About This Episode
Date of murdersFebruary 2, 2022
VictimsPolice officer Julia S. (26) and trainee Benedikt C. (24)
Crime sceneTraffic control near Kusel, Rhineland-Palatinate
Main suspectAndreas S., sentenced to life imprisonment
MotiveIllegal hunting – concealment of poaching activities
Podcast seriesIm Fall Kusel – Die letzte Jagd (ARD Sounds)
A double murder that shocked the nation
On February 2, 2022, police officer Julia S., 26, and trainee Benedikt C., 24, were shot during a routine traffic control near Kusel in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The two young officers stopped a suspicious vehicle around 4:20 a.m. – it would be their last official action. The case sent shockwaves through the entire country and exemplifies the dangers police officers face during seemingly routine tasks.
Investigators quickly determined this was a targeted murder attempt. Andreas S., the primary suspect, had been engaged in illegal hunting and was desperate to prevent discovery of his criminal activities. The brutality of the crime and the fact that two young lives were lost in service deeply moved the nation.