Trial Prosecutor demands 15 years in prison after homicide in Kreuzlingen
The public prosecutor demanded 15 years' imprisonment for the accused during the trial for a homicide on Tuesday at the district court of Kreuzlingen TG. The prosecutor said that the crime resembled an execution.
10.02.2026, 09:12
10.02.2026, 13:35
SDA
"The question today is not who shot. That question does not arise". The prosecutor said this on Tuesday morning at the Kreuzlingen District Court during a trial for a homicide in which a 51-year-old man shot his business partner after an argument in April 2023, according to the indictment. The question that had to be answered was how severe the sentence would be.
Video recordings showed the argument between the accused and the victim and what happened up until shortly before the shots were fired. In addition, traces of gunshot residue were found on the 51-year-old and witness statements incriminated him, the public prosecutor continued.
Regarding the crime itself, the prosecutor said that it had resembled an execution. "The last shot was a targeted shot to the head, not accidental or uncontrolled, but final." The homicide was also not an accident or self-defense. "A reasonable person would undoubtedly have been able to react differently than the defendant did."
The prosecutor also addressed why the charge was not murder. "Viewed in isolation", there were characteristics that pointed to murder. "However, the threshold from intentional homicide to murder was not clearly crossed," the prosecutor continued.
Dispute over investments abroad
In the morning, the accused had argued that he had been "in a tunnel" due to a long dispute with his business partner. He kept hearing voices in his head and ultimately acted in a "short-circuit reaction", said the 51-year-old.
According to the accused, the dispute was about investments abroad and money that he wanted to get back from his business partner. He had repeatedly sought dialog and asked several times when he would get his money back. However, his business partner did not respond. Instead, he threatened him and his family, according to the accused.
"Presumably out of fear", he took a revolver with him when he drove to his business partner's office in April 2023, the 51-year-old continued. However, he left open why exactly he packed a gun. "I've asked myself several times: why?"
He was sorry for the crime, the 51-year-old said towards the end of his questioning. "I took the life of a person and I will have to live with this act for the rest of my life."
