A 64-year-old German is said to have murdered his 71-year-old co-sailor. This was reported by the Swedish magazine "Aftonbladet". On the way back after the International Multihull Meeting 2024 off Horten in the Oslo Fjord, there were arguments. Very little is known so far about what actually happened on board. However, the situation probably escalated to such an extent last Thursday that the suspect threw his victim, who may have already been seriously injured, overboard in the Swedish archipelago.
It is said to have been spotted in the water there, whereupon an emergency call was made. It is even possible that the suspected murderer could have triggered the subsequent search operation himself. The 71-year-old was rescued by rescue workers, but was pronounced dead in hospital. A violent crime is assumed, the exact cause of death is unknown.
More Crime:
Prosecutor: "The men became enemies on the ship"
The suspect was arrested by the police and is currently in custody in Gothenburg. Together with his lawyer Frederik Zenngard from the Swedish law firm Advokatbyrån Fenix, he appeared before the Gothenburg District Court on Saturday morning. Zenngard denies any criminal offence committed by his client and would not comment on the events on board.
Senior public prosecutor Maria Thorell, however, is convinced that the two sailors were quarrelling and, according to several media reports, said: "They know each other, they sailed together. The men became enemies on the ship."
How the situation could degenerate after the regatta, which lasted several days, now needs to be clarified. The confiscated F24 trimaran "Jolly" and the participation of the two Berliners in the regatta are also part of the investigation. The German duo was one of 37 starters at the International Multihull Meeting 2024, but there are no results yet. The event, which is held every two years, is characterised by friendly gatherings and always takes place at different locations. The premiere took place in Hönö (Sweden) in 1977, and the event last stopped in Bremerhaven in 2022.
