According to media reports, the victims were a German artist couple.
A brutal knife attack took place on Wednesday in Zala County, western Hungary. Police said that a married couple was found in their home in the town of Pacsa with multiple stab wounds. Paramedics airlifted the woman to hospital with life-threatening injuries, while her husband died at the scene.
Shortly after the incident, police issued a nationwide alert for a 62-year-old German citizen. The suspect was caught the following morning. (Police video about the man’s arrest.)
Police held a press conference on Thursday to provide details of the case. According to investigators, an emergency call was received on January 28 at 12:17 p.m. reporting that a bleeding woman had asked construction workers for help on Gagarin Street in Pacsa.
Officers immediately went to the location, where they found the injured woman and her husband inside their home. Both had suffered multiple stab wounds. Paramedics managed to stabilize the woman’s condition and transported her to hospital by helicopter with life-threatening injuries. Despite rapid medical intervention, her husband died at the scene. Police said he had been stabbed in the heart seven times.
Meanwhile, another report came in that a man had been seen wandering near the edge of the town with blood on his clothes and head.
Police launched a large-scale manhunt, analyzing CCTV footage and searching the area with dogs and drones. During the search, the suspect’s trousers and jacket were also found.
As a result of the investigation, the suspect was identified and arrested late that evening in neighboring Somogy County. During a search of his home, police found two firearms and ammunition, which he was not licensed to possess. The knife believed to have been used in the attack was recovered from his car.
Investigators from the Zala County Police Headquarters questioned the 62-year-old German man on suspicion of attempted murder committed against multiple victims with premeditation, as well as illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The suspect denied the charges and refused to confess. He was taken into custody, and police have initiated pretrial detention.
As the suspect has not given a statement, the motive remains unclear. The injured woman has not yet been questioned, as she is currently on a ventilator.
According to a local news outlet, the suspect was born in Landau in der Pfalz, Germany, and had previously built a swimming pool for the couple. Investigators believe a financial or contractual dispute may have led to the conflict, but this has not yet been confirmed.
The news portal 24.hu reported that the victims were a well-known artist couple. The 66-year-old man and his 70-year-old wife had moved to Pacsa several years ago.
