Michael S. goes out with the dogs very early on that Thursday morning of July 22nd. At 5:53 a.m. he sends a voice message to his partner. The 39-year-old lives with the 48-year-old, her two children and grandma on a farm in Geratskirchen in the Rottal-Inn district. There he runs a forestry company.

His partner suddenly heard a shot. However, since hunters are already on the move at this time, she thinks nothing of it. When she gets up shortly afterwards, she discovers her boyfriend’s body at around 6:30 a.m. in her boyfriend’s office. Michael S. was shot in the head and killed. The murder weapon: a 16-gauge shotgun.

The Passau criminal police and the Landshut public prosecutor’s office immediately initiate intensive investigations. Officials searched the area for two days. In the search for the motive, the officers come across the man’s eventful past. Michael S. had high debts, had a criminal record and was in prison until November 2017, among other things for arson. And the investigators find out something else: In addition to his partner, the entrepreneur apparently also had other women acquaintances.

The police initially targeted an acquaintance of Michael S. from Austria, who had access to shotguns. However, these are not found during a house search. When they show up later, they can be ruled out as murder weapons. Despite a reward of 10,000 euros and more than 1,000 interrogations and questionings, the police still have no hot leads.

The investigators are now hoping that the case will be broadcast on the TV show “Aktenzeichen XY…unsolved” on Wednesday, February 15 at 8:15 p.m. on ZDF. In connection, they ask the viewers:

Information will be accepted during and after the broadcast – also anonymously – on the phone number 0851/9511-2222 or on the studio hotline 089/950195

Sources: Police Bavaria, “Passauer Neue Presse”, merkur.de, donaukurier.de