Crime, Conspiracy, Cults and Murder - Ep. 64 | The BRUTAL Unsolved Hinterkaifeck Massacre

Episode Date: August 6, 2025

Get better sleep, hair and skin with Blissy and use CCCM to get an additional 30% off at blissy.com/CCCM In 1922, six people were brutally murdered on a remote German farm—and the killer may have stayed in the house afterward. With bizarre clues and no clear suspects, the Hinterkaifeck case remains one of the creepiest unsolved crimes in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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There's something deeply unsettling about silence. Not just the absence of sound, but the kind that hums with something wrong. The kind that hangs in the air like a held breath. That's the kind of silence neighbors began noticing from a lonely little farmstead in Bavaria, where smoke stopped rising from their chimney, where a child didn't show up for school, where nobody answered the door anymore. And what investigators would find days later behind that door beneath the hay in the barn and under the sheets in the bedroom would shake even the hardest men to their core.

Because this wasn't just a murder. It was methodical, it was intimate, and it was as if someone had been watching them for weeks. And over a hundred years later, we still don't know who did it, but what we do know is how it happened. And this is the story of Hinter-Kifek, one of the most disturbing unsolved crimes in history.

Crime, conspiracy, cults, Serial killers and murder, all things that I love to consume, and I know you do too, you sick, twisted, beautiful, intellectually minded? Freak. Didn't expect that, did you? I came at you with the sexy voice. But anyway, today we are going through a horrifying case, a case that's horrifying also because it is unsolved. And not only that, it pretty much will never be solved because of how long ago it was. But I find it extremely interesting. One of the most interesting cases I've ever researched.

So without further ado, let's unbuckle our seatbelts, go mock-fied down the highway, slam on the brakes, and bust through this windshield into this unsolved case together. In the early 1920s, the Hinter-Khefeck farmstead stood in lonely isolation amidst the woods in Bavaria, Germany. It was located near the tiny hamlet of Grosburn about 70 kilometers north of Munich, and half a mile behind Hinter, the village of Kifeck. And this farmstead was home to Andreas Gruber, who was 63 years old, and was the patriarch and a seasoned farmer known for his gruff, reclusive demeanor. And living with him was his wife, Setsila Gruber, who was 72,

and was a devoutly religious woman who helped around the household. And their widowed only daughter Victoria Gabriel, who was 35 years old, also resided at Hinder Khyphekh, with her two young children, Cazelia Gabriel, who was seven, and Yosef Gabriel, who was two. So Victoria's husband, Carl Gabriel, had been killed in World War I in 1914, leaving her to raise her children on the family farm. It's just so heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking to think how many women were widowed, especially during that time and had to raise their kids on their own.

It's just heartbreaking. And it just makes this entire story even more heartbreaking. But anyway, rounding out the household was Maria Baumgartner, who was 44 years old, and was the maid who arrived at Hinter-Kyfeck on March 31st, 1922 to begin her first day of work. So despite living in a tight-knit rule community, the gruber family largely kept to themselves and had a reputation for secrecy and scandal. And dark rumors would kind of swirl about the family. And these rumors, combined with the farm's isolation,

cast an uneasy shadow over Hinter-Kifect even before the events of that fateful night. So as March 31st, 1922 dawned, none of the farm's six inhabitants could have imagined it would be the last day of their lives. Outwardly, the Gruber's were a three-generational farming family living under one roof, but their domestic life was far from ordinary. Victoria Gabriel, for example, widowed for several years, was financially and emotionally dependent on her domineering father, Andreas. And Andreas Gruber had a history of abuse,

and it was actually documented in court that he had been essaying his daughter. And in 1915, both Andreas and Victoria were convicted and jailed for incest. Victoria was too, which is so fucked up, as if she had an option, as if she had a choice. But Andreas served a year in prison while Victoria served one month, as if that's any better. But despite this crime, Victoria returned to live at Hinter-Kifek, and the community's gossip about their illicit relationship never fully died down. So the scandal isolated the family socially, making neighbors wary and deepening the gruber's reclusiveness.

And further complicating the family's dynamics was the question of young. Yosef's parentage. Because Victoria's toddler son, Yosef, had been born in 1919, long after her husband's death. And his father's identity was hotly debated. But Victoria had developed a relationship with a neighbor, whose name was Lorenz Schlittenbauer after becoming a widow. And both she and Lorenz at one point publicly acknowledged Yosef as their child.

And Victoria and Lorenz actually had announced plans to marry, until Andreas Gruber furiously opposed the match and drove Lorenz away. So the debate is whether it is her father's child or Lorenz's child, but they claim that it is Lorenz's. But I can't even imagine the hold that Andreas has on Victoria and how horrible that must have felt. So the engagement was broken off and Lorenz soon married another woman. However, Lorenz's infant son from that marriage tragically died in 1921. Not Yosef, but the son he had with the other woman. But this would be an event that would later be seen as potential fuel for resentment. So keep that in mind. So with Lorenz out of the picture, suspicion fell back on Andreas Gruber

as possibly being Yosef's father. And the idea that Yosef was the product of incest between Victoria and Andreas was widely whispered in the village. So this family secret, if true, added an even darker tension to life at Hinder-Kyfeck. So Victoria was torn between protecting her children and appeasing her authoritarian father. And Andreas, described as Scrooge-like and hot-tempered, tightly controlled the household's finances and decisions. Just a fucking tyrant. And the elder Sotselia, by contrast,

was often seen as quiet, religious woman who tried to keep peace in the family, though it's unclear how much she knew or acknowledged about the incestuous abuse that had happened. So in the eyes of their neighbors, the Gruber Gabriel family was burdened with shameful secrets. They were respected for their farming skill and church attendance, though, because Victoria was actually known for singing in the church choir, yet they were also shunned for their scandal.

So this just fraught family dynamic marked by abuse, forbidden relationships, and conflict over Victoria's future just set the stage for a possible eruption. And investigators later theorized that such tensions could provide a motive for violence, as we will see. And that was whether from an insider or someone close to the family. But it was against this backdrop of dysfunction and whispered sins that a series of strange events began to unfold at the Hinter-Kifeck farm. So in the months leading up to the murders, the Gruber family experienced a string of unsettling incidents that, in hindsight, look like ominous red flags.

These occurrences, though seemingly minor at first, greatly disturbed the household and, to some, hint that the killer might have been stalking the family for some time, which is horrifying. I don't know why, but the idea of somebody like frogging, which frogging in someone's house is like somebody that lives in your house and you don't know it and they just like steal stuff at night and, you know, or could be stalking you or something. It's just like the creepiest thing to me. I hate watching those videos, watching people like come down from attics on people's cameras at night and stealing stuff from their fridge.

The violation is insane. my worst nightmare. So the grubber's previous maid, Cresens Rieger, had to quit her job abruptly in late 1921, six months before the murders. And her reason for leaving, she believed the farmhouse was haunted. So the maid reported hearing strange footsteps

overhead in the attic at night and could not find a cause, leading her to conclude a ghost or intruder lurked above. And Andreas Gruber at the time just dismissed her fears. But the maid, was so frightened that she refused to stay on the farm, which in hindsight was the best decision of her life.

So the Gruber's had no live and maid for several months after her departure, and the eerie noises went unexplained. And then in March of 1922, Andreas Gruber found a newspaper from Munich on the property that no one in the family had purchased. And remember, they live like in the middle of nowhere. It's a really small town, so this is very strange. And it was a paper that none of the neighbors subscribed to,

either, and its sudden appearance just baffled Andreas. So he initially assumed it had been lost by the postman, but this was not the case. This instead suggested that perhaps a stranger had been on the property, someone who left behind the newspaper intentionally or not, as a silent clue of their presence, which is creepy as fuck. And just days before the murders, after a fresh snowfall, Andreas also discovered a set of footprints in the snow leading from the dense forest directly toward his farm. Oh, again, just so creepy. But intriguingly, there was no returning footprints going back to the woods.

Get the place! So the single trail of steps ended at the farm's machine room door, where Andreas also noticed the lock was broken. So it appeared as if someone had approached the farm outside of the woods, tried to enter the machine room, and never left. And this discovery deeply alarmed Andreas. So he mentioned these mysterious tracks to a few neighbors,

but oddly refused any help and did not report it to the police, which was the worst mistake of his life and just solidified what a piece of shit selfish asshole he is. But it was around the same time one of the family's house keys went missing as well, without a trace. So the grubers had two sets of keys for the house. And suddenly, one could not be found.

Everyone was looking for it, but they could not find it. So this disappearance, along with the strange footsteps and footprints, strongly suggested that an intruder might have secretly gained access now to the house. And Andreas suspected someone had stolen a key. But again, he did not inform authorities of this disturbing development. And then, Andreas also reportedly found that someone had attempted to pick the lock of the tool shed on the farm in addition to the machine room. Just like, I can't even, I don't even, like, 85 red flags going off right now

that someone is clearly stalking or being an intruder, and he's doing nothing about it. Which just kind of makes you think, like, what else was going on in the household that he couldn't get authorities involved when he knew that someone was either trying to break in or had already broken in? It makes me, it makes me squeamish. So in retrospect, all of these events, form an eerie pattern.

Footsteps in the attic, unexplained tracks from the forest, a lost key, odd noises, and a sense of just being watched, because the family reported just having that weird feeling of being watched. And it seemed as though someone was infiltrating the farm's sanctity, testing the locks, and observing the family's routines. And each incident was small enough to write off

as coincidence or imagination at the time. Not to me, but okay. And unfortunately, those clues were not acted upon because of the piece of shit Andreas. So the Hinter-Kifek family just carried on with daily life. No matter how upset or concerned or scared that the family was, remember Andreas was just this tyrant in the household. And what he said went. So everybody just tried to act like everything was normal and just tried to act blissfully unaware

to the fact that they were likely under surveillance by a killer who was meticulously planning. their deaths. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at USAA.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply. So Friday, March 31st, 1922 started off ordinarily enough on the Hinter-Kifek farm, but it would end in horror. Because despite the recent unsettling incidences, Andreas and his family went about their normal routines with no idea that danger was closing in. So they would tend to the livestock, worked the barn, and performed household chores. But that afternoon, the gruber's new maid, Maria, arrived at the farm to begin her employment.

Remember, this was her first day on the job. So Maria, who was 44 years old, had been hired to replace the previous maid who fled in fear. Remember the person that heard the footsteps on the ceiling? And Maria's sister would escort her to Hinter Kaifek and help her get just situated. And then departed in the late afternoon, unknowingly becoming the last outsider to see the family alive. And for Maria, it was an opportunity to start fresh. And for the groubers, it was just an extra pair of hands to help with the farmwork. But as the evening approached, a tense atmosphere seemed to hang over Hinter-Kifek. And perhaps it was only in hindsight, but later accounts claim there was an unnatural silence, as if the birds and forest around sensed what was to come.

And just to preface, the specific details about what happened and what the family was doing as evening approached are unfortunately lost in time. But what we do know is that night was approaching and a killer was likely already on the property. Just lying in wait. And knowing what happened after the fact, we can do a pretty accurate reconstruction of what happened that night. So when nighttime approached Hinder-Kifact on March 31, 1922, an unknown assailant prepared to execute. their plan. And the Gruber family, following their daily habit, began winding down for the night. And one by one, they would venture into the farm to finish their evening chores for the night.

And one by one, they would meet the killer. So Andreas Gruber was likely the first to go out. And perhaps it was because he heard a disturbance in the stable, like a cow acting restless or an unfamiliar noise. And being the head of the household, went to investigate around the barn. But inside the barn's darkness, a figure lay in weight amongst the animals. And in that instant of surprise, the assailant struck Andreas with brutal force using a mattock, a heavy farm tool similar to a pickax.

And the first blow would land with a sickening thud on Andreas's skull, probably cutting off any cry of alarm. And that's when he would collapse onto the barn floor, likely dead or dying from the blunt forced trauma. And that's when Victoria Gabriel would approach next. And she would step through the barn door and stumble upon the dark silhouette of her father's body. And before she could scream, the killer lunged. Victoria tried to fend off her attacker, and there's evidence of strangulation marks on her neck, which suggests she may have been grabbed by the throat in the struggle. But during the fight for her life, the mattock would come down again and again. And Victoria would

pass, suffering at least nine blunt force trauma wounds to her head. So Victoria, now deceased, would lay crumpled on the floor beside her own father. And in the farmhouse, little Cecilia and her grandmother, Cecilia, grew concerned the long silence following Andreas and Victoria's departure. And perhaps little Cecilia clutched her grandmother's hand, and together they went out into the night to see what was happening in the barn with their family. And unfortunately, they would meet the same fate. And the elderly Scylia would be hit first with seven blows to her head with that same Maddock. And she would also actually show signs of strangulation in the aftermath. And this just kind of reflected a rage or personal malice towards this matriarch.

And towards the entire family. I mean, this was such a brutal attack. And then there was young Setsilia witnessing the horror of her family just being slaughtered. And in the barn, she would be the last to fall. And the way this assailant killed this girl was absolutely brutal. In fact, more brutal than any of the other murders. He would not only use the matic and blunt force trauma to her head. After the fact, he would also take a knife to her throat.

But again, it just went on to show how incredibly personal this did feel. I mean, this is an incredibly brutal crime. to kill this entire family and leave the little girl last in the barn and to kill her in a very methodically sickening way is just you just think of like what would motivate someone to do this obviously this is not a sane human being this is a sick individual but the thought of not knowing who it is is just horrifying so within minutes four members of the gruber family lay dead or dying in the barn, but the murderer wasn't finished, because the murderer would then methodically arrange and conceal the bodies. And investigators later found the corpses of Andreas, Victoria, the elder

Sotselia, and the little Sitzelia stacked atop one another in a corner of the barn and covered with layers of hay. So it was as if the killer was tucking them in or hiding the gruesome sight. maybe he had some semblance of remorse. Often we see serial killers that do have remorse covering victims' faces or putting them upside down so they can't see them so they can't look back at the killer. But again, we'll never know for sure.

And he would also place an old barn door or board over top of them, perhaps to further cover the scene, or again, perhaps because he had some sort of weird remorse for what he had just done. And meanwhile, back inside the home of Hinterkifec, two-year-old Yosef slept in his bassinet in Victoria's room, and the new maid, Maria, retired to the maids chambers for the night. Just oblivious to the fact that death was stalking closer to inside their home. So with the four family members in the barn dispatched, the killer walked through the yard to the

farmhouse. And the assailant would enter and step into the home now occupied by only the innocent, and the unsuspecting, possibly using a key or through an unlocked door left ajar by one of the victims. And Maria, the housemaid who was on her first day of work, may have heard a creaking floorboard or sensed someone was in her room, but in a heartbeat, the killer swung the bloodied Maddock down on Maria. And after multiple blows to her head, she would also pass. But her death specifically seemed to be extremely swift. And finally, the murderer crept into the room where baby Yosef slept.

And the little innocent boy would be killed in the same way the rest of his family was. Yeah, I don't know. It's just like, it's a hundred years ago, but it's still talking about any of this stuff. It takes a toll on me, but man, fucking like kids. And it's like, it takes a special kind of evil to do anything like this. But a child is just. It's a special place in hell. But in an act of odd compassion or some sort of symbolism,

the killer would then cover Yosef's body with one of Victoria's dresses from a nearby wardrobe. And similarly, he had actually covered Maria, the maid's body, with bed sheets as well. So he had covered the entire family. And it just makes you think that this was personal. This was done by somebody who knew them. Or by somebody who just felt bad for what

they did after the fact, maybe. Again, we will never know. So within the span of a late-night hour, the Hinter-Khefeck farm had become a deathhouse. The entire family and their maid lay lifeless, bludgeoned with a farm tool, with ruthless precision. And forensic examination later concluded that the weapon was likely the gruber's own mattock, which the killer had found on the property and wielded expertly. And the slaughter was methodical, and and unhesitating, yet the covering of the bodies hints at a killer who was not completely indifferent after the act. And incredibly, evidence showed that at least one victim did not die immediately, and that was young Cecilia Gabriel, surviving a few agonizing hours in the pile of bodies that he stacked on top of each other.

So she was still alive for hours after the fact, laying with her own family. Like, it is actually, I can't even imagine it, like it's a horror movie. And forensic examiners knew this because clumps of her own hair were found torn out by her roots in her own hands, indicating that she had regained consciousness and in terror or in pain ripped out her own hair before finally succumbing to her injuries. Just absolutely heartbreaking. And autopsies later suggested that the older victims, Andreas and his wife, Cecilia, and Victoria likely died instantly from their injuries. Because the assailant delivered the blows to their heads with such force that it most

likely knocked them out immediately and they didn't know what happened after the fact. And neighbors would hear nothing. So with all of these foul, inhumane deeds done, one might assume that the murderer would flee immediately into the night. But the Hinter-Kifek case has one more ghastly. twist. And that is that the killer did not leave the farm. At least not right away. So investigators painstakingly reconstructed the likely sequence in which the victims were killed, drawing on blood evidence, positions of the bodies and autopsy findings. And the forensic reconstruction of their deaths leads to

the sobering realization that the entire family was systematically executed. Adult male first to eliminate the biggest threat. Adult woman next, then the child. and finally the defenseless maid and infant. And such a methodical approach suggests planning and familiarity. So the killer knew the layout of the farm and the habits of its residents. For instance, that the family might respond one by one to strange noises, and that the baby slept in Victoria's room. There were no signs of firearm use or overt struggle either,

because all the violence was inflicted with a melee weapon at close quarters, in a very confined space and with surprising stealth. And the order of deaths is also telling in terms of motive. Because the fact that every single person, including the two-year-old Yosef, was brutally murdered, indicates the assailant's goal was to leave no witnesses and completely annihilate the family line. So this was more than just a quick crime of opportunity.

It had all the hallmarks of an extermination driven by deep anger or hatred. And as one police inspector later noted, the ferocity of the killings and targeting of even the baby suggests a personal vendetta at play. And perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the Hinter-Kifeck murders is what happened after the family was dead. Because instead of fleeing immediately, the killer remained on the farm for several days, living among the six corpses. And this is supported by numerous clues. Because neighbors and later police discovered that the group, The murderer's livestock were fed and tended in the days following the murders. And by all rights, the animals should have been bawling with hunger or dying of thirst if left unattended for long.

But when the farm was finally checked on April 4th, the cattle appeared well fed, and the Pomeranian watchdog was tied up and healthy looking, though barking furiously. And this suggests that the murderer was comfortable enough and sufficiently familiar with farmwork to maintain the daily routine and keep the animals calm, which is all kinds of fucked up. I, again, like, you can't even, I can't even wrap my head around the case. Like, I can't imagine that this is real, but it very much is, and it's just incredibly sickening. And also, inside the house, evidence showed that the killer helped himself to the family's food supplies, because the entire supply of bread in the kitchen had been consumed.

and slices of meat had been cut from the pantry stores. And the stove had been used to cook meals. And even neighbors reported seeing smoke rising from the chimney over the weekend, indicating that someone had lit fires after the family was dead. In fact, on the night of April 1st, the night after the murders, a passerby named Michael Plakel walked near Hinterkifec and noticed the oven was heated and emanating a foul smoke. And he also recalled that a figure with a length of a lady, lantern appeared in the yard and shone the light into his face, causing him to hurry away,

uncertain of what the heck was going on. And the smoke from the chimney had, quote, a revolting smell, perhaps from the killer burning something, but we don't know what it was. And this strange encounter wasn't reported until later, but it's a haunting confirmation that the killer was indeed active on the farm the next night. And when searchers finally entered the farm on April 4th, they found things in relative order. Aside from the horrifying discovery of the bodies, there was no sign of ransacking or chaotic vandalism. And despite having days on site,

the killer did not steal the large sums of money and valuables that were in the household. And police later found hefty cash reserves untouched in the drawers and the cabinets. But this guy was here for days and days cooking and cleaning and doing all the stuff. Of course he would see this, the money in the drawers,

but he didn't take any of it. Because the grubbers were fairly well-off people who distrusted banks, so they kept cash at home, and it's assumed that this person would know that. So this effectively ruled out any sort of robbery motive, because any stranger bent on theft could have taken the money and vanished long before the bodies were ever found. And the fact that nothing of major value was taken,

yet the perpetrator stayed, just underscores that the motive was personal rather than financial. So it's as if the murderer's primary concern was ensuring that the family was annihilated rather than taking any of their possessions for their own enrichment. So all of these post-murder activities paint a portrait of a calculating cold-blooded individual. The murderer exhibited a nerve and familiarity that is truly just frightening, feeding livestock, eating meals, and keeping house as if nothing had happened. And perhaps they were waiting out a storm or ensuring,

no immediate suspicion arose from the farm going silent. By doing chores and tending to animals, the killer may have tried to ensure that from the outside, Hinter-Kifek looked normal for a few days. And it would work. And another example of this working is on April 1st, two coffee salesmen who stopped by

noticed a smoke from the chimney, though no one answered the door when they knocked. So they just left, assuming no one was home or they were just busy. So the killer's prolonged presence just also suggests they felt secure. and unhurried, unbothered even, and just confident that no one would drop in unexpectedly.

Just further hinting that he might have been intimately familiar with the family's neighbors and routines. So sometime on April 3rd or early April 4th, the murderer finally left the family farm, likely under the cover of night. And by the time worried neighbors arrived to investigate, the farm was eerily quiet, except for the distressed barking of the dog

and the livestock lowing in their stalls. But the killer had vanished, like a phantom, leaving behind one of history's most baffling crime scenes. So for four days after the murders, the Gruber Farmstead lay ominously still. And neighbors gradually noticed the family's unusual absence. And seven-year-old's Satsilia did not show up for school on Saturday, April 1st, nor the following Monday or Tuesday. Victoria, who was a faithful member of the church choir, missed Sunday service on April 2nd. raising eyebrows since she seldom skipped church. And mail began to pile up at the local post office

because the family hadn't picked up their post in days. So these signs of trouble prompted concerns and neighbors would take action. So on Tuesday, April 4th, Albert Hoffner, a mechanic, arrived at Hinter-Kifek, and he would go there to repair an engine. And Hoffner would just wait around for about an hour knocking on doors and calling out, but nobody greeted him. So frustrated, but needing to finish his job, Hoffner went ahead and spent several hours fixing the engine in the yard, not knowing that the

entire family lay dead in the barn and in the home. And after completing the repairs, he just left, later remarking that the situation did feel odd. It was as if the family had intentionally ignored him, which was completely out of character. And by that afternoon, Lorenz, along with friends, Michael and Jakub, decided to form a search party to check on the Gruber's. And Lorenz, being a neighbor and also the former love interest of Victoria, was especially concerned that no Gruber family members had been seen since the weekend. And he initially sent his teenage son and stepson ahead

to knock on the door. But when they reported silence, Lorenz and the others headed over for themselves. And upon arriving, the men found the house locked up tight. So they literally had to break open the barn door to gain entry to the property. And inside the barm, the smell of the house locked up. decay would hang in the air. And Lorenz and the others stepped into the gloomy stable and stumbled upon

a dreadful sight that would haunt them forever. Because in the corner of the barn, they discovered what looked like a pile of hay and straw covering irregular shapes. So when removing the hay, the men uncovered, the bloodied, battered corpses of Andreas, Setsilia Sr., Victoria, and Little Setsilia, stacked on top of each other. And the state of the bodies when they were found, were grotesque, because the blunt force trauma wounds on their heads were substantial, making them almost unrecognizable. It was just a picture of horror.

But Lorenz would then do something curious, because while his companions were horrified and hesitant, he proceeded to unlock the front door of the farmhouse and enter alone. And accounts differ on whether Lorenz had a key. Some say he produced one that fit the door, which was a bit suspicious, while others say he found the key in the lock

or that one of the barn doors was simply unlocked from the inside. But in any case, Lorenz went into the silent farmhouse ahead of the others. And in the dark interior, he soon found the body of Maria, in her bed, the maid, just soaked in blood. And nearby in Victoria's bedroom, he would find baby Yosef deceased as well.

So the search party had confirmed the worst. All six residents of Hinter-Kifek were dead, and clearly murdered. So the discovery would just sent shockwaves through this small little community. And news would spread rapidly that evening across Groberne and nearby villages that an entire family had been slaughtered.

And by nightfall on April 4th, lantern light and hushed whispers filled the once quiet inter-Kyfeck yard, as neighbors stood guard over the scene until police could arrive. And those first onlookers would later be criticized for inadvertently contaminating the crime scene, But in the moment, they were just villagers

grappling with the enormity of what had just happened. And of course, back then, we didn't know anything about forensics, really. But they could just not comprehend who would commit such a monstrous act. And was the killer some outsider who had fled, or were they a local? But the next morning, investigators from Munich

would arrive to begin piecing together this grim puzzle. And the tragedy had been uncovered, but the real mystery was only beginning. because who the hell killed the Gruber family? And why? And the answer would prove frustratingly elusive. So the police investigation into the Hinter-Kifeck murders was launched on April 5th, 1922,

led by Inspector Georg Reingruber and his team from Munich. And from the outset, the case posed immense challenges, because by the time the officers reached the farm, countless curious neighbors had already trampled through the scene, moving bodies and handling potential evidence. In fact, it's reported that some neighbors had even cooked meals in the kitchen and helped themselves to the family's coffee while, quote, standing watch over the bodies prior to the police arriving.

Which, again, it's a different time. You don't know about forensic stuff, but they knew, you know, you know not to go in and move bodies. My God. But I don't know. I feel like I can't really say anything at this point, because very small town, they're all close-knit, and although this family was obviously on the outskirts, especially with all the scandals,

they just probably felt like they were helping in some weird way. But this egregious contamination destroyed any pristine forensic clues. Footprints, fingerprints, and other trace evidence were hopelessly compromised. And nevertheless, Inspector Rinegruber began the meticulous work of documenting

the crime scene as it remained, that's all he could work with. So the bodies were examined where they lay in the barn and house. And on April 5th, court physician Dr. Johann Baptist Al-Muller arrived and performed autopsies on site in the barn's coach house. And it was a macabre setting for an autopsy, but necessary given the era and the state of the bodies. So the doctor confirmed that a mattock or a pickax-like farm tool was likely the murder weapon based on the shape of the wounds. Because there were deep notches and star-shaped lacerations in the skulls corresponded to the blunt or pick ends of a mattock.

But strangely, nomadic was immediately found at the scene during the initial search, leaving investigators perplexed about the weapons whereabouts. And the gruesome details confirmed that all victims were murdered with the same tools and with extraordinary brutality. And the doctor also made the decision to remove all six victims' heads during the autopsy. And the skulls were sent to Munich for further forensic examination. And bizarrely, they would also later send the heads to clairvoyance in an attempt to physically divine

the killer, which obviously did not work, but in this day and age, they kind of tried anything. Because without modern forensics, investigators sometimes tried anything, even the occult to get leads. But the decapitated bodies were thereafter buried without their heads, which is. feels so wrong like I understand, but it just feels very sick. So initial police work canvass the farm and immediate surroundings for clues. And they noted that none of the doors or windows showed forced entry. Apart from those, the search party broke themselves. And this hinted that the killer either had a key or access the house while it was unlocked,

lending weight to the missing key incident reported. Because remember, it was reported by Andreas, but he said, while we don't need any help, it's fine. And in the attic, investigators found evidence that someone may have been living there for some time, because they discovered makeshift bedding in the hayloft and some food scraps, as well as human feces in the corner of the attic.

And this creepy fine just supported the former maid's claims of hearing an intruder in the attic. And it suggests the murderer perhaps hid in the attic loft in the days or even weeks leading up to the crime. It's just spying on the family. just surveying the situation. And they also found footprints in the dusty rafters

and disturbed layer of dust indicated a recent occupation. So despite the challenges, the investigation did uncover several key clues and findings that directed suspicion and informed theories. And it would become indisputable that the perpetrator remained at Hinter-Kifek for several days after March 31st, after the night of the murders.

And all the evidence of animal care and meal preparation was documented by police. And this fact shaped the profile of the killer entirely. He was likely, local or connected, someone who felt at ease literally living with the dead and confident enough to linger. And there was no robbery motive because investigators found large amounts of cash and valuables untouched in the house. So this quashed the initial hypothesis that vagrants or robbers were responsible for the murders since nothing significant was stolen. So the motive seemed personal rather than financially driven like we were discussing before. And initially, the murder weapon was missing, but in 1923, during the demolition of the farm buildings, the suspected weapon was finally discovered.

And this distinctive farmmatic was found hidden in the hayloft of the barn roof, tucked above the rafters. And it was identified by a former farmhand, George Ziegle, who recognized it as a tool Andreas Gruber had crafted himself. And this suggests that the killer hid the weapon on site, perhaps intending to mislead the search, or because, he left in a haste. And interestingly, some sources state that a pair of broken murder weapons were found, and those were amatic and a small penknife. And a penknife was indeed found on the property

but could not be linked to any victim. Raising speculation, it might have belonged to the perpetrator who lost it. And one rumor involves the mention of a missing penknife by a suspect's mother, but it was never conclusively tied to the crime. And in addition to all the aforementioned forensic findings in regards to the bodies themselves, the discovery of little Satsia's suffering was crucial

in understanding the timeline of the murders and indicated the killer did not return to deliver a stroke of mercy to a still living victim, or perhaps just didn't realize that she was still alive, which is what I'm assuming. And crime scene analysis deduced the staggering order in victims were likely drawn to their deaths. And the fact that the barn was likely used to isolate and kill multiple victims without alarming, those in the house was a significant insight. So investigators tested the scenario by seeing if noise in the barn could be heard

from the living quarters and found that the barn noises were muffled, meaning those inside the house might not hear screams or thuds from the barn. And this made the scenario of sequential luring completely plausible, though one police report noted skepticism that all four would wander one by one

without someone raising an alarm. And based on witness last sightings, The family was last definitively seen alive on March 31st and the condition of the bodies when found. So the murders were estimated to have occurred on the late evening of March 31st, 1922. And investigators would take particular note of Lorenz's behavior during the discovery. And they found it odd that he had entered the house alone and allegedly unlocked the door with a key. And Lorenz allegedly claimed he was searching for his son Yosef, worried the child might be alive or deceased. a statement that immediately flagged his possible knowledge or assumption that Yosef was his own son.

And moreover, Lorenz had indeed disturbed the bodies in the barn, moving them around supposedly to check if anyone was alive, which, you know, it makes sense if you're, if you were close to the family and you care about them and you want to make sure if they're actually dead or not. Like, it makes sense, but it also is, it is suspicious at the same time. Because this disturbance compromised to the scene further, but also made local side island. Lorenz with suspicion. Because could a murderer be so bold as to lead the search and, quote, find his

victims? And police were well aware of that possibility. And beyond the physical evidence, police delved into the relationships and history of the victims. And they learned of Andreas and Victoria's incest conviction. The paternity dispute over Yosef and Andreas's reputation for violence and quarrels. And every unsavory detail became a potential motive for these murders. And there was top of that Victoria had been pressuring Lorenz for child support payments for Yosef and possibly threatening legal action. And if true, that could be motive for Lorenza's resentment. And there were also rumors that the family's large fortune could have caused conflict or envy from others. So faced with a heinous crime and no obvious perpetrator, the police initially rounded up the usual suspects. Vagrants, traveling craftsmen,

recently discharged soldiers, and known petty criminals in the region were questioned. But these leads went, literally nowhere, especially after money was found untouched. That was a big factor. It was clear, the answers likely lay in targeted vendetta. So the investigators then compiled a list of people with connections or grievances against the groubers. And over the following weeks, they would interrogate neighbors, distant relatives, former servants, and anyone who might have a shred of motive. And arrests were made and multiple individuals were detained on suspicion, but each time they were released for a lack of evidence. And the community's frictions, gossip, and old feuds

all had to be sifted through. But the Hinter-Khefeck investigation suffered from numerous challenges and missteps that ultimately left the case unsolved. Because as mentioned, by the time professional investigators took charge, the crime scene had been trampled by nosy neighbors and well-meaning helpers. And critical evidence might have been moved or even destroyed.

And fingerprint collection, which was a known technique in the 1920s, was not properly conduct And police failed to secure any fingerprints from key areas, which was a lapse later heavily criticized. So in essence, the forensic integrity of the scene was just completely lost. And in 1922, forensic science was still rudimentary in comparison to modern forensics, obviously. So there was no DNA analysis, no security cameras, and no centralized databases of suspects. So they did not have a lot to work with. So the case relied on witness testimony and just basic,

detective work, and the concept of criminal profiling was in its infancy at this point. Though they did surmise that the killer was experienced with farms and possibly had a personal vendetta, and had modern methods like blood typing, which did exist but was not widely used in crime scenes yet, or later DNA been available, maybe something could have been gleaned from the copious blood or hares or fibers. But instead, the investigators had to mostly infer from circumstantial evidence, which even today doesn't usually hold up in court. And the fact that the murders were discovered four days after the fact gave the perpetrator a huge head start. And by April 4th, any murderer could have been long gone or could blend back into normal life if he was a local. And the passage

of time also meant any physical signs beyond the farm, i.e. the footprints in surrounding fields or blood on roads might have degraded or been erased completely. So as the investigation were on, pulled in many different directions by various leads. And at different times, the blame seemed to shift from one suspect to another, but each promising theory hit a dead end. And the evidence was all largely circumstantial, like we mentioned. For example, a neighbor having a key or someone making a suspicious comment, they were all intriguing, for sure, but not proof of any kind of murder. And just the absence of any sort of confession or eyewitness put the case in just a permanent limbo. But the The first some nature of the crime attracted intense public interest and media coverage.

And under pressure to deliver results, investigators tried unconventional avenues. And as previously mentioned, the victim's skulls were sent to Munich, not just for forensic study, but also to a series of clairvoyance, otherwise known as mediums, who attempted to, quote, read the murders physically. But unsurprisingly, these occult experiments yielded no usable clues. Also, how could you ever, like, use that in court? You couldn't. You know, they were just trying anything. And the public nature of the case also meant that rumors just ran rampant, complicating efforts to discern truth from fiction. And the Hinder-Khyphak case file was periodically reopened over the years, but critical evidence had been lost or just decayed. And the victim's skulls, for instance, went missing during World War II, and it were likely destroyed during Allied bombings on Munich. And this prevented any later re-examination of wounds with advanced techniques.

And key witnesses and suspects just died off over time, taking any sort of secrets with them. By 1955, the official case was closed and deemed unsolvable with the available evidence. And in 1986, the last interrogations were conducted by an aging detective familiar with the case. But nothing conclusive emerged. But despite these hurdles, the police did their best for the era. And they managed to produce a list of hypothesized suspects and motives that covers a spectrum of possibilities from family secrets to random drifters that no one was ever charged. And the investigatory groundwork allows us to explore the major theories that arose, each with

its own fascinating, if unproven, story. So over the decades, the Hinter-Khyfeck murders have generated many theories and suspects. And theory one, being family member incest, cover-up motivation, to conceal or avenge the incestuous relationship between Andreas Gruber and his daughter, Victoria. And the idea is that the murders were driven by disgust or rage over the family's dark secret of incest, perhaps to prevent it from becoming public or continuing. And this theory posts either a family member or someone very close to the family as the killer. Since all immediate family members except the victims are dead, the primary suspect in whispers was Carl Gabriel, which was Victoria's husband.

Who, if alive, would technically be family by marriage. but Carl had reportedly died in World War I, but some speculated he actually survived and returned for revenge. Alternatively, some pointed to Lorenz, not a blood relative but intimately involved with the family, as someone who might have wanted to hush up a scandal, especially if baby Yosef truly was Andreas's son and not his. And another angle considered whether Andreas Gruber himself

could have killed his family in a twisted, quote, If I can't have them, no one can scenario relating to Victoria. But this just collapses since Andreas was himself killed, and there was zero evidence of murder, sluer slide. If there were two, is that it was a neighbor or it was a local dispute. Maybe a bitter personal dispute with the family, whether from jealousy, revenge, or anger, possibly related to property, money, or relationships. This often centers around Lorenz, the neighboring farmer who had a complex

history with Victoria and Andreas. So Lorenz is again a chief suspect in this theory. As a neighbor in a small community of Kaifek, Lorenz knew the groubers very, very well. And he also knew the area very well and the schedules of people and what happened and everything. And Lorenz had disputes with Andreas and Victoria. And some say that Lorenz and Andreas often argued over field boundaries or Andreas's treatment of Victoria. And if not Lorenz himself, the suspect would be someone local with a grudge, as Andreas did have a rather difficult personality, but no other neighbor had a clear motive or close involvement that we know of. And the police questioned Lorenz extensively and even reportedly took him into custody at one point, but they never found concrete evidence to indict

him. And his calm Demeter at the scene could be attributed to shock or a pragmatic farm life attitude. And Lorenz also successfully sued several people for slander who openly called him the murderer. And he maintained his innocence up to his death in 1941. And decades later, the 2007 Police Academy Review of the case indicted they had a prime suspect who, out of the respect for living relatives, they wouldn't name. And though not officially confirmed, many believe that this was a reference to Lorenz being the murderer. Thus, the vengeful neighbor theory remains one of the strongest in the public's minds, because if anyone, Lorenz had motive, whether the paternity dispute, resentment, or jealousy, and he also had knowledge and proximity, and perhaps the personality

to commit such a crime, and then coolly manage the aftermath. But again, we don't know that for sure, and that is just an alleged theory. And then theory three is a mysterious stranger motivation. And that is that it was just a violent random impulse by an outsider, possibly a deranged, transient, an escaped convict, or a serial killer, who, who stumbled upon the farm and took the opportunity to kill. And the suspect wasn't necessarily one single person, but rather the idea that one or more unknown assailants with no personal connection to the grubers committed the murders.

And some have suggested this could have been a drifter with military background, given the precision of the killings, or even a known serial murderer from abroad. And a modern variant of this theory is that it was the work of Paul Mueller, a German American serial killer positioned by authors Bill James and Rachel McCrower,

Carthy James to have murdered dozens of families in the early 1900s, including the infamous Velisca Ax murders in the U.S. And Mueller, they suggest, may have returned to Europe and continued his bloody trail, with Hintr-Kythek fitting his M.O. And initially, police did suspect vagrants or roaming criminals. There were reports around the time of two suspicious figures seen near the woods around Hinder-Kifax on the night of April 1st. In fact, a butcher named Simon Reislander saw two strangers at the forest edge, who turned away to hide their faces when spotted, just fueling speculation they might have been the murderers fleeing the scene. However, no one knew who those men were and they never came forward. But what lends some credence to the stranger theory is the similarity

of the crime to the other family massacres, because in the U.S., between 1911 and 1912, a spat of farm family axe murders occurred near rare lines. For example, the Valiska case and the Iowa case, where entire families were bludgeoned with an axe at night by an intruder, who often lived in their house for a short time, just like Hinter-Kifek. There's also a criminal minds episode on this. This one is like burned into my brain and I can never re-watch it. And at the Valiska crime scene and the Iowa crime scene, there are a lot of parallels. There's isolation of the victims, use of farm tool weapon, stacking bodies, not stealing valuables, possibly driven by psychosexual motive. And they think,

theorized that Mueller killed families with prepubescent girls present due to the twisted attraction, and Hinter-Khefeck indeed had a young girl victim. And the authors rate the chance that Mueller was the Hinter-Kifek killer as a, quote, toss-up, possible but not provable. And another stranger suspect proposed was an unnamed thief or convict who had learned of the farm's reputed wealth. And according to the count, a man named Peter Weber had in 1919 told fellow laborer, with Betz about a remote farm with an old couple, hinting they could rob it easily, even suggesting

killing the old man Andreas for his money. But Betz didn't bite at the offer, but later testified about Weber's statements. Perhaps Weber or an associate decided to carry out this plan later on. However, if robbery was the intent, not taking the money undermines that idea completely, and I don't really buy that idea. But it's possible, I guess, that the crime started as a burglary, but escalated to murder, and the panicked thief left without looting, I guess. But the methodical staying on the farm argues against a panicked exit. So I think that one doesn't fit at all.

But the serial killer one could work. It absolutely could work. I have no idea. And theory four was inheritance because there was potential suspects who included people who knew the family and who also knew the family had money and would gain financially from their deaths.

And this ranges from opportunistic criminals to extended family or even acquaintances. And a few names emerged from this. One was the Bickler brothers, Anton and Carl, and a man named Georg Siegel, were implicated by former maid Crescent Riker, the one that left because she heard footsteps in the attic. And Anton had worked on the farm and allegedly said

the family, quote, ought to be dead, possibly eyeing their money. And the maid noted that the normally vicious farm dog never barked at Anton, implying he could move about the farm without alarming the family or the dog. And she also recounted a night when a stranger, whom she thought was Carl, talked to her through a window. So the Becklers and Segal were suspected of plotting a robbery, knowing the farm layout and fortune. And Segal, in fact, allegedly stole some small items from the farm in 1920 and knew Andreas kept money in the house.

And he also claimed to have carved the very wooden handle of the Maddock years before, knowing it was kept, in the barn passage. But despite the suspicious indicators, there was no direct evidence tying them to the murder that night. Anton and Carl Bickler had criminal reputations for theft, but no charges for the murders stuck. And the Thaler brothers, Yosef and Andreas,

were two local troublemakers known for burglaries. And the same former maid recalled that Yosef Thaler once stood outside her window asking about which family members slept where and boasting he knew that they had a lot of money, which is fucking creepy. And also people apparently liked talking to this former maid through her window a lot, which is weird. But she suspected that the Thalers might have spied on the farm and conspired to rob it. And when she didn't answer Yosef's question, she noticed another person's silhouette near the machine house, suggesting Yosef wasn't alone.

And like the Bicklers, the Thalers were investigated, but never formally accused due to zero evidence. And then there was extended family, because Andreas and Cecilia Gruber had surviving relatives. like Andreas' estranged brothers or distant kin, and Victoria's in-laws, the Gabriel's. But none appeared to have had a clear claim or interest in the estate, but it wasn't fully ruled out that a relative might have wanted to gain inheritance or settle a familial grudge. And ultimately, no extended family members were implicated in the murders.

But each theory mentioned has its allure and its flaws. And to date, no theory has emerged that satisfies all of the facts, conclusively. And most researchers lean toward a personal motive, hence suspects like Lorenz or someone close because of the nature of the crime. But the lack of closure means every theory from neighbor to drifter remains on the table in the public imagination. But like I said, in 2007, they reopened the case and they found a pretty good suspect, but they ultimately did not publish the name, citing respect for living relatives of the suspect. And this discretion strongly suggests that the suspect, was a local person whose family still resides in the area, and it's widely inferred that the

suspect was Lorenz, or someone similarly close by, given that profile. So essentially, the 2007 review privately solved the case to their own satisfaction, but without any new hard evidence, it remains an educated conclusion rather than a prosecutable finding. So it's still unsolved, technically. Essentially, they're just making a pretty good scientific guess, but but that does not mean it's salt. So in the absence of any sort of official resolution, the Hinter-Kifek murders have passed into legend as a cautionary tale of an unsolved crime.

And the Gruber and Gabriel family members were laid to rest in a cemetery in Wadhofen. And their grave became something of a local shrine, bearing a simple memorial marker with an inscription, while notably their skulls never returned. And the farm itself no longer exists, and it was leveled in 1923, and today only a small shrine

Rhine with a cross stands near the site, known as the Hinter-Kyfeck Memorial. And for decades, villagers would visit it to pay respects and ponder the mystery. And I think a mystery it will remain. Just all we can do is remember the lives that were lost and sending all the love and prayers to relatives of these people. But with that, that is the Hinter-Kifax case. A lot of you recommended this case. I always do videos which you guys recommend, so let me know what

other cases you want me to go over. Down below, I've been really liking going, you know, around the world and kind of getting out of the states and Canada and stuff. So if you have any more international cases, I think that is awesome. And local cases are good too, especially unsolved ones, because I think putting them back on the map is really important. But with that, just please stay safe out there. And I will see you a beautiful face in the next one. All right? Bye.