Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - "The St. Pauli Ripper" Fritz Honka

Episode Date: May 26, 2022

Fritz Honka was a German serial killer who shared drinks with his victims at his local bar before killing and dismembering them in his Hamburg apartment. He might have gotten away with his crimes if not for a building fire that exposed the bodies in 1975.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of sexual situations, murder, rape, and dismemberment. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On the morning of July 17, 1975, police in Hamburg, Germany were called to an apartment building in the St. Pauley neighborhood. The squad arrived to find the building recently ablaze. Firefighters were already on the scene, escorted. distorting hysterical residents out of the building. A fire chief rushed toward the officer's car and explained that he needed them to see something.

He led them into the smoldering building, through the charred hallways, and up to the top floor. The chief told them to cover their faces to avoid smoke inhalation, but pretty soon the smoke wasn't their only problem. The air reeked of burning, decayed flesh. The chief explained that as men had removed panels from the roof and broke down walls, to control the fire. That's when they discovered strange parcels hidden in the attic. He pointed to a large shape in a corner of the room, and one of the cops approached it cautiously. As he slowly opened the package, the officer jerked back sharply in horror, exposing the contents to the rest of the room.

He covered his nose and mouth, resisting the urge to vomit. The seasoned investigators all stood in shocked silence, staring at the decontescendant investigators all stood in shocked silence, staring at the decontes decomposing remains of a human torso. Hi, I'm Greg Polson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original from Parcast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we're bringing you the story of Fritz Honka, also known as the St. Polly Ripper. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone.

You can find episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. In the first part of this episode, we'll explore what we know about Honka's childhood and see how alcohol affected his life from a young age. Later, we'll watch as his aggression spills over and he claims his first life. But though the murder wasn't planned, he found one victim wasn't enough. We've got all that coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by ZipRecruiter, whether you're hiring for a role or searching for a killer. The hunt can be exhausting. When detectives looked and searched to find any kind of evidence

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Enjoying a drink is a pretty customary way for many people to kick back and relax. For some, it might boost their confidence and make socializing easier. For others, it's a way to take the edge off a particularly rough, day. But the impacts of alcohol aren't always pleasant. For some people, drinking too much can lead to bad decisions at best, criminal behavior and violent outbursts at worst. For Fritz-Honka, alcohol revealed his bloodiest desires and made him reckless enough to act on them. But his relationship to drink actually began before he was even old enough to partake. Honka was born in Leipzig, Germany in July of 1935. He was the third of nine children, and his upbringing was, in a word,

hellish. His father, Fritz Sr., struggled with heavy alcohol misuse and often took his aggression out on his children. He was especially abusive to young Honka, who claimed Fritz Sr. beat him nearly to death as a young boy. But he wasn't around to terrorize them for very long. At the time, the Nazi party was in power, and Fritz Sr. is said to have opposed the government. Reportedly, his communist views landed him in a concentration camp. He died in 1946 when Honka was 11, but even Fritz Sr.'s death didn't seem to improve the family's home life. Elza Honka worked as a cleaner, but when her husband died, she couldn't cope with the loss. She abandoned her children that same year. Vanessa is going to take over in the psychology here and

throughout the episode. As a note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but we have done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. The turbulence of his early years almost certainly affected Honka in profound ways. A 2019 report by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry explains how excessive alcohol consumption by parents can affect their kids. It notes that these children may be more likely to be withdrawn from their peers have aggressive tendencies and be involved in criminal activity, children of alcoholics also have a higher risk of developing their own alcohol abuse problems in the future. But of course, his father's addiction wasn't all Honka dealt with

because mother's abandonment can also change the course of a child's life. In Honka's case, the combination of having an alcoholic father and absent mother made him especially vulnerable to bad behavior and social isolation. and it only got worse when he went to school. Honka was short and odd-looking. He had a speech disorder and a thin, lanky frame, making him easy prey for the schoolyard bullies. Probably as a result of what we've already discussed,

he was also deeply insecure and had very low self-esteem. With all of those factors at the forefront of his mind, Honka didn't do well in class and his grades weren't great. With no friends and little hope for an academic future, He dropped out of school in 1951 when he was 16 and started working as a laborer. For a short while, he worked as a bricklayer, but a health crisis put an end to that quickly. Deflated, he decided to go to West Germany to try his hand at farming. He reportedly joined an agricultural cooperative in the rural village of Brockhofe

and finally started supporting himself financially. He also had several short-lived flings during this time. Hanka seems to have enjoyed his casualty. affairs and experimenting sexually with the women from the village, but the problem was that fantasy quickly became a harsh reality. According to some reports, Honka started dating a fellow farmhand named Margot, and after just a few months of knowing each other, she became pregnant. The couple had a son, but since they weren't married, he was expected to make child support payments. Unable or unwilling to pay, Honka abandoned the young mother and infant. In 1956,

the 21-year-old relocated to Hamburg to start a new life again. He moved to an area of the city known as St. Pauley, where he found work in a shipyard. Now that he was making decent money, he felt like he was starting to find a sense of stability and independence, but his new neighborhood presented some challenges. St. Pauley contains an iconic street known as the Reaper Bonn. The area is known for its many bars, active nightlife, and the city's Red Light District. Honka spent many nights exploring the Reaper Bon,

making the most of its tireless party scene. Before long, he developed a heavy drinking habit, slipping into the same patterns as his father. Alcohol dependence can often run in families, and for Honka, it was no different. Around 1956, the 21-year-old got into a serious car crash that had a long-lasting impact on his life. The accident left him with a crooked nose and permanent facial deformities.

This likely made him even more self-conscious of his appearance. But despite the terrible injuries and the damage to his confidence, he still managed to find love the following year. One night in 1957, while drinking at one of the pubs on the Reaper Bon, he met a local woman named Inga. Inga was in her 20s and shared Hanca's love of drinking and going out of the town. They bar hopped together, share her. stories of their childhoods while Honka bought round after round.

He fell hard for Inga and began to imagine a future with her. With her by his side, maybe he could have a normal life, one he'd never known in his own childhood. After a brief courtship, he was convinced he was ready to settle down. He had a stable job that made him decent money, and he'd found someone who was his ideal match. When he proposed to Inga, she accepted. The couple married soon after, but it didn't.

seemed to change their life much. Honka and his new wife spent most of their time partying in bars and pubs, but a new arrival eventually changed things. Around 1958, Inga gave birth to a baby boy. Although the child's arrival should have encouraged Hanca to slow down, his drinking only increased. He became reckless, and his relationship with Inga soured. He cheated on her, went to bars without her, and was allegedly even physically abusive.

Neighbors often complained about the couple's constant fighting, the sounds of glasses breaking, and Inga's screams gradually blended into the daily soundscape of their building, but not for long. Around this time, Honka lost his job at the shipyard, and they were evicted from their apartment shortly after, forcing the family of three to live in city shelters for a period of time. Eventually, Inga had had enough. She divorced Honka in 1960, after only three years. of marriage. Their dysfunctional relationship wasn't quite over yet, though. Their years apart are somewhat murky, but at some point in the 60s, the two reconciled and remarried. But time apparently hadn't changed Honka. He still drank excessively and resumed his abusive behavior.

The second marriage didn't last. In 1967, Inga picked up their son and left Honka again, this time for good. Honkis attempt at a normal life had gone up in flames. His failed marriages, work instability, and persistent health issues from his car accident left the 32-year-old at rock bottom. By this stage, he was frequenting Hamburg bars day and night, and was often drunk for several days in a row.

Still, he eventually found work again as a night watchman at a shipyard and moved to a small apartment near the Reaper Bonn Red Light District. Unencumbered by marriage, Honka was free to explore the strip clubs, sex shops, and brothels in his new neighborhood. He was especially interested in the bars and all of the people who frequented them. The Golden Glove was Honka's favorite bar in the Red Light District. It was mostly frequented by hard drinkers and sex workers, and he felt less alone in their company. As a bonus, they never judged him for his excessive drinking. Honk was particularly drawn to the older homeless women who came to the Golden Glove looking for a drink.

His fascination with mature women might have stemmed from his mother's abandonment when he was younger. They were also easy marks who didn't need much convincing to come back to his apartment. Most times he offered them a bed and a few drinks in exchange for sex and conversation. Realistically, he didn't have much else to offer. Years of heavy drinking had ravaged his body and mind, and though he was only 35, he looked much older and had few teeth left. What he wasn't short on was kinky interests. He liked rough sex and enjoyed choking his partners

and apparently fantasized about impaling them during sex. He lined the walls of his apartment with explicit pornography. On nights when he couldn't convince a sex worker to keep him company, he had a rubber doll in his collection that would do in a pinch. Eventually, Honka's routine of work near constant intoxication, and nights with sex workers, started to become mundane. And with little else to distract him, he started seeking out a new kind of thrill. Coming up, one of Honka's trists with the sex worker turns deadly.

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Now back to the story. By December of 1970, 35-year-old Fritz Honka had spent years taking full advantage of the abundance of seven, and alcohol in the Reaper Bon Red Light District. One winter night while drinking at the Golden Glove, he sat down next to 42-year-old Gerroud Brower and placed two glasses of schnapps in front of them.

Gerroud's hair was swept up into a stylish up to, and he told her it was beautiful. Gerrude thanked him and explained that she was a hairdresser, though after a few drinks, she added that she also made ends meet as a sex worker. hours later they left the golden glove together, heading back to Honka's apartment. According to some investigators' theories, they enjoyed a night of drunken fun, but in the early hours of the morning, something shifted. The attraction and mood from the night of drinking vanished with the sun,

and Gertrod was ready to leave soon after dawn. Disappointed, Honka tried to persuade her to stay a bit longer. He offered to pay her if she stuck around, but she wasn't interested. She dressed and got ready to leave. The rejection triggered a rage in Honka. He snapped and grabbed Gertroud's arm holding her in place. She fought back, but he was stronger than her. Terrified, Gertroud tried to scream,

but her voice caught as Honka began to strangle her. He tightened his grip around her throat until her body went limp. Within minutes, Gertroud Brower was dead. Fritz Honka had just claimed his first life. Almost immediately, the reality of what he'd just done set in. Now a woman laying lifeless in his apartment. Frantic, he tried to think of what to do with her body. Honka didn't have a vehicle, and he was a short, frail man.

Transporting Gertroud as she was would be impossible. Slowly, the horrific answer to his problem became crystal clear. he had to dismember her. Not wasting any time, Honka grabbed a saw and stared down nervously at Gertroud's lifeless form. He took a deep breath, then began sawing off each of her limbs. One by one, he tore through ligaments and bones, then wrapped each piece of her in paper.

He tied each parcel with string, then took a shovel and headed down the steep staircase of his apartment building. He walked quickly across the road, to a waste disposal site, where he dug a shallow grave and began burying the body parts. After spending hours dismembering Gertroud's body and hauling what he could carry to the makeshift grave, Honka realized he had yet another problem. Her torso was too big for him to carry down the stairs and across the street without being noticed. Unsure what else to do, he decided that simply hiding the rest of the body would be safer than

removing it entirely. So he slid the torso into the building's attic, which was just across the hall. Then he returned to his apartment, dressed for work, and headed out for his shift. Over the next few weeks, Honka did his best to live life as normal as possible. But panic raged inside him. He knew that witnesses had seen him leave the Golden Glove with Gertroud. He also wondered how long it would be before police found the buried body parts and came looking for him. But that visit from the police never came. Days turned into weeks, turned into months, and nothing. Then, in November of 1971, nearly a year after the murder,

a construction worker discovered Gertroud's severed head and limbs in the shallow grave. Authorities connected the body parts to Gertroud, who'd been reported missing, but the investigation into her murder was short and fruitless. When it was discovered that she was also a sex work, any remaining interest in the case waned. At least for the time being, Honka had gotten away with murder. That reality emboldened him. He already preferred the company of sex workers,

but now he felt like he could harm them without repercussions. The negligible response from police toward Gerrude's murder is why many serial killers target sex workers. A 1989 research article published in philosophy discusses how sex workers are historically viewed as expendable social outcasts by virtue of their profession. Many killers likely believe that police won't expend the same effort as they would for more, quote-unquote, respectable victims. Additionally, a lack of connection to society means that few people go looking for sex workers if their disappearance is noticed. Honka quickly caught on to this reality and began to target sex workers to fulfill his increasingly violent urges.

His encounters with sex workers he picked up at the Golden Glove got more aggressive, and he often insisted on perverted sex games. Around mid-1972, he met Ruth Duffner. They shared some drinks and talked for a while before he requested her services. She agreed, and they headed back to his apartment together. As they had sex, Hanca's aggression gradually intensified, and when Ruth refused to let him choke her, he became enraised. He repeatedly struck her in the face and held her down on the bed as she fought against him.

With his free hand, he grabbed Ruth's stocking from the floor and wrapped it tightly around her throat. Ruth must have anticipated what Honka was going to do, because she slipped her hand under the material as he placed it around her neck. When he tried to strangle her, that hand saved her life. Eventually, she escaped, fleeing naked from Hanca's apartment. She headed straight to the St. Polly Police Station to report him. Hours later, investigators arrived at Honka's door. They confronted him about the encounter with Ruth,

but he was too drunk to answer their questions. They told him he'd be charged for attempted rape, though it seems that his attempt to strangle Ruth was written off as a drunken sex game gone wrong. Honka was fined 4,000 marks over the incident, but avoided any jail time. Most likely he felt invincible, in the aftermath. Any potential guilty may have experienced was numbed by his drinking, which only

intensified. Psychologist Anne Beck has researched the role of substance abuse in the committing of physical assault, rape, and murder. In a 2013 paper, she explores how excessive drinking can influence a perpetrator to become aggressive. Alcohol intoxication plays a decisive role in about half of all violent crimes and sexual assaults worldwide. Additionally, U.S. statistics show that the prevalence of alcohol-related aggression, particularly in the case of murder, has steadily increased over the years. What makes this more concerning is that addiction also makes some perpetrators more likely to repeat their crimes.

When indulging in their drug of choice, dopamine levels increase, simulating a sense of euphoria. A similar high is felt by some rapists and killers who develop a need to perpetrate violence against others. Honka was both addicted to alcohol and a violent murderer who was eager for his next fix. But his failure to kill Ruth seemed to scare him into inaction for a couple of years, and he laid low until 1974. In August of that year, 54-year-old Anna Boychel wandered into the Golden Nebuchadine. glove bar looking for her next John. Thirty-nine-year-old Honka spotted Anna immediately and felt his long, dormant desires stir. Anna was middle-aged, poor, and drank heavily. All of that meant she was the

perfect target for Honka. He bought her several rounds of drinks, then invited her back to his apartment. Investigators believed that once they got back to his place, Honka tried to persuade Anna to indulge in some of his aggressive fantasies. But she wasn't at interested. Furious, he struck her several times in the face, prompting her to fight back. But this only made him angrier. Honka wrapped his hands tightly around Anna's throat, squeezing until she finally stopped struggling. Honka may have been waiting for this moment for nearly five years, but he hadn't planned for it at all. Like the first time, he didn't know what to do with Anna's body, and was too drunk to think critically about what to do next. Eventually, he wrapped

Anna in a sheet and dragged her to the attic. He found a crawl space in the room and stuffed the body into it, though obviously that wasn't a perfect solution. Although the dead bodies were out of sight, that didn't mean they couldn't be smelled. It was late summer, and Anna's body decomposed quickly in the August heat. Neighbors complained about an unbearable stench that hung over the entire apartment block. It eventually got so bad that the police were called to investigate. Honga wasn't bothered at all by the rotten smells. Alcohol had numbed his senses, and he was just relieved to have gotten away with another murder. But his bubble burst when Homburg police knocked on his door about a month after Anna's murder. When asked, Hanka blamed the smell on the strange spices and

food cooked by foreigners in the flat. The detectives accepted his explanation and left without further investigation. After this close brush with police, Hanka bought bathroom fresheners, and planted them around his apartment in an attempt to mask the odor, but he made no attempts to actually dispose of the bodies. It's possible he was either too lazy or too drunk to care that evidence of his crimes was so noticeable and close to home. However, his ploy of targeting sex workers compensated for his inaction. Like Gertroud Brower, Anna Boychell's disappearance was barely investigated,

which seemed to only make Honka more fearless. A few months later, in December of 1974, he set his sights on 57-year-old Frida Roeblich, who he spotted at the Golden Glove. Like all the others, Honka made his move with an invite to his apartment, a little money, and a night of drinking. They agreed to a price for her services and headed back to his place. After they finished having sex,

Honka apparently realized that Frida had stolen money from him. The thought of Frida stealing. from him sent Honka into a violent rage, and he strangled her to death. Once she was dead, he dismembered her body with a saw and placed her severed parts in the attic with the others. It's clear he was spiraling out of control, but something soon happened that pulled him out of the freefall, if only briefly. Three weeks later, in January of 1975, Hanca's thoughts of murder were replaced by the first blush of new love. He was in the golden glove when he met 52-year-old Ruth Schult. He was immediately taken by her easygoing and carefree attitude. As a bonus, she could

keep up with his drinking. She was also homeless and a sex worker. It wasn't his first time entertaining a woman who was searching for both cash and a warm bed, but it felt different somehow. After spending a few nights together, he invited her to live with him. He seems to have been infatuated by her motherly attention and interest in him. But like all his relationships with women, the fixation was short-lived. A few weeks after she moved in, Honka and Ruth were sharing a bottle of gin. Probably encouraged by the drink, Ruth made light-hearted remarks that made Honka feel insecure. Instead of laughing it off, he reacted defensively, violently protective of his fragile ego.

As Honka's anger intensified, so did his confidence. He knew exactly how to take control of the situation. He picked up the gin bottle and struck it against Schultz's head. She collapsed, bleeding onto the floor, and he sprang forward to finish the job. He wrapped his hands around her throat and strangled her to death. Afterwards, exhausted and very drunk, Honka was faced with the task of getting rid of Ruth's body. She was heavier than the rest of his victims, and he strangled. struggled to lift her, but he didn't know what else to do, so he stumbled toward his front door

to take her to the attic. Still half drunk and not very strong, Honka struggled with the body in his arms. He didn't get very far. Frustrated, he dragged her body back into the apartment and retrieved his saw. He began the now familiar process of dismembering the body, cutting Schult into smaller, manageable pieces. When he was done, he stuffed the mangled, lifeless body behind a panel vent within his apartment. After his fourth murder, Honka laid low for a while. He continued to frequent the bars and go to work as a night watchman, but he needed a break from his usual routine.

As it turned out, Ruth Schultt may have been the last woman to spend the night in his apartment. The next visitors would arrive unannounced, and they'd be waiting in uniform. Coming up, a fire leads police to a great, Grizzly Discovery. Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points.

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controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to Epglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Ebbglis. Before starting Ebbglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask your doctor about Ebbglis. And visit ebglis.com or call 1-800-LillyRX or 1-800-545-979. Now back to the story. On the morning of July 17, 1975, 40-year-old Fritz Honka had just ended his shift as a night watchman at a shipyard.

He walked swiftly, ready to get home and pour himself a drink. But as he turned on to his street, he saw thick smoke pouring from his apartment block. Honka cautiously entered the building, climbing the stairs to the top floor where police and firemen were waiting. Gulping, he approached them and asked what was going on. One of the policemen explained that a fire had started after a downstairs tenant fell asleep while burning a candle. The candle fell over and the flames had spread throughout the building. Honka struggled to keep his composure as he watched investigators moving around his flat. Inside, the police had lined up the body parts of the four women Honka had killed over the previous five years.

The smells of decaying and burned flesh hung heavy in the air. Despite the clear evidence to the contrary, Honka tried to claim he knew nothing about the bodies that had been pulled from his walls, but the cops weren't buying it. They arrested him and took him to the police station for questioning. The next day, news of the dismembered bodies in the walls of a St. Polly apartment made the front page.

The media coverage was widespread, and local police were under intense pressure to punish the killer. But investigators had a hard road ahead of them. Even though the bodies were found in Honka's apartment, that didn't prove he was the killer. The bodies were considered circumstantial evidence, and surprisingly, weren't enough for Honka to be charged. The fact that some body parts were found in the attic next to Hanca's apartment left just enough room for reasonable doubt. It was possible that another resident could be responsible for everything, though no one found that very likely. To be certain, what the police needed was a

confession. Interrogators took their time with Honka. He'd been up all night working, and investigators hoped his exhaustion would work in their favor. However, after speaking with him for a while, they realized Honka wasn't their average criminal. He had very slurred speech, and after years of heavy drinking, he had a difficult time following the conversation. A confession suddenly seemed unlikely, which meant they had to come up with something

else. Back at the drawing board, the investigators set about trying to identify the bodies. Maybe that would help get them somewhere. It seemed like they might have gotten lucky when detectives discovered a stack of ID cards in Hanca's apartment. Apparently, he'd kept them as souvenirs from the sex workers he brought home. Using the IDs, the cops tracked down every woman. Surprisingly, they were all alive and well, which was good news, except that it left investigators back at square one. It wasn't a complete wash, though. One positive thing had come from their search. Detectives had interviewed many of the sex workers about honka, and the collection of stories was shocking. Slowly, they assembled a clearer picture of who their suspected killer was,

a sex-crazed violent drunk who released his pent-up aggressions on the women he brought home. One of the sex workers showed police a scar next to her genitals, where Honka had apparently tried to penetrate her with a broomstick. Another woman who had escaped his flat told the story of him sitting her bare bottom on a scorching hot plate. It was clear that Honka's violent streak had been alive and kicking for years. It was useful information to have about their suspect, but police were no closer to identifying the victims. So they broadened their search. collaborating with other precincts in Germany to compile a list of missing women. Eventually, they narrowed down the list to just four names, Gertroud Brower, Anna Boischel,

Frieder Roblich, and Ruth Schultt. Police sourced photos of each victim and showed them to Honka. He claimed to know who the women were, and even admitting to procuring their services, but he wouldn't admit to killing them. Not yet, anyway. But the police were as tenacious as Honka was stubborn. After relentless questioning, he finally confessed to the four murders and was charged with the crimes. However, his story wasn't over yet.

As his trial date, in November of 1976 approached, Honka suddenly revoked his confession. Somehow, Honka had landed Star Defense lawyer Rolf Bossie as his representation. Noticing his client's limited mental capabilities, Bossie insisted that Honka receive a psychological evaluation. That's when doctors determined that, that Honka was severely mentally ill. And things were about to get stranger. Honka claimed he couldn't be held responsible for the murders

because they were not his fault. He said that he'd been ordered to kill his victims by one of the most infamous serial killers of all time, Jack the Ripper. If Honka's claim was true, at least in that he genuinely believed what he was saying, then it's likely he was experiencing psychosis, which is hallmarked by a loss of contact with reality. According to the DSM-5, the primary symptoms of psychosis include the presence of hallucinations and delusions. Given Honka's testimony, it sounds like he was possibly experiencing auditory hallucinations, otherwise known as hearing voices.

Understandably, Honka's claims brought a sanity into question in the courtroom, making a state of mind an important factor for the jury to consider. Bossie's insistence that Hanca was not guilty by reason of psychosis, was just one defense. He also attempted to use Honka's heavy drinking as an excuse. Honka claimed that on the nights of the murders, he was so drunk he didn't remember killing his victims or dismembering and disposing of their bodies. Despite the gruesome nature of the murders, the defense was surprisingly effective. On December 20th, 1976, after a month-long trial, 41-year-old Fritz Honka was found guilty on three counts of manslaughter and one count of murder.

Instead of prison, Honka was sentenced to 15 years in a psychiatric hospital, and the controversial verdict sent shockwaves across Germany. Honka's crimes had made him famous, and he was nicknamed the St. Polly Ripper. Even a year after his arrest, his lenient sentence added to the sensationalism of the case, though not everyone was completely repulsed by the story. At some stage, Honka's favorite watering hole and hunting ground, the Golden Glove, was renamed to the Honka Saloon. What was once a seedy establishment frequented by St. Pauli's impoverished locals became a dark tourist attraction for thrill seekers from all over Europe. People wanted to visit the pub where Fritz Honka shared drinks with his victims.

As visitors raised a glass at his former haunt, Honka was treated at the psychics. psychiatric hospital for over a decade. Then in 1993, he was released to spend his last years in a nursing home. In 1998, he died at 63. Decades later, Hanca's legacy lives on in the city of Hamburg and beyond. In recent years, his story has been the subject of a prize-winning novel with its own film adaptation, and several German musicians have recorded songs about him. Because if there's one thing, people can't seem to get enough of, it's tales about the darker sides of human nature. Thanks again for tuning it to serial killers. We'll be back soon with a new episode. You can find more episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from

Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast. Executive Productions, Incuders include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Anthony Valsick, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Joshua Kern. This episode of serial killers was written by Asia Gallo, with writing assistance by Sarah Hussain and Joel Callan,

fact-checking by Anya Barely, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial Killers stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. Scotland Yard Confidential is the new Spotify original from Parkast. Enter the minds of some of the greatest detectives in history as they crack seemingly impossible cases. Join us for episodes airing weekly starting May 19th. Follow and listen for free on Spotify.

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