreszenz Rieger leaves Hinterkaifeck

The family’s maid quit service, reportedly after hearing attic footsteps and believing the house haunted.

Mar 1, 1922

Unusual prelude events

Andreas found a Munich newspaper no one nearby subscribed to; fresh tracks led from the woods to the farm; a key went missing; footsteps were heard in the attic.

View sequence of events
  1. Andreas Gruber found a Munich newspaper on the property that the household did not subscribe to and that neighbors reportedly denied leaving.
  2. He reported footprints in the snow leading from the edge of the woods toward the farm, without a corresponding set leading away.
  3. A house key was reported missing shortly before the killings.
  4. night
    Footsteps were reportedly heard in the attic; Andreas searched but did not find an intruder.
Mar 31, 1922

Murders at Hinterkaifeck

Investigators placed the killings between about 7 and 10 p.m. Four victims were found in the barn and Josef and Maria inside the residence. The often-repeated claim that each barn victim was deliberately lured there is a reconstruction, not an established fact.

View sequence of events
  1. evening
    Andreas, the elder Cäzilia, Viktoria, and young Cäzilia are attacked in or near the barn.
  2. night
    Cäzilia (child) is killed in the barn; later evidence suggests she lived for hours after the assault.
  3. night
    Perpetrator kills Josef in his bassinet and Maria in her chamber using the same weapon.
  4. subsequent days
    Later observations—among them tended animals and signs of household use—suggest activity at the farm after the killings; its duration and perpetrator are uncertain.
Apr 1, 1922

Coffee sellers visit but leave

On April 1, coffee sellers Hans and Eduard Schirovsky found no one present and departed.

Apr 3, 1922

Postman notes absence

Postman Josef Mayer noticed the farm appeared unattended during his delivery round.

Apr 4, 1922

Mechanic repairs engine without seeing family

Mechanic Albert Hofner waited, then repaired an engine alone for several hours and left after seeing no one.

View sequence of events
  1. morning
    Albert Hofner arrived for a previously arranged engine repair but received no answer from the household.
  2. morning–early afternoon
    After waiting about an hour, he worked alone on the engine for roughly four and a half hours.
  3. early afternoon
    Hofner left without seeing any member of the family and later reported the unexplained absence.
Apr 4, 1922

Bodies discovered in barn and house

Around 3:30 p.m., Schlittenbauer sent his son and stepson to check on the family; later that day he, Michael Pöll, and Jakob Sigl entered the barn and found the bodies.

View sequence of events
  1. about 3:30 p.m.
    Lorenz Schlittenbauer sent his son Johann and stepson Josef to check the farm; they returned without finding the family.
  2. late afternoon
    Schlittenbauer went to Hinterkaifeck with Michael Pöll and Jakob Sigl and entered the barn area.
  3. late afternoon
    They found Andreas and Cäzilia Gruber, Viktoria Gabriel, and young Cäzilia in the barn, then found Maria Baumgartner and Josef inside the residence.
  4. Authorities were notified, beginning a formal investigation at a scene that neighbors and other visitors had already entered.
Apr 6, 1922

Autopsies conducted over two days; skulls retained

Johann Baptist Aumüller conducted three autopsies on April 6 and three on April 7 at the farm. The victims’ skulls were removed for further examination in Munich and were later lost.

Apr 8, 1922

Funeral and burial in Waidhofen

Thousands reportedly attended the funeral; the victims were buried in the Waidhofen cemetery.

Jan 1, 1923

Farm demolished; evidence found; memorial erected nearby

During demolition, workers recovered a Reuthaue believed to be the murder weapon from a false floor. A penknife was also reported found, but its connection to the crime was never established.

View sequence of events
  1. Demolition reveals hidden mattock in loft and penknife in hay.
  2. Concrete memorial installed close to the farm’s former location.
Jan 1, 1925

Schlittenbauer observed at ruins making remarks

According to case files, Schlittenbauer was seen at the site and commented about the frozen ground hindering burial.

May 1, 1927

Stranger claims responsibility in Waidhofen incident

A stranger reportedly identified himself as the murderer to a resident before fleeing; the claim was never verified.

Jan 1, 1955

Case officially closed

Despite extensive investigations and arrests over the years, no perpetrator was identified; the file was closed.

Jan 1, 1986

Last interrogations conducted

The final recorded interrogations in the case occurred before Detective Chief Superintendent Konrad Müller‑Thumann’s retirement.

Jan 1, 2007

Fürstenfeldbruck Police Academy cold‑case review

Fifteen police students re‑examined the case, criticizing early forensic shortcomings and privately agreeing on a prime suspect without publishing the name.

Mar 1, 2025

New memorial installed near the site

After the earlier wayside cross (Marterl) was removed in 2022, a new memorial was erected near the former farmstead.