Crime reconstruction

Searching for answers with a digital 3D scan

Marked spots remind pedestrians of what happened a few hours ago in Draustadt.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

A special surveying device is to clarify questions about the course of events after the act of terror in Villach. This will create a digital copy of the crime scene - making it easier to verify witness statements.

What exactly happened on that Saturday afternoon? Not only the grieving relatives of the victims, politicians and concerned and unsettled citizens are asking themselves this question, but also the investigators who are working at full speed to find the answer.

First use for 3D scanner in Carinthia
After the police had already set up a witness hotline on Saturday evening, including an upload portal for videos and photos of the terrorist act, and searched the crime scene for evidence until late into the night, experts arrived on Sunday morning with a special surveying device: "This 3D scanner was used for the first time in Carinthia," says police press officer Rainer Dionisio.

Digital copy of the crime scene
A digital copy of the crime scene is captured in order to check the plausibility of statements made by witnesses or the suspect - if he makes any - at a later stage: "The visualization allows investigators to see whether the statements match," explains Dionisio in an interview with Krone.

It is clear that uncertainty has been spreading in Draustadt since the attack: "My friends and I are already thinking about whether we will go out in the evenings in the near future," says Lorenz Meschik (19), who also knew the victim.