Life imprisonment for Hungary

Jenny’s last words before the shot to the head: “Why?”

The murder defendant hid his face from the cameras in the courtroom.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

Krisztian P. (33) confessed to the murder of his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Z. (34) during the jury trial in Salzburg: "Yes, I am guilty." But the Hungarian chef was unable to explain his actions properly, saying only that he had "felt he had to do it." Now he faces life behind bars.

Every seat in the largest courtroom of the Salzburg Regional Court was occupied on Thursday. The large audience watched as the murder defendant Krisztian P. was led to the center of the courtroom by court officers. And how he hid his face from the cameras.

"Why? Those were Jennifer's last words before the defendant held the gun to her forehead and pulled the trigger," said prosecutor Jürgen Wiener, referring to the contents of the case file, which "are difficult even for us to comprehend." For the prosecutor, there is no doubt that the murder was a criminal act: "The evidence is clear. His plan was to end his ex-girlfriend's life."

Murder secretly recorded
The cold-blooded crime took place on the night of May 3, 2025, in a supermarket parking lot in Maria Alm: It was a final meeting to hand over personal items that the Hungarian still had from his ex. Jenny Z. had driven there with a friend, who waited in the car during the discussion. And Z. secretly recorded the meeting.

The murder defendant hid his face from the cameras in the courtroom.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

When the presiding judge played the 50-second recording, there was an oppressive silence: "Everything okay with you?" was the first thing the Hungarian man said. After a few words in English, the 34-year-old woman said goodbye. He said, "Wait a minute," and she replied, "Why?" Then came some indistinct, presumably insulting words from him—and the shot.

The scene of the crime: It happened here in this supermarket parking lot in Maria Alm.(Bild: Kerstin Jönsson)

Revealing chat messages
The trained chef had been working seasonally in this country since 2019. In 2024, the Hungarian man met his future victim while working at a hotel in Pinzgau. From February to October 2024, they had a relationship, which Jenny Z. herself ended. After that, they stayed in contact via chat. The presiding judge quoted revealing sentences written by the 33-year-old: "You had your chance, but you didn't take it, liar. You can't hide from me. I will hunt you down, no one can stop me. I will make your life a nightmare." 

The perpetrator left the rented Skoda in Munich.(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

Although witnesses described him as jealous and controlling, he did not see it that way himself: like everyone else, he just wanted to know where his partner was and what she was doing. He also evaded further questions: he did not buy the legally acquired murder weapon—a revolver carbine—because of Jennifer, but "for self-defense."

And he said he had only rented the getaway vehicle for a "big shopping trip" lasting three days. Regarding the moment he fired the shots, he said only: "A thought suddenly came to me. I felt that I had to do it. I know that I pulled the trigger. It shouldn't have happened." After the crime, he immediately fled: first to Munich in the rental car and from there by train to the Netherlands. Five days later, investigators caught him in Utrecht.

No mental illness was diagnosed: "But there are indications of reduced self-esteem, relaxed impulse control, and a conspicuous personality," reported neuropsychiatrist Gabriele Wörgötter. The Hungarian man has a low tolerance for frustration, is jealous, and is easily offended. She also said: "The act is to be assessed as planned and purposeful."

Unanimous verdict
By the afternoon, the eight jurors had already reached a unanimous verdict: guilty of murder, life imprisonment! The verdict is not yet final.