You must have come across sevral chilling and mysterious murder and killing cases. But the one which surronds Marianne Bachmeier is a daring act, which made the audience split in two. While there were some people who were against her act, and another set was in support of her. Wondering how’s this possible, then we are going to provide you the complete gist into this mystery. By reading the blog till the end, you might be able to choose your side aswell. We leave you to go through the mentioned details and select your side on this daring murder act. Therefore, make sure to read this article till the very end as we unravel all the details related to this murder in seek of justice.
Who is Marianne Bachmeier?
Marianne Bachmeier who lived between June 3 1950 to September 17 1996, is a West German women who shot and killed Klaus Grabowski, a man on trial who raped and murdered her daughter Anna. She shot the rapist in an act of vigilantism in the District Cour of Lubeck in 1981. This action of her’s sparked an extensive media coverage and public debate. Later on Marianne was convicted in the case of manslaughgter and unlawful possesssion of a firearm. She received a six-year sentence but was released on probation after completing three. Bachmeier relocated overseas but came back to Germany following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. She passed away at 46 and was interred beside her seven-year-old daughter, Anna, in Burgtor Cemetery, Lübeck.
Early Life of Marianne Bachmeier
Marianne Bachmeier spent her childhood and grew up in Sarstedt, which is a small town near Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, West Germany. Her parents then fled East Prussia after the Second World War. Her father was previously a member of Waffen-SS and was the stereotypical authoritarian figure, a heavy drinker who spent much of his time at a bar close to the family home. Their home environment was unpleasant, and alcohol intensified her father’s aggression. Her parents split up, and her mother subsequently got married again. Bachmeier was seen as a disturbed teenager by—what she referred to as—an authoritarian stepfather, and her mother ultimately threw her out of the home.
Family Background of Marianne Bachmeier
In 1966, at the age of 16, Bachmeier had her first baby, which she gave up for adoption as a newborn. She became pregnant once more at 18 by her boyfriend. Just before her second child was born, Bachmeier was raped. Like her first, her second child was also put up for adoption as an infant. In 1972, Bachmeier started a relationship with the manager of Tipasa, a pub where they both were employed. At 22, she became pregnant for the third time. On 14 November 1972, her third child, Anna, was born, and Bachmeier raised her by herself. Consequently, she brought Anna to the pub where she worked and reportedly never felt pressured to hurry home after her shifts behind the bar.
In two documentaries from 1984, No Time for Tears: The Bachmeier Case and Anna’s Mother, Bachmeier was depicted as a single mom who worked late into the night and then slept through the day, often leaving her seven-year-old daughter by herself during the daytime. Bachmeier recognized the issues with her lifestyle and considered placing Anna for adoption. Friends later remarked that she treated Anna as a small adult, expecting her to manage many responsibilities independently from a young age. Anna often dozed off in the bar while her mother socialized. A friend of Bachmeier stated that Anna was a lively young girl who never really experienced a happy family life.
Murder of Marianne Bachmeier’s Daughter
Marianne Bachmeier’s daughter Anna was just 7 years old when she had an argument with her mother on May 5 1980 and she decided to skip school. It was on this day that she was abducted by Laus Grabowski, who was a 35-year-old butcher, whose home she visited before to play with his cats. This guy held Anna for several hours at his home, sexually assaulted her and ultimately strangled her with a pair of his fiancee tights. The prosecutor stated that he subsequently restrained the girl and placed her in a box, which he abandoned on the banks of a canal. Grabowski’s fiancée subsequently reported him to the authorities.
Grabowski was a convicted sexual offender and had been sentenced earlier for sexually abusing two girls. In 1976, he willingly underwent chemical castration, but it was later disclosed that he later sought hormone treatment to reverse the effects of the castration. After his arrest, Grabowski claimed that Anna attempted to blackmail him by threatening to inform her mother about the abuse. He stated that his fear of returning to prison drove him to murder her.
Courtroom Trial
When for justice the case was taken to the courtroom, on the third day of the trial, around 10 a.m. on March 6 1981, Marianne Bachmeier smuggled a Beretta into the courtroom, of Lubeck District Court room 157. Then with the help of the carried weapon she fatally shot Grabowski, she aimed and fired at his back seven to six times, thereby killing him instantly.
Consequently, she was charged in court with murder on November 2 1982. Later on, the prosecution dropped the murder charges after 28 days of negotiations the board then simultaneously agreed on the verdict. After four months of opening proceedings, she was convicted on March 2 1983 by the Circuit Court Chamber of the District Court of Lubeck for manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. The court largely supported the defence’s claim that the act lacked premeditation. She received a six-year prison sentence but was freed after completing three years.
Death of Marianne Bachmeier
On 17 September 1996, Bachmeier passed away at the age of 46 due to pancreatic cancer in a Lübeck hospital. She is interred alongside her daughter, Anna, at Burgtor Cemetery in Lübeck.