Hinterkaifeck Murders - Germany 1922
The Hinterkaifeck murders refer to the brutal, unsolved killings of six inhabitants of a remote Bavarian farmstead in Germany on March 31, 1922. The victims were the Gruber family—Andreas Gruber (63), his wife Cäzilia (72), their widowed daughter Viktoria Gabriel (35), and Viktoria's children Cäzilia (7) and Josef (2)—along with their new maid, Maria Baumgartner (44). The perpetrator(s) used a mattock to bludgeon the victims to death and remained on the farm for several days after the murders. Despite numerous investigations and suspects over the decades, the case remains one of Germany's most famous unsolved crimes.
Timeline
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December 2025 — 1 developments
Autopsy findings from the Hinterkaifeck murders revealed that young Cäzilia, one of the victims, clung to life for hours after the attack.
Autopsy findings from the Hinterkaifeck murders revealed that young Cäzilia, one of the victims, clung to life for hours after the attack.
April 2025 — 2 developments
It was noted that no valuables were stolen from the farm during the Hinterkaifeck murders.
It was noted that no valuables were stolen from the farm during the Hinterkaifeck murders.
The new memorial at Hinterkaifeck was inaugurated on April 5, 2025.
The new memorial at Hinterkaifeck was inaugurated on April 5, 2025. It consists of five steles created by stonemason René Kress and was commissioned by the Waidhofen Horticultural Association.
March 2025 — 1 developments
Former farmhands Anton and Karl Bichler were identified as suspects, implicated by their sister, a former maid, in a deathbed confession.
Former farmhands Anton and Karl Bichler were identified as suspects, implicated by their sister, a former maid, in a deathbed confession.
December 2024 — 1 developments
A prominent theory suggests that Karl Gabriel Jr.
A prominent theory suggests that Karl Gabriel Jr., Viktoria Gruber's deceased husband, may have survived World War I and returned to commit the crime.
January 2007 — 1 developments
The Fürstenfeldbruck Police Academy re-examined the Hinterkaifeck Murders as a cold case using modern criminological techniques, but the case remains unsolved.
The Fürstenfeldbruck Police Academy re-examined the Hinterkaifeck Murders as a cold case using modern criminological techniques, but the case remains unsolved.
January 1955 — 1 developments
The official investigation into the Hinterkaifeck murders was closed, with no charges brought against any suspects.
The official investigation into the Hinterkaifeck murders was closed, with no charges brought against any suspects.
January 1923 — 1 developments
The Hinterkaifeck farm was demolished.
The Hinterkaifeck farm was demolished. The victims' heads, which had been sent for examination, were lost during World War II.
April 1922 — 2 developments
Court physician Johann Baptist Aumüller performed autopsies, establishing a mattock as the likely murder weapon.
Court physician Johann Baptist Aumüller performed autopsies, establishing a mattock as the likely murder weapon. It was also determined that the killer(s) had remained on the farm for several days after the murders, feeding livestock and eating meals.
Neighbors, concerned after the family's absence from church and young Cäzilia missing school, investigated the farm and discovered the bodies.
Neighbors, concerned after the family's absence from church and young Cäzilia missing school, investigated the farm and discovered the bodies. Four bodies were found in the barn, and two inside the house.
March 1922 — 2 developments
Maria Baumgartner arrived to begin her first day as the new maid.
Maria Baumgartner arrived to begin her first day as the new maid. Later that evening, all six inhabitants of the Hinterkaifeck farm were brutally murdered with a mattock.
The previous maid quit her job, claiming the house was haunted.
The previous maid quit her job, claiming the house was haunted.
February 1922 — 1 developments
Andreas Gruber, the patriarch, reported finding strange footprints in the snow leading to the farm but none leading away.
Andreas Gruber, the patriarch, reported finding strange footprints in the snow leading to the farm but none leading away. The family also found a newspaper they hadn't purchased and experienced missing house keys and unusual noises in the attic.