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-On July 17, 1975,
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firefighters sifting through
the remains of a fire
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00:00:13,694 --> 00:00:18,064
in a Hamburg apartment block
made a gruesome discovery.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-We found all different kinds
of body parts
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and had to examine them.
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We were asking ourselves
what was going on.
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At first, nothing made sense.
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-And as the police began
to search the small attic flat,
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the true horror of the discovery
became apparent.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-We found a corpse.
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00:00:40,221 --> 00:00:42,151
We found two corpses.
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We found three corpses.
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We have found four corpses.
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It was a huge story
because things like this
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00:00:48,774 --> 00:00:52,984
don't exactly
happen often in Hamburg.
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-A man named Fritz Honka
had been murdering women
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and dismembering
their bodies in his home
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for the past five years.
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He claimed that Jack the Ripper
had told him to do it.
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-I think it was simply
crimes of opportunity,
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but with a horrible edge.
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He showed no compassion
for the victims.
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He didn't respect their bodies
or feel remorse, clearly.
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He just cut them up.
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-Fritz Honka had carved
his name in history
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as one of the world's
most evil killers.
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♪
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♪
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-The brutal murders of
39-year-old Fritz Honka
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left the whole of
West Germany reeling.
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When a fire ripped through
his apartment block
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on the 17th of July, 1975,
out of the ashes,
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the butchered remains
of four women were revealed,
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hidden away in Honka's attic.
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Nobody knew they'd been missing
from the streets of Hamburg.
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It was a shocking crime scene
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even for
the hardened murder squad.
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00:02:19,541 --> 00:02:21,751
The lead investigators
on the case
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00:02:21,827 --> 00:02:24,597
were Jurgen Vierle
and Karl Pries.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-They told us where
the body parts where,
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so inside the building,
we went up to the attic,
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and there were two flats,
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Mr. Honka's flat
and another one,
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and then there was
a toilet and a loft,
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and in this loft
were the body parts.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-We were standing
outside the door
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when a small man
walked up the stairs.
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The flat he lived in was
completely filled with smoke.
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It was right next to the attic
that had caught fire.
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I just happened to be standing
right by the front door
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of his flat, and he goes,
"What's going on here?"
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"As you can see,
there's been a fire," I said.
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"Oh," he said.
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"That's really bad.
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Looks like I won't be able
to live here anymore."
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I then asked him,
"Who has the key
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to this attic room,
and who owns it?"
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To which he replied,
"This is my attic room,
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and I am the only one
who's got access to it."
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And in that moment, there were
reasonable grounds
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to suspect him of a crime.
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Consequently, we took him
to the offices
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of the police headquarters
at Berliner Tor.
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-The story of this elusive
serial killer
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begins over 80 years ago.
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Fritz Honka was born
into a working-class family
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in Leipzig, East Germany,
on the 31st of July, 1935.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-He had eight siblings.
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The relationship with his father
was very difficult.
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He mentions an incident
where his father
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supposedly wanted to kill him,
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and the connection to his mother
was also rather cold.
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When he was 11 years old,
she left the family,
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so he always had a rather
crushing relationship
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with his parents.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-All the children
were given away,
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which will have had
quite an effect on him.
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-After his father died in 1946,
11-year-old Honka was left
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to grow up in an orphanage.
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His childhood
was far from ideal.
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-I think he had quite
a hard time growing up.
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These were quite turbulent
times in Germany,
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but for a young lad who was
considerably shorter
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than his peers, he didn't always
fit in very well at school,
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00:05:01,381 --> 00:05:03,801
and that made him
a target for bullies,
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so he was always the brunt
of someone else's joke,
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so I don't think he had
a very easy time of it at all.
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-After leaving school,
Honka began work
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as a bricklayer's apprentice,
but it didn't last long.
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In 1951, aged 16, he fled
from Communist East Germany
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and headed west.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-He then came over here
to West Germany
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and worked in
the farming industry
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before relocating to Hamburg,
and here in Hamburg,
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he worked for a security service
company as a night watchman.
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So this means he always had
a steady income,
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which, of course,
gave him, socially,
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an advantage with the crowds
he hung out with.
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-Age 22, he meets his wife,
and they get married,
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and things are quite normal
and quite regular,
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but both of them have a bit
of an issue with alcohol.
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Both of them tend to drink
to excess,
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and their relationship
becomes quite volatile
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and quite chaotic.
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They attract the attention
of neighbors
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and the authorities
when they're arguing
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and they're overheard
having domestic disputes,
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so it's not a particularly
nice household for very long.
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-After separating from his wife
in 1967, 32-year-old Honka
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was alone and working
the graveyard shift
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as a night watchman.
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-So he rented a small,
one-bedroom apartment,
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which was very close to the
red-light district in Hamburg,
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and in this apartment,
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he created his own
little world, basically.
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He wasn't subject to any kind
of informal surveillance
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of other people
who would question, you know,
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"What are you doing?"
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So it was his own little zone,
essentially,
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and this is the place
where he would live
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in something of a little bubble,
to be honest,
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so I think this is a recipe for
disaster for someone like him.
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-Honka spent his free time
drinking in 24-hour bars
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around the Reeperbahn
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in the city's notorious
red-light district.
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-There will be lots of reasons
why people turn to alcohol,
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but I think in this case,
here is an individual
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who didn't have a lot of control
over his life as a child.
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There was a lot
going on around him
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that he had very little power
over whatsoever,
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and what can happen with people
who experience circumstances
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like these
is that in adulthood,
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they develop an intense
need to be in control
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of what's going on around them,
and for some people,
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that will manifest itself
in self-medication.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-One of the bars was the famous
Goldenen Handschuh,
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the Golden Glove.
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It was named like that because
it belonged to a famous boxer,
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and right across was
the Elbschlosskeller,
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a bar where mainly
homeless alcoholics
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or drifters hung out.
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Well, they drank
plenty of alcohol.
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The preferred drink was
grain schnapps with lemonade.
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There was dancing, and it
didn't get cleaned very often.
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It was open all hours,
around the clock,
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and looked accordingly.
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You had to be careful
not to stick to the floor,
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and those were
the surroundings and conditions.
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These people had
reached rock-bottom,
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at least the women
who went there,
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and now and then, the men
would take the women home
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with them to play sex games.
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-The Golden Glove soon became
one of Honka's favorite haunts.
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He would regularly visit
after finishing his shift
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as a night watchmen.
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The owner of the bar,
Jorn Nurnberg,
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became friendly with the man
his regulars knew as Fite.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-When he came in
wearing his uniform,
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you could see that he was
very proud of himself,
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but he was never pushy.
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People who didn't know him,
who just saw him briefly,
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thought he looked a bit odd
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because Fite wasn't
exactly a pinup.
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At times, he looked
a bit creepy.
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-A traffic accident in his 20s
had left Honka
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with a crooked nose
and a pronounced squint.
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-Well, he's an individual
who has never really had
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a very positive relationship
when it comes to women.
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So he was abandoned
by his mother.
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The relationship that
he had with his wife
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was quite chaotic
and quite unstable,
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so there isn't a really
positive association
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with women in his mind
at this point in time.
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-Honka is a mentally unstable,
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intellectually challenged
runt of a man
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who has profound
sexual problems.
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He finds sex with a women
almost impossible
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and therefore
demands oral sex.
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He is a drunk, a loner,
who has had almost no paternal,
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maternal caring as a child.
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He was no one's idea
of Mr. Universe,
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but he was, clearly
or at least able,
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could afford
to hire prostitutes.
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-Honka had taken a liking
to older prostitutes
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who could often be found in
the bars around the Reeperbahn.
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-[ Speaking German ]
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-These were homeless women
who had no income.
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He had money.
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He could offer alcohol.
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He could offer a place to stay,
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and that made it
quite easy for him.
201
00:10:41,954 --> 00:10:42,924
I wouldn't say
to make friends,
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00:10:42,994 --> 00:10:46,304
but certainly to make
the acquaintance of people,
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whether that would be
female or male,
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and as a result,
he was well-known
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in these circles he moved in.
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The lowest class of society,
that was his world.
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-And it was a world
that was about to implode.
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00:11:03,954 --> 00:11:07,884
On the 17th of July, 1975,
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a fire in Honka's apartment
block would lead
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to a startling revelation --
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00:11:12,874 --> 00:11:15,684
the dismembered bodies
of four women.
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-[ Speaking German ]
213
00:11:21,147 --> 00:11:24,007
-The fire service responded
to the fire incident,
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00:11:24,087 --> 00:11:26,307
and when they found
the bodies in the attic,
215
00:11:26,381 --> 00:11:29,201
they called us,
the homicide squad, so myself
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00:11:29,274 --> 00:11:32,804
and the rest of the on-duty team
made our way to the crime scene.
217
00:11:35,094 --> 00:11:38,554
-The police waited for Honka
to arrive home from his shift
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00:11:38,627 --> 00:11:39,937
as a night watchman.
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00:11:40,014 --> 00:11:42,044
He was immediately arrested
220
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and taken to the police station
for questioning.
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00:11:45,401 --> 00:11:48,761
-[ Speaking German ]
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00:11:50,854 --> 00:11:53,804
-We set out to do our work
and walk through the crime scene
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and during the crime-scene
investigation,
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a mummified corpse was found,
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and underneath
this mummified corpse
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00:12:01,314 --> 00:12:03,684
lay a partly decomposed torso.
227
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We broke down walls, broke
through the floor and searched.
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00:12:19,294 --> 00:12:20,384
Throughout the whole flat,
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we noticed
this very strong smell.
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I'd say the typical smell
of decay
231
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mixed with that of burning.
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Very unpleasant.
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00:12:28,834 --> 00:12:31,894
And so this led us
to search more,
234
00:12:31,601 --> 00:12:34,781
and we found a hatch
facing the side of the roof
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00:12:34,854 --> 00:12:36,194
that had been covered
with wallpaper,
236
00:12:36,267 --> 00:12:38,637
and then we broke
into the side of the roof
237
00:12:38,714 --> 00:12:40,014
and found a large object
238
00:12:40,087 --> 00:12:42,517
wrapped in bed linen
with a corpse inside.
239
00:12:49,101 --> 00:12:50,351
We took it out and announced
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00:12:50,421 --> 00:12:52,161
that we had discovered
another body.
241
00:12:55,787 --> 00:12:59,267
-The press soon got wind
of this shocking discovery
242
00:12:59,347 --> 00:13:01,667
and headed for the crime scene.
243
00:13:01,747 --> 00:13:05,467
Lutz Jaffé was a newspaper
photographer at the time.
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00:13:05,547 --> 00:13:09,507
-[ Speaking German ]
245
00:13:09,587 --> 00:13:11,867
-We always listened
to the police radio.
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00:13:11,941 --> 00:13:13,861
Back then, it was possible
to do that,
247
00:13:13,934 --> 00:13:16,344
and you could hear
where things were happening.
248
00:13:16,414 --> 00:13:20,454
That's how we found out
about the fire in Zeissstrasse.
249
00:13:20,521 --> 00:13:22,481
We heard a residential building
was burning,
250
00:13:22,554 --> 00:13:24,444
and, of course,
I headed right out.
251
00:13:31,834 --> 00:13:33,794
The fire brigade
was already there.
252
00:13:33,867 --> 00:13:36,067
You obviously wait a little
because you never know
253
00:13:36,141 --> 00:13:38,161
what's going on
inside the house.
254
00:13:38,234 --> 00:13:40,044
Is anyone hurt?
Did someone die?
255
00:13:42,927 --> 00:13:45,337
Well, firefighters
have a good nose,
256
00:13:45,414 --> 00:13:48,604
and they can, of course, pick up
the smell of decaying bodies.
257
00:13:51,254 --> 00:13:54,164
And then I think
they found Honka's bags.
258
00:13:59,534 --> 00:14:02,814
We were downstairs getting
information from the police.
259
00:14:02,881 --> 00:14:07,041
"We have found a corpse.
We have found two corpses.
260
00:14:06,681 --> 00:14:11,551
We have found three corpses.
We have found four corpses."
261
00:14:11,627 --> 00:14:14,447
Well, of course, for us,
it was a huge story
262
00:14:14,527 --> 00:14:17,597
because things like this don't
happen very often in Hamburg.
263
00:14:23,141 --> 00:14:24,711
Up and down the street,
264
00:14:24,787 --> 00:14:28,007
the news that this wasn't
just a fire spread quickly,
265
00:14:28,087 --> 00:14:30,637
and a lot of people turned up.
266
00:14:30,714 --> 00:14:34,004
You can see in the photo that
they looked into the police car,
267
00:14:34,074 --> 00:14:36,854
this cluster of people
left and right.
268
00:14:36,927 --> 00:14:38,787
It was just sensational.
269
00:14:38,867 --> 00:14:40,957
Also, for the people
who lived there,
270
00:14:41,034 --> 00:14:42,874
it was simply unbelievable.
271
00:14:42,941 --> 00:14:44,241
They probably knew him.
272
00:14:44,314 --> 00:14:46,544
They knew Honka.
273
00:14:46,614 --> 00:14:48,484
The following day,
it was on the front page
274
00:14:48,554 --> 00:14:50,604
of all of Hamburg's newspapers.
275
00:14:53,201 --> 00:14:57,451
-As forensic experts work
tirelessly at the crime scene,
276
00:14:57,521 --> 00:15:00,191
detectives at the police station
were beginning to question
277
00:15:00,267 --> 00:15:03,467
Honka about
the gruesome discovery.
278
00:15:03,541 --> 00:15:08,521
-[ Speaking German ]
279
00:15:08,594 --> 00:15:11,414
-During the interrogation,
you have to try to get
280
00:15:11,481 --> 00:15:13,731
a confession
or at least try to get clues
281
00:15:13,807 --> 00:15:17,127
that explain the evidence
found at the crime scene.
282
00:15:17,201 --> 00:15:19,071
Only this evidence
from the crime scene
283
00:15:19,147 --> 00:15:20,927
can help to confront him
with allegations
284
00:15:21,001 --> 00:15:23,121
that eventually
lead to charging him.
285
00:15:29,387 --> 00:15:32,057
So I explained the situation.
286
00:15:32,134 --> 00:15:34,774
We had found four bodies
in his living room
287
00:15:34,841 --> 00:15:37,151
and the adjoining rooms
of his flat,
288
00:15:37,227 --> 00:15:39,547
and I confronted him with that.
289
00:15:39,621 --> 00:15:42,201
He had nothing to say about it.
290
00:15:44,121 --> 00:15:46,161
Then he said, "I don't know.
291
00:15:46,234 --> 00:15:47,504
I've got nothing
to say about this,
292
00:15:47,574 --> 00:15:50,024
and I don't know
what you want from me."
293
00:15:50,094 --> 00:15:52,754
Of course, in that moment,
you accuse him, and you say,
294
00:15:52,827 --> 00:15:55,607
"How is it possible
that we found a wrapped-up body
295
00:15:55,681 --> 00:15:58,601
behind the disguised wall
in your living room?
296
00:16:03,041 --> 00:16:05,291
And what about
the two body parts we found
297
00:16:05,368 --> 00:16:07,868
in the covered hole
behind your toilet,
298
00:16:07,441 --> 00:16:09,881
the mummified corpse
and the torso?
299
00:16:09,954 --> 00:16:11,084
You see?
300
00:16:14,414 --> 00:16:17,964
And what about the fact that we
found loads of women's dresses,
301
00:16:17,801 --> 00:16:20,561
and that initial examinations
of the wrapped-up body show
302
00:16:20,634 --> 00:16:22,454
that it is a woman?
303
00:16:22,121 --> 00:16:25,111
So is the mummified body,
just as the chopped-up body
304
00:16:25,181 --> 00:16:29,011
we found under the coals
also belongs to a woman?"
305
00:16:29,081 --> 00:16:31,411
When we confronted him
and asked him,
306
00:16:31,481 --> 00:16:32,851
"What have you got
to say to that,"
307
00:16:32,921 --> 00:16:35,881
he just shrugged his shoulders
and said, "No idea."
308
00:16:41,741 --> 00:16:44,911
And there you are, the officer
leading the interrogation,
309
00:16:44,987 --> 00:16:46,667
and you need to prove to him
310
00:16:46,741 --> 00:16:49,001
that he does have something
to do with it.
311
00:16:53,947 --> 00:16:56,777
-With Honka not giving them
any information,
312
00:16:56,854 --> 00:16:59,274
the police began
the arduous task of
313
00:16:59,347 --> 00:17:02,847
trying to identify the remains
of all four women,
314
00:17:02,561 --> 00:17:04,761
and they got
a big break early on.
315
00:17:04,834 --> 00:17:06,914
Missing parts of one
of the bodies
316
00:17:06,981 --> 00:17:10,631
had been discovered
four years previously.
317
00:17:10,707 --> 00:17:12,947
-[ Speaking German ]
318
00:17:13,027 --> 00:17:16,597
-In November 1971,
a worker at a factory yard
319
00:17:16,674 --> 00:17:19,664
in the Gausssirasse
came across some junk,
320
00:17:19,734 --> 00:17:23,004
and when he rummaged through it,
he found body parts.
321
00:17:27,354 --> 00:17:30,204
He saw a hand sticking out
of a pile of rubbish.
322
00:17:30,274 --> 00:17:33,154
He immediately informed
the police,
323
00:17:33,221 --> 00:17:34,361
and the local officers on duty
324
00:17:34,434 --> 00:17:36,974
who were the first to arrive
at the scene informed us
325
00:17:37,047 --> 00:17:40,227
that the findings were,
indeed, body parts.
326
00:17:40,307 --> 00:17:42,667
We went to investigate
further and spotted
327
00:17:42,747 --> 00:17:45,097
several chopped-up body parts.
328
00:17:45,174 --> 00:17:48,414
Only the torso and the right leg
were missing.
329
00:17:48,487 --> 00:17:50,997
Everything else was there,
but cut into pieces.
330
00:17:55,001 --> 00:17:59,071
Besides the body parts, we found
breasts that had been cut off,
331
00:17:58,681 --> 00:18:00,991
suggesting that this was,
in all probability,
332
00:18:01,067 --> 00:18:03,077
related to a sex offense.
333
00:18:05,767 --> 00:18:09,067
-Although the head
was badly decomposed,
334
00:18:09,148 --> 00:18:13,868
in 1971, experts were able to
reconstruct it well enough
335
00:18:13,941 --> 00:18:16,911
to enable the police to provide
a photo to the press.
336
00:18:16,987 --> 00:18:18,557
The victim was identified
337
00:18:18,634 --> 00:18:22,634
as 42-year-old prostitute
Gertraud Brauer.
338
00:18:22,707 --> 00:18:24,717
Before the fire
at Honka's apartment,
339
00:18:24,794 --> 00:18:27,964
the case had remained unsolved.
340
00:18:28,034 --> 00:18:31,944
-[ Speaking German ]
341
00:18:32,014 --> 00:18:33,554
-We had come full circle,
342
00:18:33,621 --> 00:18:36,121
from the body parts found in
the Gausssirasse
343
00:18:36,194 --> 00:18:37,854
to the torso found
on the premises
344
00:18:37,921 --> 00:18:39,631
of Honka's living quarters,
345
00:18:39,701 --> 00:18:42,601
and subsequently, we could
charge him with this crime.
346
00:18:45,487 --> 00:18:49,887
-Honka had murdered Gertraud
in December, 1970,
347
00:18:49,401 --> 00:18:51,761
after picking her up
in the Golden Glove.
348
00:18:51,834 --> 00:18:54,634
It was the first time
he'd killed someone.
349
00:18:54,701 --> 00:18:56,601
Investigators believe
he strangled
350
00:18:56,674 --> 00:18:58,634
the 42-year-old to death
351
00:18:58,707 --> 00:19:01,107
because she refused
to have sex with him.
352
00:19:01,187 --> 00:19:04,217
He dismembered her body
using a saw.
353
00:19:04,161 --> 00:19:06,411
-To simply cut off a limb
354
00:19:06,487 --> 00:19:09,597
is a fairly straightforward
procedure.
355
00:19:09,674 --> 00:19:11,634
You need a knife
to get through the flesh
356
00:19:11,707 --> 00:19:13,817
and a saw to get
through the bone.
357
00:19:13,894 --> 00:19:18,174
It doesn't have to be
a complex thing to do.
358
00:19:18,241 --> 00:19:22,131
It's not like you're a surgeon
doing an operation.
359
00:19:22,201 --> 00:19:25,001
-Golden Glove barman
Jorn Nurnberg
360
00:19:25,074 --> 00:19:28,724
had unknowingly assisted
Honka in meeting his victims.
361
00:19:28,794 --> 00:19:30,344
-[ Speaking German ]
362
00:19:30,414 --> 00:19:32,154
-He always said in a sneaky way,
363
00:19:32,227 --> 00:19:34,187
"Hey, Jorn, give that
one a little drink,
364
00:19:34,267 --> 00:19:36,627
but don't tell her
it's from me."
365
00:19:36,401 --> 00:19:39,861
"Okay, Fite, no problem,"
gave the drink.
366
00:19:39,934 --> 00:19:42,084
"Who's that from?"
"From someone."
367
00:19:42,154 --> 00:19:44,214
"Oh, okay. Good."
368
00:19:43,881 --> 00:19:48,731
They didn't ask much, as long
as they had something to drink.
369
00:19:48,807 --> 00:19:52,477
-Gertraud Brauer, a hairdresser
and part-time prostitute,
370
00:19:52,554 --> 00:19:55,204
was a regular in the bar.
371
00:19:55,274 --> 00:19:58,164
-Time after time,
prostitutes are killed
372
00:19:58,234 --> 00:20:00,794
because no one
reports them missing.
373
00:20:00,867 --> 00:20:03,037
They live on the edge
of the law.
374
00:20:03,114 --> 00:20:08,364
They're long past in connection
with their families.
375
00:20:08,001 --> 00:20:11,481
They are living in
a twilight world,
376
00:20:11,554 --> 00:20:15,634
and, well, you miss
a prostitute?
377
00:20:15,707 --> 00:20:16,787
Well, she could've given up,
378
00:20:16,867 --> 00:20:18,267
or she could've gone
to another city,
379
00:20:18,341 --> 00:20:19,781
or she could've gone
back to her mother,
380
00:20:19,854 --> 00:20:21,474
or whatever it may have been,
381
00:20:21,547 --> 00:20:24,087
and so they're
very seldom tracked.
382
00:20:24,167 --> 00:20:27,507
-Even though Honka refused
to cooperate with the police,
383
00:20:27,587 --> 00:20:31,267
they had now identified
one of his victims.
384
00:20:31,341 --> 00:20:35,151
Each time they interrogated him,
detectives tried to find out
385
00:20:35,221 --> 00:20:37,401
more about the other
three women.
386
00:20:37,474 --> 00:20:40,274
-[ Speaking German ]
387
00:20:40,341 --> 00:20:43,131
-"You frequently go
to St. Pauli.
388
00:20:43,201 --> 00:20:45,561
You're still going to
the Elbschlosskeller
389
00:20:45,634 --> 00:20:48,194
and other bars in St. Pauli.
390
00:20:47,961 --> 00:20:50,631
You drink vast
amounts of alcohol.
391
00:20:50,707 --> 00:20:53,437
We found a lot of alcohol
in your flat.
392
00:20:55,234 --> 00:20:57,414
And we've seen the walls
in your place.
393
00:20:57,487 --> 00:21:00,927
They're full
of pornographic posters."
394
00:21:01,001 --> 00:21:02,821
Well, we also found
a plastic doll
395
00:21:02,894 --> 00:21:04,774
he probably used
to satisfy himself
396
00:21:04,641 --> 00:21:07,071
when no woman was around.
397
00:21:07,141 --> 00:21:09,331
The aim was to unsettle him.
398
00:21:09,408 --> 00:21:11,978
The uncertainty produced
insecurity.
399
00:21:12,054 --> 00:21:14,634
His replies to specific
questions were different
400
00:21:14,707 --> 00:21:17,157
to those
he had given the previous day.
401
00:21:21,514 --> 00:21:24,314
-After taking the life
of another human
402
00:21:24,387 --> 00:21:28,007
for the first time
in December, 1970,
403
00:21:28,087 --> 00:21:32,297
Honka wouldn't kill again
for almost four years.
404
00:21:32,374 --> 00:21:36,254
-What happened to start him off
again in August, 1974?
405
00:21:36,121 --> 00:21:39,971
I would argue that Honka's
alcoholism had probably got
406
00:21:40,047 --> 00:21:47,907
so intense by that time that he
was desperately out of control,
407
00:21:47,981 --> 00:21:52,021
and perhaps he just had
genuinely some kind of
408
00:21:52,094 --> 00:21:57,444
psychotic break, some kind of
brainstorm that led him to kill.
409
00:21:57,514 --> 00:22:01,644
-The police had a wealth
of evidence against Honka,
410
00:22:01,081 --> 00:22:05,211
but they were desperate for him
to make a full confession.
411
00:22:05,281 --> 00:22:07,031
If he continued
with his silence,
412
00:22:07,107 --> 00:22:11,077
they may never identify
the other three murdered women.
413
00:22:15,214 --> 00:22:19,314
-[ Speaking German ]
414
00:22:19,381 --> 00:22:21,771
-It smelled really odd
in the house.
415
00:22:21,841 --> 00:22:23,391
There were also foreigners
living there,
416
00:22:23,461 --> 00:22:24,871
and Honka always said,
417
00:22:24,941 --> 00:22:27,211
"The foreigners cook
in a funny way.
418
00:22:27,281 --> 00:22:30,751
They use strange spices in their
food, and that's why it stinks."
419
00:22:30,821 --> 00:22:33,801
None of the neighbors suspected
that it wasn't the foreigners,
420
00:22:33,874 --> 00:22:37,174
that the smell came from
the body parts in Honka's flat,
421
00:22:37,247 --> 00:22:39,157
and they had started to reek.
422
00:22:43,467 --> 00:22:47,117
-Once somebody dies,
decomposition will begin.
423
00:22:47,194 --> 00:22:51,394
There will be an increase,
to start with,
424
00:22:51,161 --> 00:22:54,841
in particularly the smell
that comes from the body.
425
00:22:54,914 --> 00:23:00,944
As the body functions render
down, things start to decompose.
426
00:23:01,014 --> 00:23:03,694
-[ Speaking German ]
427
00:23:03,767 --> 00:23:06,547
-Everywhere in the flat
were scented stones,
428
00:23:06,621 --> 00:23:08,361
all around the skirting boards.
429
00:23:08,434 --> 00:23:10,104
The toilet was full of them.
430
00:23:10,174 --> 00:23:12,124
They were everywhere.
431
00:23:14,528 --> 00:23:17,698
-The longer the bodies
had remained in Honka's attic,
432
00:23:17,774 --> 00:23:20,564
the harder it was
to get rid of them.
433
00:23:20,634 --> 00:23:23,214
-A dead body is difficult
to move,
434
00:23:23,281 --> 00:23:25,091
and once rigor mortis
starts to set in
435
00:23:25,161 --> 00:23:28,151
and the body becomes stiff,
it's not even flexible to move.
436
00:23:28,221 --> 00:23:30,361
It can be very hard to do.
437
00:23:30,434 --> 00:23:33,064
-This is really illustrative
of the type of
438
00:23:33,134 --> 00:23:34,624
serial killer he was.
439
00:23:34,694 --> 00:23:38,664
He wasn't massively organized in
terms of covering up his crimes.
440
00:23:38,734 --> 00:23:41,244
You know, he would have
the corpses of his victims
441
00:23:41,314 --> 00:23:42,834
right there in his flat.
442
00:23:42,401 --> 00:23:44,831
He didn't actually
dispose of them,
443
00:23:44,907 --> 00:23:46,907
so this was something
that he was doing
444
00:23:46,981 --> 00:23:49,401
just kind of short-term,
reactionary,
445
00:23:49,474 --> 00:23:52,804
just kind of coping
with each day as it arose.
446
00:23:52,874 --> 00:23:55,714
-When the police went to
Honka's favorite bars
447
00:23:55,781 --> 00:23:59,621
and broke the news that bodies
had been found in his flat,
448
00:23:59,361 --> 00:24:02,861
they were met with
complete disbelief.
449
00:24:02,934 --> 00:24:05,574
-[ Speaking German ]
450
00:24:05,648 --> 00:24:08,378
-No one expected
that of him, no one.
451
00:24:08,454 --> 00:24:10,234
Even if you've met him,
you'd definitely have said,
452
00:24:10,307 --> 00:24:12,767
"Him?
Nah, he's too harmless."
453
00:24:12,841 --> 00:24:14,201
Really shocking.
454
00:24:16,547 --> 00:24:19,207
-Journalists also went
round the bars
455
00:24:19,281 --> 00:24:22,441
to get background color
for their stories.
456
00:24:22,514 --> 00:24:27,024
-[ Speaking German ]
457
00:24:27,094 --> 00:24:29,614
-Part of the story was to
look around and find out,
458
00:24:29,681 --> 00:24:32,101
"Where did Honka
meet his women?"
459
00:24:32,174 --> 00:24:34,314
and that was in
the Goldenen Handschuh.
460
00:24:34,381 --> 00:24:36,001
It was unimaginable.
461
00:24:36,074 --> 00:24:38,294
This was pure poverty.
462
00:24:38,361 --> 00:24:41,891
People, human wrecks,
women as well as men,
463
00:24:41,961 --> 00:24:44,361
whose fate had taken
a sad turn for the worse.
464
00:24:51,654 --> 00:24:54,644
These people had reached
the very bottom of society.
465
00:24:54,714 --> 00:24:57,474
This doesn't mean
that had to be criminals,
466
00:24:57,541 --> 00:25:00,001
but they were
very poor creatures.
467
00:25:05,834 --> 00:25:08,004
As a consequence,
it smelled pretty bad
468
00:25:08,074 --> 00:25:09,854
in the Goldenen Handschuh,
469
00:25:09,928 --> 00:25:12,328
as these people
weren't able to wash.
470
00:25:12,408 --> 00:25:15,038
They had nowhere to go,
as many of them were homeless.
471
00:25:20,621 --> 00:25:23,801
-The police had identified
one of Honka's victims
472
00:25:23,874 --> 00:25:25,584
as Gertraud Brauer,
473
00:25:25,654 --> 00:25:28,404
but the other three
remained a mystery.
474
00:25:28,474 --> 00:25:33,314
Establishing their identities
would not be simple.
475
00:25:33,381 --> 00:25:36,731
-Even in the modern era of DNA,
476
00:25:36,807 --> 00:25:40,467
identifying victims
can be incredibly challenging.
477
00:25:40,547 --> 00:25:44,507
By and large, you have to have
something to compare
478
00:25:44,581 --> 00:25:48,471
your victim to,
so dental records,
479
00:25:48,547 --> 00:25:51,187
evidence of missing people,
have they got
480
00:25:51,261 --> 00:25:55,081
defining characteristics
that's unique to them?
481
00:25:59,801 --> 00:26:04,251
-The police found a pile of
women's ID cards in Honka's flat
482
00:26:04,321 --> 00:26:06,271
and set about
the complicated task
483
00:26:06,347 --> 00:26:09,847
of trying to find the rightful
owners among the prostitutes
484
00:26:09,927 --> 00:26:13,157
who frequented the bars
around the Reeperbahn.
485
00:26:13,234 --> 00:26:15,814
Each time they found
a woman alive,
486
00:26:15,888 --> 00:26:19,628
they were able to cross her off
the list of potential victims.
487
00:26:19,701 --> 00:26:23,471
One of the local officers
at the time was Peter Reichard.
488
00:26:23,547 --> 00:26:26,147
-[ Speaking German ]
489
00:26:26,227 --> 00:26:27,557
-We were able to work our way
490
00:26:27,634 --> 00:26:29,894
through all the names
on this list,
491
00:26:29,601 --> 00:26:33,321
and we realized that our women
all seemed to be alive.
492
00:26:34,987 --> 00:26:37,507
-The Hamburg police
also put out a call
493
00:26:37,587 --> 00:26:39,807
to colleagues across Germany
494
00:26:39,887 --> 00:26:44,547
for details of missing women
in their mid-40s to mid-50s.
495
00:26:44,621 --> 00:26:48,251
-[ Speaking German ]
496
00:26:48,327 --> 00:26:50,127
-How many
missing persons reports
497
00:26:50,201 --> 00:26:52,001
do you think they get
in Germany?
498
00:26:52,074 --> 00:26:53,734
I had stacks of them on my desk,
499
00:26:53,807 --> 00:26:55,247
and I had to look through
all of them,
500
00:26:55,121 --> 00:26:57,921
and somehow still wasn't
making progress.
501
00:27:00,961 --> 00:27:04,071
Well, so we catalogued
the clothes we had found
502
00:27:04,141 --> 00:27:05,551
in his flat, hung them up,
503
00:27:05,627 --> 00:27:09,877
numbered them,
and photographed each item.
504
00:27:09,721 --> 00:27:11,781
These clothes were
really the only thing
505
00:27:11,521 --> 00:27:13,081
we had at that moment.
506
00:27:18,067 --> 00:27:21,707
-Detectives would have to go to
the bars Honka went to around
507
00:27:21,781 --> 00:27:25,061
the Reeperbahn to see
if anyone could help them.
508
00:27:25,134 --> 00:27:29,054
-[ Speaking German ]
509
00:27:29,127 --> 00:27:31,927
-You try going to St. Pauli
when you don't have a name.
510
00:27:32,007 --> 00:27:33,867
You don't have an address.
511
00:27:33,941 --> 00:27:35,921
All you have is clothes
and nothing else.
512
00:27:35,994 --> 00:27:37,674
You have the name of Mr. Honka,
513
00:27:37,741 --> 00:27:40,371
and with that,
you go to a bar and ask people,
514
00:27:40,241 --> 00:27:42,601
"What kind of girlfriends
did he have?"
515
00:27:47,574 --> 00:27:49,834
What do you think the people
in these bars tell you?
516
00:27:49,901 --> 00:27:51,941
"Yes, he had many women,
you know?
517
00:27:52,014 --> 00:27:54,314
One was called Annie,
the other Gerda,
518
00:27:54,387 --> 00:27:57,547
and the next, Erika,
but that's all we know."
519
00:27:57,621 --> 00:28:00,081
Well, what are you
going to do with that?
520
00:28:03,694 --> 00:28:06,694
So you go round all the bars
showing the outfits,
521
00:28:06,361 --> 00:28:08,931
and if you're lucky,
you might get a name.
522
00:28:09,001 --> 00:28:12,601
"Yeah, such-and-such always wore
these kind of clothes."
523
00:28:16,254 --> 00:28:19,324
As soon as you get a first name,
you can make progress.
524
00:28:19,394 --> 00:28:21,214
At that point,
we were established
525
00:28:21,281 --> 00:28:23,881
that we were probably dealing
with aging prostitutes.
526
00:28:29,501 --> 00:28:32,191
-Using the list
of missing persons,
527
00:28:32,267 --> 00:28:34,397
the clothes found
in Honka's apartment
528
00:28:34,474 --> 00:28:37,174
and the names gathered
from the local bars,
529
00:28:37,241 --> 00:28:39,951
detectives were able to
draw up a short list
530
00:28:40,021 --> 00:28:41,701
of possible victims.
531
00:28:41,774 --> 00:28:43,634
Armed with photographs,
532
00:28:43,707 --> 00:28:46,687
they headed out on to
the Reeperbahn once more.
533
00:28:46,767 --> 00:28:48,187
-[ Speaking German ]
534
00:28:48,001 --> 00:28:50,831
-And with these pictures,
we went back to show them around
535
00:28:50,907 --> 00:28:52,927
and were finally able
to establish,
536
00:28:53,008 --> 00:28:55,038
"Yes, he had a thing with her."
537
00:28:58,041 --> 00:29:01,031
-It was a major breakthrough
for the police.
538
00:29:01,101 --> 00:29:04,021
They had linked a number
of women to Honka.
539
00:29:04,094 --> 00:29:06,914
-[ Speaking German ]
540
00:29:06,987 --> 00:29:09,277
-As soon as we knew
who these women were,
541
00:29:09,121 --> 00:29:11,351
we could confront him
again and again
542
00:29:11,427 --> 00:29:13,057
during the interrogations,
543
00:29:13,134 --> 00:29:15,494
and we kept insisting
until he'd say,
544
00:29:15,561 --> 00:29:20,511
"Yes, I knew her, and she'd
been over at my place."
545
00:29:20,281 --> 00:29:25,241
So at least now he had admitted
that they'd been with him.
546
00:29:25,314 --> 00:29:28,824
Some stayed longer with him,
for days, even weeks.
547
00:29:28,894 --> 00:29:29,914
It was nice for the women.
548
00:29:29,981 --> 00:29:32,131
Suddenly, they had
somewhere to live.
549
00:29:32,201 --> 00:29:35,591
The question was,
what happened next?
550
00:29:35,667 --> 00:29:37,987
Well, we obviously had to
confront him with the fact
551
00:29:38,061 --> 00:29:40,251
that he had killed the woman,
552
00:29:40,327 --> 00:29:42,757
and all he said,
"I can't remember."
553
00:29:46,527 --> 00:29:48,987
We had no choice
but to accept that.
554
00:29:49,061 --> 00:29:52,371
However, there was evidence
that the women
555
00:29:52,441 --> 00:29:55,761
who had been identified
and who had also lived with him,
556
00:29:55,834 --> 00:30:00,564
were found dead in his flat,
and that exactly was the point.
557
00:30:03,301 --> 00:30:06,331
-But the police still
needed a confession.
558
00:30:06,401 --> 00:30:10,531
-[ Speaking German ]
559
00:30:10,601 --> 00:30:13,611
-Now we just had to hear
from him that he killed them
560
00:30:13,321 --> 00:30:15,061
and how he killed them
561
00:30:15,134 --> 00:30:18,654
and what he did with the bodies,
and that's difficult.
562
00:30:18,727 --> 00:30:20,697
That's very difficult.
563
00:30:20,774 --> 00:30:24,284
As I remember, he always made it
sound like it was a possibility,
564
00:30:24,354 --> 00:30:27,084
but he never admitted it 100%.
565
00:30:29,921 --> 00:30:35,001
-It is interesting that
he didn't deny the killings.
566
00:30:34,841 --> 00:30:37,131
He wasn't a particularly,
567
00:30:37,207 --> 00:30:39,087
"Oh, no, it's got nothing
to do with me."
568
00:30:38,761 --> 00:30:40,381
Mind you, it would've been
very difficult for him
569
00:30:40,454 --> 00:30:41,684
to deny the killings.
570
00:30:41,754 --> 00:30:44,354
He was living with
the body parts of four women.
571
00:30:43,921 --> 00:30:45,651
I mean, how they got there,
572
00:30:45,721 --> 00:30:47,981
he was the only person
who truly knew.
573
00:30:48,054 --> 00:30:49,854
-[ Speaking German ]
574
00:30:49,927 --> 00:30:51,207
-We kept pushing him.
575
00:30:51,281 --> 00:30:52,891
"But you chopped up the bodies.
576
00:30:52,968 --> 00:30:56,278
You cut the women up
with a saw," and so on.
577
00:30:56,354 --> 00:30:58,764
He just said,
"I can't remember."
578
00:31:02,507 --> 00:31:05,197
-It was further frustration
for the police.
579
00:31:07,967 --> 00:31:12,477
For example, he would say,
"Yeah, I slept with that woman,
580
00:31:12,554 --> 00:31:15,214
and in the morning,
she was lying dead next to me.
581
00:31:15,081 --> 00:31:19,761
Well, how she died, the way
she died, I simply can't say."
582
00:31:22,368 --> 00:31:25,858
-Although Honka continued
to deny killing the three women,
583
00:31:25,934 --> 00:31:30,074
the detectives were at least
able to finally identify them.
584
00:31:30,141 --> 00:31:32,931
They were 54-year-old
Anna Beuschel,
585
00:31:33,001 --> 00:31:38,011
52-year-old Ruth Schult
and 57-year-old Frieda Roblick,
586
00:31:37,721 --> 00:31:43,131
a regular in the Golden Glove
who went by the name of Rita.
587
00:31:43,201 --> 00:31:47,571
-[ Speaking German ]
588
00:31:47,641 --> 00:31:50,431
-I had a cleaning lady
who always helped out.
589
00:31:50,507 --> 00:31:55,427
Her name was Sofie,
and Sofie was friends with Rita.
590
00:31:55,501 --> 00:31:58,361
Now and then, Sofie would
take Rita home with her
591
00:31:58,434 --> 00:32:02,064
so she could have a wash,
bathe, or even sleep,
592
00:32:02,134 --> 00:32:03,804
but I don't know.
593
00:32:03,874 --> 00:32:06,484
I think she had nowhere to live.
594
00:32:11,061 --> 00:32:12,781
She was gone for a while.
595
00:32:12,854 --> 00:32:15,834
One day, she came back
wearing nice clothes,
596
00:32:15,901 --> 00:32:19,341
really quite fancy, and I said,
"Where have you been?
597
00:32:19,414 --> 00:32:21,534
I already thought
you were dead."
598
00:32:21,608 --> 00:32:23,998
"No, I have a new boyfriend,
and he's wonderful."
599
00:32:28,641 --> 00:32:31,581
-But that new boyfriend
was Fritz Honka,
600
00:32:31,654 --> 00:32:36,154
who strangled her to death
in December 1974.
601
00:32:36,221 --> 00:32:38,991
-Honka always seems to me to be
602
00:32:39,061 --> 00:32:41,031
kind of a accidental
serial killer.
603
00:32:40,841 --> 00:32:43,071
He didn't fit what the BAU
604
00:32:42,841 --> 00:32:47,041
or the FBI's behavioral unit
call organized.
605
00:32:46,681 --> 00:32:48,991
He was completely disorganized.
606
00:32:49,061 --> 00:32:50,991
These were crimes
of opportunity.
607
00:32:51,061 --> 00:32:53,571
He wasn't stalking these women.
608
00:32:53,641 --> 00:32:56,751
He wasn't planning
their killings.
609
00:32:56,827 --> 00:32:58,127
They happened.
610
00:32:58,208 --> 00:33:01,468
They were part of
his tragic character
611
00:33:01,541 --> 00:33:04,671
and part of his drinking
and part of the fact
612
00:33:04,481 --> 00:33:06,501
that he found any kind
of sexual relationship
613
00:33:06,574 --> 00:33:09,624
with women almost impossible,
and this was the only way
614
00:33:09,694 --> 00:33:14,144
he could find to satisfy
those desires that he had.
615
00:33:14,214 --> 00:33:17,394
-The West German press
were fascinated with Honka.
616
00:33:17,461 --> 00:33:20,831
Photographer Lutz Jaffé managed
to capture a photograph
617
00:33:20,901 --> 00:33:23,171
of the mysterious killer.
618
00:33:23,241 --> 00:33:26,891
-[ Speaking German ]
619
00:33:26,961 --> 00:33:29,061
-Back then, you could have
pretty good contacts
620
00:33:29,134 --> 00:33:31,654
within the police,
and I knew that Honka
621
00:33:31,727 --> 00:33:34,477
would be taken either to prison
or to appear in front
622
00:33:34,554 --> 00:33:37,534
of the Magistrate
at a specific time.
623
00:33:37,601 --> 00:33:39,921
Someone from the police
had told me about it.
624
00:33:44,674 --> 00:33:48,004
Well, and then I lay in wait
for him to arrive.
625
00:33:48,074 --> 00:33:50,514
That's how this photo
came about,
626
00:33:50,581 --> 00:33:53,431
as he turned around
when I called, "Mr. Honka!"
627
00:33:53,501 --> 00:33:55,281
That's how I managed
to catch him.
628
00:33:58,601 --> 00:34:00,631
-The police were trying to
determine a motive
629
00:34:00,707 --> 00:34:01,757
for the murders.
630
00:34:01,834 --> 00:34:04,094
Interviews
with local prostitutes
631
00:34:04,167 --> 00:34:06,707
who'd been with Honka
and lived to tell the tale
632
00:34:06,781 --> 00:34:11,131
revealed shocking facts about
his perverse sexual tastes.
633
00:34:11,207 --> 00:34:15,237
-[ Speaking German ]
634
00:34:16,747 --> 00:34:21,847
-The women who escaped
from his home were very lucky.
635
00:34:21,927 --> 00:34:25,687
The interrogation of these women
hinted at his sexual practices,
636
00:34:25,761 --> 00:34:28,531
and these were
sometimes catastrophic.
637
00:34:28,608 --> 00:34:30,508
I don't want to go into
every detail here,
638
00:34:30,581 --> 00:34:32,561
but it was pretty terrible.
639
00:34:38,507 --> 00:34:41,427
It's possible these sexual
practices got out of hand
640
00:34:41,507 --> 00:34:46,307
and became excessive,
which, I have to say,
641
00:34:46,381 --> 00:34:48,441
might have led
to the death of a women.
642
00:34:54,921 --> 00:34:58,171
-One of the surviving victims
showed the police a scar
643
00:34:57,881 --> 00:35:02,021
she'd received in a brutal
sexual encounter with Honka.
644
00:35:02,094 --> 00:35:05,354
-[ Speaking German ]
645
00:35:05,421 --> 00:35:08,071
-Because she was so upset
about Fritz Honka,
646
00:35:08,141 --> 00:35:10,981
that dirty old swine,
as she called him,
647
00:35:11,054 --> 00:35:14,474
she pulled up her skirt,
took off her underwear
648
00:35:14,541 --> 00:35:17,041
and pointed to a scar
beside her vagina.
649
00:35:17,114 --> 00:35:18,784
"What is that?" I asked her.
650
00:35:18,854 --> 00:35:21,874
She then told us that during
a sexual encounter
651
00:35:21,441 --> 00:35:23,951
with Fritz Honka,
he had penetrated her
652
00:35:24,021 --> 00:35:25,831
with a broom handle.
653
00:35:25,901 --> 00:35:28,131
That's where the injury
had come from,
654
00:35:28,208 --> 00:35:30,328
and she ended up in hospital.
655
00:35:30,401 --> 00:35:33,721
She was furious, angry
beyond belief, you could say.
656
00:35:36,821 --> 00:35:40,741
-And she wasn't the only one
who needed medical treatment
657
00:35:40,814 --> 00:35:43,044
after spending the night
with Honka.
658
00:35:43,114 --> 00:35:46,164
-[ Speaking German ]
659
00:35:48,254 --> 00:35:51,944
-For example, one of the women
he took back to his place,
660
00:35:52,014 --> 00:35:55,764
he sat her with a bare bum
on top of a hot plate.
661
00:35:55,834 --> 00:35:59,034
As a result, the woman ran
semi-naked out of the flat.
662
00:35:59,107 --> 00:36:01,067
This is an example,
663
00:36:01,147 --> 00:36:03,117
a sort of thing
where he became violent.
664
00:36:08,654 --> 00:36:11,124
This may have resulted
in these deaths,
665
00:36:11,194 --> 00:36:13,594
but, of course,
it's also possible
666
00:36:13,661 --> 00:36:16,661
that the women weren't complying
with his demands
667
00:36:16,734 --> 00:36:18,884
and he became
violent towards them.
668
00:36:22,707 --> 00:36:25,747
-The investigation
was drawing to an end,
669
00:36:25,827 --> 00:36:28,777
but some questions
remained unanswered.
670
00:36:28,854 --> 00:36:32,584
-He had, unbelievable
though it may seem,
671
00:36:32,654 --> 00:36:38,154
escaped under the radar for
five years, killing four women
672
00:36:38,221 --> 00:36:41,931
and basically keeping them
around the flat as trophies.
673
00:36:42,001 --> 00:36:44,721
Now, there's no suggestion
that Honka had sex
674
00:36:44,361 --> 00:36:46,131
with them postmortem.
675
00:36:46,201 --> 00:36:48,891
There's no suggestion that he
was some kind of necrophiliac.
676
00:36:48,967 --> 00:36:52,327
I think he was just
a dreadfully lazy drunk
677
00:36:52,407 --> 00:36:55,327
who didn't know what else to do
and just convinced himself
678
00:36:55,407 --> 00:36:57,267
it would be perfectly all right.
679
00:36:57,341 --> 00:37:03,291
-In November, 1976, the trial
of Fritz Honka began in Hamburg.
680
00:37:03,368 --> 00:37:05,868
He had retracted his
initial confession
681
00:37:05,941 --> 00:37:09,361
and was now denying
all the charges against him.
682
00:37:09,434 --> 00:37:11,874
-Well, his defense strategy
when he was arrested and charged
683
00:37:11,947 --> 00:37:14,887
with the crimes
was an incredibly bizarre one.
684
00:37:14,961 --> 00:37:17,431
He decided to blame
Jack the Ripper,
685
00:37:17,507 --> 00:37:20,907
who was sending him messages
to kill these women.
686
00:37:20,987 --> 00:37:23,587
Now, this appears to be
something that is, you know,
687
00:37:23,667 --> 00:37:26,537
completely bizarre
and very odd,
688
00:37:26,614 --> 00:37:29,154
but it could be evidence
of somebody
689
00:37:29,221 --> 00:37:32,561
who is experiencing
some kind of mental ill health.
690
00:37:32,634 --> 00:37:36,694
We know that people who
experience episodes of psychosis
691
00:37:36,768 --> 00:37:39,648
feel very strongly compelled
to act in a particular way,
692
00:37:39,721 --> 00:37:42,781
and they're not really fully
in control of their actions,
693
00:37:42,854 --> 00:37:44,714
but equally, at the same time,
694
00:37:44,781 --> 00:37:46,641
if you are reading
the newspapers,
695
00:37:46,714 --> 00:37:48,624
if you are listening
to the radio,
696
00:37:48,694 --> 00:37:50,614
and you know that
this is something
697
00:37:50,681 --> 00:37:51,801
that is available to you,
698
00:37:51,874 --> 00:37:53,954
that you're able to
come out with this
699
00:37:54,021 --> 00:37:56,651
and it perhaps
be taken seriously,
700
00:37:56,721 --> 00:37:59,291
then you're going to
give it a go.
701
00:37:59,361 --> 00:38:01,311
-The psychiatrists
who examined Honka
702
00:38:01,381 --> 00:38:04,161
during the court case concluded
703
00:38:04,234 --> 00:38:07,734
that he'd acted with diminished
criminal responsibility.
704
00:38:07,807 --> 00:38:12,557
On the 20th of December, 1976,
the jury found him guilty
705
00:38:12,634 --> 00:38:16,374
of three counts of manslaughter
and one of murder,
706
00:38:16,441 --> 00:38:19,541
that of 54-year-old
Anna Beuschel,
707
00:38:19,614 --> 00:38:23,874
who he had strangled
in his apartment in August 1974.
708
00:38:23,947 --> 00:38:29,367
Honka was sentenced to 15 years
in a psychiatric hospital.
709
00:38:29,441 --> 00:38:32,511
-He might have been described
at the time as a big slow.
710
00:38:32,081 --> 00:38:35,621
That affects the amount
of culpability
711
00:38:35,361 --> 00:38:37,831
that we assign to his crimes.
712
00:38:37,907 --> 00:38:39,767
So was he in control
of what he was doing?
713
00:38:39,841 --> 00:38:41,331
Did he know what he was doing
was wrong?
714
00:38:41,401 --> 00:38:43,771
And if that can't
be established,
715
00:38:43,847 --> 00:38:47,547
then perhaps he is treated
in a mental-health facility
716
00:38:47,621 --> 00:38:50,931
rather than a prison,
and, indeed, he served 15 years
717
00:38:51,001 --> 00:38:54,191
in a hospital,
in a hospital setting.
718
00:38:54,261 --> 00:38:58,311
-The crimes of Fritz Honka left
the entire country in shock,
719
00:38:58,387 --> 00:39:01,007
especially the city of Hamburg.
720
00:39:01,081 --> 00:39:04,461
-[ Speaking German ]
721
00:39:04,534 --> 00:39:06,374
-I believe after
the Second World War,
722
00:39:06,448 --> 00:39:08,378
such a murder case
has never happened again
723
00:39:08,454 --> 00:39:10,934
in the history of crimes
in Hamburg.
724
00:39:11,001 --> 00:39:13,531
It was a unique case,
that someone killed four women,
725
00:39:13,601 --> 00:39:16,121
dismembered them,
and left them in his flat.
726
00:39:22,188 --> 00:39:23,458
-[ Speaking German ]
727
00:39:23,534 --> 00:39:27,734
-After that, we became very,
very well-known beyond Hamburg,
728
00:39:27,807 --> 00:39:31,217
famous for the murder,
as unpleasant as it was,
729
00:39:30,961 --> 00:39:35,321
and as sorry as I felt
for the women, especially Rita.
730
00:39:35,394 --> 00:39:37,524
Rita really didn't deserve it.
731
00:39:40,247 --> 00:39:43,197
-Honka was released from
the psychiatric hospital
732
00:39:43,274 --> 00:39:45,394
in 1993.
733
00:39:45,467 --> 00:39:47,547
He spend the final years
of his life
734
00:39:47,321 --> 00:39:51,621
in a nursing home
under the name Peter Jensen.
735
00:39:51,694 --> 00:39:55,974
He died in Hamburg
on the 19th of November, 1998.
736
00:39:56,041 --> 00:39:58,881
He was 63 years old.
737
00:39:58,954 --> 00:40:02,114
Today, Fritz Honka has become
something of a cult figure
738
00:40:02,187 --> 00:40:03,417
in Hamburg.
739
00:40:03,494 --> 00:40:06,294
The Golden Glove continues
to capitalize
740
00:40:06,367 --> 00:40:09,067
on its most infamous
former customer,
741
00:40:09,147 --> 00:40:13,447
with the words "Honka Saloon"
emblazoned above the entrance.
742
00:40:13,527 --> 00:40:16,157
-[ Speaking German ]
743
00:40:16,234 --> 00:40:18,854
-These bars were a no-go zone.
744
00:40:18,927 --> 00:40:23,547
Not in a million years would a
normal Hamburg citizen go there.
745
00:40:23,621 --> 00:40:25,841
Only after the series of murders
was made public
746
00:40:25,914 --> 00:40:27,564
did it become
an interesting place
747
00:40:27,634 --> 00:40:30,634
for people in fur coats
to visit after the opera,
748
00:40:30,707 --> 00:40:33,777
so they could see for themselves
how well-off they were
749
00:40:33,854 --> 00:40:36,214
and how miserable the others.
750
00:40:35,881 --> 00:40:38,111
"Well, I'm going to be
really generous
751
00:40:38,187 --> 00:40:40,317
and pay for a round of beer."
752
00:40:40,394 --> 00:40:42,484
It was just to boost
their own ego.
753
00:40:45,107 --> 00:40:48,027
-But it should never be
forgotten that Honka was
754
00:40:48,101 --> 00:40:50,121
a violent killer who took away
755
00:40:49,961 --> 00:40:52,601
the lives of four
innocent women.
756
00:40:52,674 --> 00:40:55,414
-I think he's somebody
who did evil things,
757
00:40:55,481 --> 00:40:59,391
but if we call him evil,
we let him off the hook.
758
00:40:59,467 --> 00:41:00,547
We just simply
explain it away as,
759
00:41:00,627 --> 00:41:02,647
"Well, this kind of
subhuman monster
760
00:41:02,721 --> 00:41:04,851
that just does these things
because they're evil,"
761
00:41:04,927 --> 00:41:06,597
and that removes
the possibility
762
00:41:06,674 --> 00:41:08,814
that they've chosen
to do these things.
763
00:41:08,887 --> 00:41:12,627
-It's entirely possible
that Honka would have got away
764
00:41:12,707 --> 00:41:14,477
with it a little longer.
765
00:41:14,121 --> 00:41:17,511
No one really had
complained particularly.
766
00:41:17,581 --> 00:41:21,031
He'd had bodies in the flat
for almost five years.
767
00:41:21,107 --> 00:41:23,437
He could well have had them
for another two years.
768
00:41:23,514 --> 00:41:25,914
It is inevitable, however,
769
00:41:25,981 --> 00:41:30,001
that eventually justice
would've caught up with Honka.
770
00:41:30,074 --> 00:41:33,294
-Fritz Honka callously
killed four women
771
00:41:33,361 --> 00:41:37,071
between 1970 and 1975.
772
00:41:37,147 --> 00:41:40,567
He strangled them before
dismembering their bodies.
773
00:41:40,641 --> 00:41:42,301
By attacking prostitutes,
774
00:41:42,374 --> 00:41:45,314
he hoped his crimes
would never be revealed.
775
00:41:45,387 --> 00:41:48,667
Had it not been for a fire
in his apartment block,
776
00:41:48,741 --> 00:41:52,101
who knows just how many victims
may have been murdered
777
00:41:52,174 --> 00:41:54,824
at the hands of Fritz Honka,
778
00:41:54,561 --> 00:41:58,241
one of the world's
most evil killers.
779
00:41:58,314 --> 00:42:06,574
♪
780
00:42:06,641 --> 00:42:14,481
♪
781
00:42:14,554 --> 00:42:22,684
♪
59637
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