"There were no signs"

Double murderer in Berlin still on the run

A double murderer from Berlin is still being feverishly sought. The 50-year-old offender used his first unaccompanied exit to escape from Tegel prison on Thursday afternoon.

According to the justice administration, the man committed two murders in 1995 and was therefore sentenced to life imprisonment. A spokesperson for the judiciary did not give any details. According to the Berlin public prosecutor's office, the man was sentenced in the German capital in November 2001. According to a report in the "B.Z." newspaper, he allegedly beat two men to death in October 1995, first in Berlin and a few days later in Brandenburg.

According to the justice administration, the offender has been allowed out regularly since 2005. The prison authorities are obliged by constitutional law to provide such relaxation in order to prepare those affected for a regular life in freedom. There have been no complaints to date.

No signs of escape
Before the man was allowed to leave prison unaccompanied, there was a "comprehensive examination procedure" according to the justice administration. According to an expert, the relaxation was justifiable. "There were no indications that the prisoner would not return", according to the justice administration.