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After ten years of inheritance disputes, a man has finally achieved his goal. Then he loses control of himself and kills a man.
Picture: Google Streetview
Martin H. deliberately killed his uncle. This was the decision of the Uster District Court. The case was preceded by an inheritance dispute that had been going on for years, but was resolved shortly before the crime. The father of the family is facing 13 years in prison.
A spiteful remark, then the man strikes and goes into a rage. He beats his 71-year-old uncle to death with a piece of wood.
The indictment does not contain much more than the course of events. There is no indication of what drove the man to kill his relative apparently without mercy.
On Thursday, the alleged perpetrator will stand before the district court of Uster ZH. The public prosecutor is demanding a conviction for intentional homicide and a sentence of at least 16 years in prison.
Various media outlets have researched and reported the story in recent years. The "NZZ" did this in the most detail a few days ago. It calls the man who is now on trial Martin. In reality, his name is different.
Apparently, an inheritance dispute had been simmering on the farm in Maur ZH, in a picturesque location overlooking Lake Greifensee, for ten years. Martin grew up there and returned with his family in 2014. His father now lives in Canada, while his brother and sister - Martin's uncle and aunt - live in other buildings on the farm.
After moving in, Martin and his wife set up a kennel on the farm. The farm is leased to a third party. The couple with three children want to buy the farm from the other heirs, the uncle and aunt.
According to the NZZ, the aunt and uncle make life difficult for their nephew and the family with rent increases, debt collection and threats of termination.
The father and co-heir, who lives in Canada, is said to have withdrawn his sister's power of attorney as heir representative during a visit after seeing how she was treating his son and his wife.
In February 2024, the aunt and uncle finally agreed to sell their inheritance to Martin's father. He immediately signs the farm over to his son.
Two days later, there is an argument that ends with around 25 blows with a piece of firewood and the death of the uncle. According to the indictment, it was triggered by a derogatory remark made by the older man about a fence that had possibly been erected illegally and was part of the dog enclosure.
Martin apparently allowed himself to be arrested without resistance. He admits to the crime but cannot explain it, according to the NZZ. In the report, his wife suspects that he was afraid he would have to close the kennel because of the offending fence. He is dyslexic with ADD (not to be confused with ADHD) and has always felt inferior to people who are good with words - including his uncle and aunt.
A local newspaper blames the municipality's building authority for the senior's death, adding a media crisis to the village tragedy. The local paper is owned by the municipality, which then dismisses the staff and ceases publication. But this event also has a long history. However, this is not on trial at the Uster district court.
Martin spends around a year in custody. He is allowed to spend the last few months before the trial on the farm with his family. In view of the crime he has confessed to, he is unlikely to return there in the next few years.
