Unsolved murder case

Salzburg justice asks Facebook for help

What happened in this apartment on May 31, 2023? The investigation is ongoing.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Almost a year has passed since Stefan M. was murdered. But his murderer is still on the loose. Investigators are now hoping for a hot lead on social media.

Who is Stefan M.'s murderer? The Salzburg CID has been puzzling for almost a year. On May 31, 2023, officers found the body of the furniture maker (52) dead in his apartment on the third floor of a high-rise building on Salzburg's Gabelsbergerstraße.

The crime took place in an apartment in this high-rise building.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Several approaches to solving the mysterious case
Forensic experts established blunt force trauma - a serious head injury that led to death. Fingerprints and DNA traces were secured, and the databases were and are being searched again and again, explains Elena Haslinger from the public prosecutor's office in an interview with the "Krone". But so far there have been no hits.

The DNA traces seized are being searched again and again. Several requests for legal assistance have also been made to the USA.

Elena Haslinger von der Salzburger Staatsanwaltschaft

The investigators are also trying to solve the murder case using other approaches. "We have sent requests for legal assistance to the USA. We want to work with the company Meta to be able to take investigative steps regarding social media channels. However, these requests always take some time," says Haslinger. Meta includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, for example. Investigators hope to find a new hot lead through these social media. Or through an approach by crime expert Thomas Müller, who already gave the right tip in the Gorianstraße murder case. The well-known case analyst has been working on an expert report for months. However, Haslinger refers to criminal tactics and says that the results have not yet been communicated.

But the uncertainty as to how the loved one died is gnawing at the relatives: "This lack of clarity is cruel," emphasizes lawyer Stefan Rieder, who is representing Stefan M.'s partner and mother.