German fugitive murderer caught in the Netherlands

German fugitive murderer caught in the Netherlands.

A GERMAN fugitive murderer, who escaped the country two days ago, has been caught in the Netherlands by Dutch police.

The man, Ralf Hörstemeier, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Nicole Schalla (16) but managed to escape to the Netherlands before he was due to go to start his sentence.

The 57-year-old managed to rip off his electronic monitoring ankle cuff in Gremmendorf, Germany and fled to the neighbouring country. Police had been searching for him and his partner Doro L. (54), who they believe helped in the escape.

An international arrest warrant had also been in place for Hörstemeier and investigators managed to track him down on Thursday, December 23 and arrest him.

Hörstemeier was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Dortmund Regional Court on January 25, 2021, years after the violent death of Nicole Schalla, who was then 16 years old. During a sexually motivated attack, the man strangled her to death in a suburb of Dortmund in 1993.

However, the verdict only became effective on December 14, 2021, because an appeal was rejected. Since then he had been adjudged to be of no risk of escaping and had remained free after the guilty verdict and fitted with an ankle cuff.

Analysis of the data stored on the electronic ankle cuff led investigators to believe he was heading for the Netherlands and the Münster police announced on Friday, December 24, Hörstemeier had finally been arrested by Dutch police – together with his fiancée.

An investigation is now being launched against Doro L whilst the fugitive will now be taken to prison.

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