Verdict handed down

Burglar killed: Wolfgang W. acquitted

The defendant also appeared at the trial’s conclusion on Monday in a light-colored suit and tie.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Wolfgang W. (66) caught two burglars in his home in Salzburg and shot one of the intruders. On Monday, the murder trial against the engineer reached its conclusion. Murder or self-defense? After lengthy deliberations, the eight jurors decided—Wolfgang W. will not have to go to prison...

Was it murder? Self-defense, or at least the mistaken belief that it was? Or was it aggravated assault resulting in death? These were the questions the eight jurors had to resolve at the conclusion of the trial against Wolfgang W. (66). The lay jurors had to decide on the guilt or innocence of the Salzburg man in the sensational trial. After hours of deliberation, the verdict was clear: The graduate engineer will not go to prison; he is being released from pretrial detention.  

As a reminder: In broad daylight on July 31, 2025, Wolfgang W. caught a Hungarian burglar duo red-handed in his home in the Gnigl district. He grabbed his—legally acquired—pistol, chased the duo into the property’s garden, and fired. At least three shots were fired—one struck an intruder in the back of the head from nine meters away. The Hungarian man (31) did not survive. 

In her closing argument, Prosecutor Elisabeth Reich stated: “The defendant decided to fire a targeted shot. He was aware that he could die in the process.” She spoke of murder and repeatedly accused the defendant of making contradictory statements. Indeed: Right at the start of the trial, W. described the course of events in detail, but—much to the displeasure of the presiding judge—kept getting tangled up in inconsistencies. During his initial questioning, he spoke of a “knife attack,” but later revised this account. In court, he finally claimed that the victim had been holding “something black” and had intended to throw it at him. The prosecution countered: “There was no attack; the victim was fleeing and never held anything in his hand.” 

“He is a good person”
W.’s defense attorney, Kurt Jelinek, on the other hand, argued self-defense or the mistaken belief thereof. “He is a good person who just wanted to be left in peace.” He had found himself in an exceptional situation. “He was afraid for his life.” 

This apparently convinced the jury. They unanimously found the man from Salzburg not guilty of murder. The court ruled: It was self-defense!