19-year-old man in Hamburg arrested for allegedly killing his mother with harpoon

The suspect called emergency services himself during the night and reported his crime.

 Hamburg-Bramfeld. (photo credit: Claus-Joachim Dickow is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5. Via Shutterstock)
Hamburg-Bramfeld.
(photo credit: Claus-Joachim Dickow is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5. Via Shutterstock)

A 19-year-old man in the Hamburg district of Bramfeld is suspected of killing his 50-year-old mother, reportedly with a harpoon, according to several German media outlets, including the Hamburger Morgenpost and Focus Online. The tragic incident unfolded on Saturday night when the young man contacted the Hamburg police, claiming he had killed his mother, as reported by Stern.

According to initial findings, the suspect called emergency services himself during the night and reported his crime, Focus Online noted. The police announced that the young German man had been provisionally arrested and is "strongly suspected" of the crime, according to the Hamburger Morgenpost.

Upon receiving the emergency call, several patrol cars were dispatched to the residence on Lohkoppel, where the homicide squad is now investigating the case, the Hamburger Morgenpost reported. In the apartment of the multi-family house, police officers found the corpse of the 50-year-old woman, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

The woman had "traces of sharp violence" on her upper body and neck, according to the police, as cited by Stern. Investigators observed multiple traces of injuries on the victim. The police did not provide any further information about the exact murder weapon; however, investigators are checking whether it was a harpoon, spear, or knife, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

"In addition to the harpoon, a spear used for fishing, a knife was also found and secured," according to MOPO information, the Hamburger Morgenpost reported. Investigators are examining whether the suspect used one object or both to fatally injure his mother, the same source noted. "Several media outlets had previously reported that the son shot his mother with a harpoon," Focus Online stated.

The suspect, who was reportedly very drunk, was arrested without resistance by the police after he called to report the crime, as reported by Stern. Family members were assisted by the crisis intervention team of the German Red Cross, the same source added.

Following the emergency call, several patrol cars were dispatched to the residence on Lohkoppel, where the homicide squad is now investigating the case, the Hamburger Morgenpost reported. The homicide squad is investigating the case, and the murder commission has taken over at the crime scene to secure evidence, according to Focus Online. The murder commission took over the investigations at the crime scene and secured evidence, the Hamburger Morgenpost reported.

The public prosecutor's office is now involved in clarifying the crime, the Hamburger Morgenpost stated. A motive is still lacking, as reported by the same source. The woman was 50 years old, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The identity of the suspect has not been publicly disclosed beyond his age.

The police did not provide any further information about the murder weapon, but investigators are checking whether it was a harpoon, spear, or knife, as reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

This incident shocked the local community in Bramfeld.


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The suspect remains in custody as the investigation continues.

The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.