SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Hinterkaifeck Axe Murders

Wealthy and Reclusive Grubers Lived On a Bavarian Farm

In a small village in Bavaria, the Gruber family lived on Hinterkaifeck, a semi-rural farm. The family included patriarch Andreas, his wife Tetzilia, their daughter Victoria, and two grandchildren, one of whom was also named Tetzilia, and a two-year-old boy named Yosef. The farm, known for its eerie quietness, particularly when a search party arrived, sheltered the wealthy yet very much disliked Grubers.

Grubers Disliked For Andreas' Abuse and Incest Rumors With Daughter Victoria

Andreas Gruber was known to be unfriendly and abusive towards his family. Reportedly, he and his daughter Victoria were involved in an incestuous relationship, which was believed to have resulted in the birth of his grandson Yosef. In town, some people believed the rumors, while others were skeptical, considering another man initially claimed paternity of Yosef but later recanted, possibly due to the prospect of alimony pa ...

In a bizarre sequence of events, a series of unsettling occurrences at the Gruber household culminated in tragedy.

Maid Quit, Citing House Haunted

Maid Hears Noises, Footsteps in the Attic

The family's maid abruptly quit her job, claiming that the house was haunted. She reported having heard strange noises and footsteps coming from the attic, an assertion that would later be echoed by the homeowner himself.

Footprints to the House, None Away, Unsettled Andreas Gruber

Strange Occurrences for the Family

Andreas Gruber, the head of the household, noticed a set of human tracks in the snow leading to the house, yet peculiarly, he found none leading away. This discovery was deeply unnerving for him. His subsequent hard target search around the property yielded no evidence of an intruder or signs that the person who made the tracks had left.

Adding to the list of strange occurrences, Andreas discovered scratches near the lock of his tool shed, as if someone had been attempting to pick it. These unusual activities were disturbing enough that he shared his concerns with neighbors. Moreover, a set of keys went missing, and a strange newspaper appeared on the porch, neither of which Andreas could explain.

Andreas Heard Strange Noises From the Attic, Like the Maid Described

Echoing the claims of th ...

The hosts delve into the chilling details of the 1922 murder of the Gruber family and their maid, a mystery punctuated by the bizarre aftermath and investigation that ensued.

Gruber Family and Maid Found Murdered On April 4, 1922

On April 4, 1922, a concerning silence led to the discovery that the Gruber family and their maid were murdered. The last sighting of the family alive had been on March 31. It was the unattended school and untouched farm that piqued neighbors' concerns.

Bodies Found In Barn and Home, Killed by Blows With Matic

The hosts describe a gruesome scene where the Gruber family, including Andreas, his wife Tetzilia, daughter Victoria, and grandchildren Yosef and Cecilia, along with their maid, were found murdered. The senior members, Andreas, Victoria, and Tetzilia, and young Cecilia were discovered in the barn, with fatal blows to their heads and their bodies concealed by hay. Inside the home, two-year-old Yosef was killed in his crib, and the maid was found deceased in her bed, both similarly hidden by household items. Dr. Johann Armüller concluded that a matic was the murder weapon. Tiziliah's clenched fists held tufts of her own hair, and Victoria had strangulation signs but ultimately succumbed to the pickaxe's lethal head blow. The attire of the victims suggested an evening attack as Victoria and Tertsia were still in regular clothes, while most others were in bedclothes.

Murders Occurred Earlier On March 31; House and Livestock Managed Meanwhile

T ...

The hosts explore various suspects and the complex motives in the unresolved crime, with a focus on the neighbor Lorenz Schlittenbauer and Victoria's declared-dead ex-husband Carl Gabriel.

Police Investigated Suspects, Like Neighbor Lorenz Schlittenbauer, Who Had a Motive and Suspicious Behavior

The police scrutinized individuals with a motive as they canvassed for suspects. Lorenz Schlittenbauer, a neighbor and Victoria's suitor who once claimed paternity for her son Joseph, withdrew his claim due to financial liabilities. Victoria had intentions to sue Schlittenbauer for paternity before the murders, fueling speculation about his motives.

Schlittenbauer's Weak Alibi and Unsettling Scene Comments

Schlittenbauer, who remarried and suffered the loss of a child, had a motive to avoid the scandal and financial burden of alimony if Joseph was indeed his son. His actions post-discovery of the murders raised eyebrows; as part of the search party, he disturbed the crime scene by unstacking bodies and later made off-putting remarks about God punishing the family.

Chuck Bryant highlights that the careful covering of the bodies suggests the killer had intimate knowledge of the house, which could point to Schlittenbauer. Despite his suspicious behavior, a link to the murders could not be solidified. Schlittenbauer provided a weak alibi of spending the night in his barn, amid concerns for burglars—a choice made more peculiar by his claim of asthma.

Suspect Carl Gabriel, Thought Dead In Wwi, Was Victoria's Ex-husband, Sparking Rumors of a Revenge Return

Another suspect in the case was Carl Gabriel, Victoria’s ex-husband, presumed dead in World War I. Rumors swirled that he might have returned for revenge upon learning of ...