In a chilling unsolved mystery, a farmer and his family were brutally murdered in their own barn. Disturbing evidence suggests the killer may have been hiding in the roof above their home for an extended period before the attack.
The Hinterkaifeck Murders, occurring over a hundred years ago, remain a spine-chilling case still under investigation by the true crime community. The tragic event took place on a cold Friday night in March 1922 at a farmstead in the Bavarian village of Kaifeck, where Andreas Gruber, his wife Cäzilia, their daughter Viktoria Gabriel, Viktoria’s children Cäzilia and Josef, and their maid Maria Baumgartner were all killed.
The perpetrator used a mattock to carry out the savage attack, luring each victim to the barn one by one before stacking their bodies. Subsequently, the killer resided in the family’s home, consuming their food, tending to animals, and even using their fireplace. The bodies were discovered days later by a neighbor after Cäzilia failed to appear at school.
Prior to the tragic events, the family had suspicions of something amiss, with Andreas finding an unclaimed newspaper and noticing mysterious tracks in the snow leading towards their home. The maid had also quit, citing haunting experiences from voices in the ceiling, which now appear linked to the violent intruder.
Initially assumed to be a failed robbery, the untouched cash in the house dismissed that theory. Despite ongoing speculations and suspect names, no arrests were made in connection to the murders. The investigation has spurred various theories, including involvement of Viktoria’s missing husband, a neighbor with alleged ties to the family, and other potential suspects like local activists and a serial killer.
The unsettling investigation took a further dark turn with allegations of incest within the family. Andreas and his daughter had faced accusations in the past, leading to local rumors about Josef’s true paternity.