68-year-old poured flammable liquid over his landlord's employee – defective lighter prevented worse

Since the landlord himself was not present, the man only encountered the landlord's 51-year-old employee there, according to investigators. A dispute subsequently broke out between the two, during which the accused produced a thermos flask that he had filled with a flammable liquid – presumably ethanol. „Der Mann ging letztlich am 29. Juni in der Früh zum Büro des Vermieters, um die Angelegenheit mit diesem zu klären. Dort traf er dann aber nur auf dessen Mitarbeiterin", the investigation files state.

According to the prosecution's account, the 68-year-old poured the contents of the thermos flask over the woman. He then held her down and attempted to set her on fire with a lighter. „Daraufhin soll er die Frau festgehalten und versucht haben, sie mit einem Feuerzeug anzuzünden. Dies misslang, da das Feuerzeug nicht funktionierte", the public prosecutor's office reported.

Investigators assume that the German citizen wanted to deliberately set his victim on fire and accepted her death as a consequence. „Die Ermittler gingen davon aus, dass der Deutsche sein Opfer anzünden wollte und so dessen Tod in Kauf nahm", a prosecution spokesperson said. In addition, according to the public prosecutor's office's assessment, the current state of the investigation points to a planned act: „Der Angriff dürfte nach ersten Ermittlungen geplant gewesen sein, hieß es von der Anklagebehörde."

Investigations and motive

The shocked woman managed to escape with minor injuries and alert the police. „Die 51-Jährige alarmierte die Polizei, woraufhin diese den Mann festnahm", the public prosecutor's office announced. According to current findings, the woman sustained only minor injuries.

In his initial interrogation, the 68-year-old stated as his motive, according to the public prosecutor's office, that he had „nicht verstanden gefühlt" and had wanted to clarify his housing situation. He had gone to the landlord's office that morning in order to resolve the matter. This statement stands in stark contrast to the investigation results so far, which point to a planned course of action.

Finds in the apartment

According to his own statements, the man had personally „verfeinert" the lighter he had brought, as the investigation files show. After his arrest, the officers searched the suspect's apartment. „Nach der Festnahme wurden in der Wohnung des Mannes zudem unter anderem Sprengmittel und Waffen gefunden", the prosecution explained. No further details were initially known about the exact scope and nature of the seized items.

The suspect was transferred to Klagenfurt Correctional Facility on the day of his arrest. „Über den Mann wurde inzwischen die Untersuchungshaft verhängt, gegen ihn wird wegen versuchten Mordes ermittelt", the Klagenfurt public prosecutor's office said. Pre-trial detention was imposed on the suspect, who according to the authorities had no prior criminal record: „des bisher unbescholtenen Beschuldigten".

Psychiatric assessment

A psychiatric assessment is now to be prepared in order to clarify the man's criminal responsibility. „Ein Gutachten soll nun die Zurechnungsfähigkeit des bisher unbescholtenen Beschuldigten klären", the prosecution announced. The background is that, according to ORF Kärnten, the 68-year-old is said to have previously been housed in a psychiatric facility: „zuvor soll er laut ORF Kärnten in der Psychiatrie aufhältig gewesen sein".

The authorities do not rule out that the man had originally intended the landlord himself, not the employee, as his target. This is suggested by the fact that the suspect went to his landlord's office on the morning of June 29 in order to clarify the housing matter, but encountered only the employee there. According to the investigators, there had allegedly „schon seit einiger Zeit Streit" between the 68-year-old and his landlord, involving issues including apartment defects and the request for an early contract extension.

Media and political reactions

The „Kleine Zeitung" was the first to report on the case. The investigations of the Klagenfurt public prosecutor's office are ongoing; the authority asks for understanding that no further details about the suspect's background or the exact course of events can be made public at this time.

The prosecution emphasized that the woman was only slightly injured and is receiving medical treatment. The Carinthia State Criminal Police Office has taken over the further investigations. An investigation is underway against the 68-year-old German citizen on suspicion of attempted murder; the maximum penalty for this in Austria is up to 15 years' imprisonment.

The man's motive remains unclear. While in his interrogation he cited incomprehension and the desire to clarify his housing situation as his reason, the explosives and weapons seized in his apartment, as well as the preparation of the lighter and the carrying of the filled thermos flask, point to a significantly more aggressive intention.

The Klagenfurt public prosecutor's office also pointed out that the suspect's statements partially contradict each other. Thus, the 68-year-old admittedly brought the thermos flask with the flammable liquid and poured its contents over the woman. However, he initially denied the subsequent attempted arson.

Neither defense counsel nor relatives of the suspect have publicly commented on the incident. The identity of the landlord as well as the name of the employee have also not been released by the public prosecutor's office, in order to protect the personal rights of those affected.

The case now also concerns Carinthian state politics, as it raises questions about the handling of mentally conspicuous individuals and about safety in rental relationships. The case will be the subject of further parliamentary and media debates in the coming weeks.

The Klagenfurt Correctional Facility, to which the 68-year-old was transferred after his arrest, has its own department for psychologically conspicuous prisoners, to which the suspect could be transferred once the requested assessment is available.