Suspect Confessed

Raging jealousy was the motive for the attempted murder

The Romanian man is alleged to have stabbed his victim three times (stock image).(Bild: Rawf8 - stock.adobe.com)

His seething jealousy toward a rival caused a 37-year-old Romanian man in Mettmach (Upper Austria) to snap: The suspect confessed this during his interrogation by the State Criminal Police Office (LKA). Early Friday morning, he allegedly stabbed his partner (30)—with whom he had been in an on-and-off relationship for years—with a 30-centimeter-long kitchen knife at their shared workplace, a horse farm. The Polish woman managed to escape. 

The suspect had a blood alcohol level of 2.2 per mille at the time of his arrest. On Saturday—now sober—he was thoroughly questioned by the State Criminal Police Office. During the questioning, the Romanian man described the sequence of events as follows: He had been in a long-term on-and-off relationship with the Polish woman, who has two children from another man. Most recently, they had gotten back together after a one-year “break.”

The night before the incident, the Romanian man drank heavily, possibly whiskey. Both the suspect and the victim work in horse care. Between 7:00 and 7:10 a.m., an argument broke out at their shared workplace in the stable. She is said to have spoken to him in a “rude” manner. He then grabbed a 30-centimeter-long kitchen knife that was lying in the stable, which he had been using to cut open hay bales. The suspect is alleged to have stabbed his victim twice in the back and once in the arm with the 15-centimeter-long blade.

The statements from the suspect and the driver match. The victim has not yet been able to be interviewed; that is scheduled to take place at the beginning of the week.

Alois Ebner, Leiter der Staatsanwaltschaft Ried im Innkreis

No Help Found at a House
She managed to escape, and he ran after her. At first, the woman tried in vain to get help at a house. But then, thankfully, a driver from St. Johann am Walde stopped and let the bleeding woman get into his car. He had his pregnant wife with him.

The Romanian man had run after them and tried to drag his victim out of the car. A scuffle ensued with the man who came to her aid, in which the attacker came off worse. As the rescuer drove away with the victim, the Romanian stabbed the car several more times. He was arrested about 20 minutes later and offered no resistance. The weapon used in the crime was discovered around 9 a.m. by the police dog “Warrior.”

No “Withdrawal from the Attempt”
The alleged stabber faces charges of attempted murder. Also of interest: Had he not chased after his victim, his future defense attorney could have pleaded “abandonment of the attempt.” During the initial interrogation, the Romanian man had stated that he intended to kill the woman. On Saturday, he toned down this statement somewhat. The prosecution has filed a motion for pretrial detention.

Grandfather is now caring for the two children
The victim’s two children, aged eight and ten, were placed by child protective services with their grandfather, who lives in Poland. He is temporarily caring for the two children.