70-Year-Old British Man Extradited to Germany, Charged for 45-Year-Old Murder Case

Suspect linked through fingerprint evidence decades later, charged for murder of pensioner beaten to death with bronze pestle in Munich in 1978.

The 70-year-old British man was arrested in the UK in late March and extradited in early April to Munich, where he has since been in custody.
The 69-year-old victim was last seen on December 30, 1978, in the company of a younger man. His body was found in his bathtub on January 2, 1979, after he failed to respond to calls from relatives. The autopsy revealed he died from at least 10 blows to the head with a 2.2lb bronze pestle.
Three unattributed fingerprints were found at the scene. Cash, keys, and a ring were stolen from the victim's home. The ring was found a week later on a building site at Munich’s main train station.
Evidence found at the scene was examined for DNA in 2005. In 2018, officials re-examined their files and sought to find a match with the fingerprints — at first unsuccessfully. However, in November 2021, a match was found with a person living in England.
Upon his extradition, the suspect, who does not have a previous police record in Germany, told an officer that he was in Munich in 1978. However, he has not commented on the case against him.