Kidnapped Teen Found Dead: German Businessman’s Daughter Killed In Botched Kidnapping
A kidnapped teen has been found dead after a German businessman’s daughter was killed in a botched kidnapping, authorities confirmed on Tuesday, August 18.
After an intense search, police discovered a body of a teen girl in a farmyard near the village of Klipphausen, in the east of Germany, according to Sport Act. It was later determined that the body belonged to 17-year-old Anneli-Marie R., the daughter of a wealthy businessman in Germany, whose name has not been released.
Anneli-Marie was last seen on Thursday as she left her rural home to walk the family dog at around 7:30 p.m. Not long after, at approximately 7:57 p.m., one of the kidnappers called Anneli-Marie’s father on her cell phone, demanding 1.2 million euros ($1.3 million) ransom for her release, according to Reuters, reported via Yahoo News. The father could hear his daughter screaming in the background of the call. He pleaded for her life, and when the call ended, he immediately went out to search for her. However, all he found was the dog, alive, and her abandoned bicycle.
Body of missing German teen found after kidnappers demand $1.2 million #Dateline http://t.co/eTcvS3fFo1 pic.twitter.com/Tic05l273V
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“In this telephone conversation, one of the perpetrators said Anneli was kidnapped by them and that he demanded a €1.2m ransom,” Dresden police chief Dieter Kroll said. “In the background, one could hear screams and this is presumably the last sign of life of Anneli and the telephone conversation, which was very short, was then finished and interrupted.”
Anneli-Marie’s parents also wrote a letter to the kidnappers, asking for them to return their daughter, and assuring them that their demands had been met, the Daily Mail reports.
“The kidnappers should know that we will fulfill their demands in order to be able to take our child in our arms again soon,” the letter read.
Police believe Anneli-Marie’s abductors killed her because they had not worn masks when they took her, and she would be able to identify them to the police. They also believe she wasn’t chosen at random, and the kidnappers had studied her Facebook page to be able to identify her.
“All our hopes and prayers have come to nothing,” Kroll said in a press conference, adding that they had the two suspects in custody.
Unemployed Markus B., 39, and metalworker Norbert K., 61, have been arrested and are being charged with the girl’s murder. According to police, one of the men admitted that he “bundled her into his car” on Thursday as she was walking the dog.
[Photo via Shutterstock]
