Hinterkaifeck Murders

On the night of March 31, 1922, in Waidhofen, Germany, six people — Andreas Gruber, his wife Cäzilia, their widowed daughter Viktoria Gabriel, Viktoria’s children Cäzilia Jr. and Josef, and the new maid Maria Baumgartner — were brutally murdered at the Gruber family farm, Hinterkaifeck. Strange incidents had preceded the murders: a previous maid quit believing the house was haunted, a mysterious newspaper appeared, and footsteps were heard in the attic. Viktoria and Andreas had a known incestuous relationship, which was widely rumored in the village and had led to legal convictions. Suspicion over baby Josef’s paternity, with rumors that he was the child of Viktoria and Andreas rather than her late husband Karl Gabriel, further complicated the situation.

The murders were gruesome: family members were lured into the barn and killed one by one with a mattock, with Cäzilia Jr. surviving for hours afterward. Maria and baby Josef were killed inside the home. The killer(s) remained at the farm for several days, tending to the livestock and eating the family’s food, before the bodies were discovered on April 4 by neighbors. In the days following the crime, several people, including salesmen, hunters, and a repairman, noticed the strange absence of the family but failed to intervene. Sightings of unknown figures and strange activity at the farm added to the mystery.

The investigation was plagued by contamination of the crime scene and a lack of clear motive. Although robbery was initially suspected, money was found untouched. Dozens of suspects were interviewed over the years, but no one was ever charged, and the case remains unsolved. Investigators noted that the family may have been lured to the barn by noises from the stable but found that screams couldn't be heard from the living area. Files were officially closed in 1955, though final interrogations continued as late as 1986.

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