Hinterkaifeck Farm Murders
In 1922, six people were murdered with a mattock on an isolated Bavarian farm. The killer stayed for days after, feeding the livestock and eating in the kitchen. Footprints in the snow led to the farm but not away. The case has never been solved, and the farm's location remains cursed.
Hinterkaifeck was a small farmstead about 70 kilometers north of Munich, home to the Gruber family and their maid. In late March 1922, all six residents were murdered with a farm implement in one of Germany’s most notorious unsolved crimes. What makes the case truly disturbing is what happened after: the killer stayed at the farm for days, caring for the animals and living among the bodies.
The Victims
The victims were:
- Andreas Gruber (63), the family patriarch
- Cäzilia Gruber (72), his wife
- Viktoria Gabriel (35), their widowed daughter
- Cäzilia (7), Viktoria’s daughter
- Josef (2), Viktoria’s son
- Maria Baumgartner (44), the maid who had arrived that very day
The family was troubled. Rumors circulated that Andreas had an incestuous relationship with his daughter Viktoria, and that her son Josef was the product of that relationship. This was later confirmed by autopsy.
The Days Before
In the days before the murders, Andreas Gruber mentioned strange occurrences to neighbors:
- He found footprints in the snow leading from the forest to the farm, but no tracks leading away
- Keys had gone missing and reappeared
- He heard footsteps in the attic
- The previous maid had quit, claiming the farm was haunted
Despite these unsettling signs, the family did not report their concerns to authorities. On March 31, 1922, the new maid Maria arrived to begin work.
The Murders
The bodies were discovered on April 4, 1922, when neighbors became concerned about the family’s absence. They found:
Andreas, Cäzilia, Viktoria, and young Cäzilia in the barn, all killed with a mattock (a pickaxe-like farming tool). The victims had been lured to the barn one by one and struck down. Young Cäzilia showed defensive wounds and had torn out clumps of her own hair, suggesting she survived for some time.
Inside the house, Maria the maid lay dead in her bedroom, and two-year-old Josef was found dead in his crib in Viktoria’s room - both also killed by mattock blows.
The Killer Stayed
What horrified investigators most was the evidence that the killer had remained at the farm for days after the murders:
- The livestock had been fed and cared for
- Meals had been prepared and eaten in the kitchen
- Someone had been sleeping in the beds
- Smoke had been seen from the chimney by neighbors
The killer had lived among six corpses, maintaining the farm, waiting for something - or simply enjoying what they had done.
The Investigation
Despite intensive investigation, the case was never solved. Over 100 suspects were interviewed. Theories included:
A Rejected Suitor: Viktoria had reportedly rejected a marriage proposal shortly before the murders.
The Neighbor: A neighbor named Lorenz Schlittenbauer had previously had a relationship with Viktoria and was among the first to “discover” the bodies. His behavior at the scene raised suspicions.
A Stranger from the Forest: Given the footprints leading to but not from the farm, someone may have been living secretly in the vicinity for some time before attacking.
Andreas’s Past: Andreas Gruber was known to be difficult and had made enemies.
The case was reopened multiple times, most recently in the 1980s using modern forensic analysis. Police developed a suspect but declined to release the name as no charges could be filed. The perpetrator, whoever they were, is certainly long dead.
The Aftermath
The farm buildings were demolished in 1923 - locals considered the ground cursed. A memorial stone marks the former location, visited by true crime enthusiasts and those drawn to the mystery.
Hinterkaifeck has become one of Germany’s most discussed cold cases, featured in documentaries, books, and as inspiration for horror films. The image of the killer living among the bodies, feeding animals, cooking meals, haunts the imagination like few other cases.