Lichtenstrasser guilty of NIMT murders
"When you connect the dots, it only points to one person, and that is the accused."
This was Judge Christie Liebenberg's verdict yesterday in the Windhoek High Court when he found Ernst Lichtenstrasser guilty of the 2019 murders of Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) director Eckhart Mueller and his deputy Heimo Hellwig.
Lichtenstrasser was also found guilty on a charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice and five other charges related to weapons and ammunition as well as a charge of illegal possession of a shotgun, illegal possession of ammunition and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
This because he buried a 9mm Beretta pistol, with which the murders were committed, in the desert.
Liebenberg found it unlikely that the DNA found on Lichtenstrasser's clothing, at the murder scene and on the gun holster found with the pistol would have matched if he had not been present at the murder scene.
A recording which Liebenberg allowed as evidence after an internal hearing is also, according to him, a full admission of guilt.
Psychologist's speculation
Liebenberg further cast doubt on the account of one of Lichtenstrasser's witnesses, psychologist Ute Sinkala. He questioned why none of the individuals she named in her report were called to testify to corroborate the report's findings.
"The report contains a fair amount of speculation in its findings," Liebenberg said.
He also argued that Sinkala made no effort to familiarise herself with the evidence.
According to the judge, Sinkala's report made broad references to events in Lichtenstrasser's life and did not take into account his state of mind on the day of his guilty plea.
Afterthought
The last three charges, which are all related to a gun Lichtenstrasser stole from the safe of gunsmith Hendrik de Villiers, are not a duplication, Liebenberg said, as they are the result of three separate criminal intentions.
Lichtenstrasser was found guilty on charges of theft, the illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal supply of a firearm because he gave the stolen firearm to his farmworker. The farmworker was acquitted of all charges against him in connection with the stolen firearm as, according to Liebenberg, he did not share Lichtenstrasser's intentions.
In his ruling, the judge said Lichtenstrasser's explanation of his actions in the days after the murders "had all the characteristics of being an afterthought".
"The probable events are not favourable to the accused's claim that his presence in the area was accidental."
Court proceedings will resume on 14 November, with the State set to call witnesses to aggravate the sentence. Lichtenstrasser will then be able to call his own witnesses to mitigate his sentence, before a date for his sentencing will be set.
– [email protected]
This was Judge Christie Liebenberg's verdict yesterday in the Windhoek High Court when he found Ernst Lichtenstrasser guilty of the 2019 murders of Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) director Eckhart Mueller and his deputy Heimo Hellwig.
Lichtenstrasser was also found guilty on a charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice and five other charges related to weapons and ammunition as well as a charge of illegal possession of a shotgun, illegal possession of ammunition and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
This because he buried a 9mm Beretta pistol, with which the murders were committed, in the desert.
Liebenberg found it unlikely that the DNA found on Lichtenstrasser's clothing, at the murder scene and on the gun holster found with the pistol would have matched if he had not been present at the murder scene.
A recording which Liebenberg allowed as evidence after an internal hearing is also, according to him, a full admission of guilt.
Psychologist's speculation
Liebenberg further cast doubt on the account of one of Lichtenstrasser's witnesses, psychologist Ute Sinkala. He questioned why none of the individuals she named in her report were called to testify to corroborate the report's findings.
"The report contains a fair amount of speculation in its findings," Liebenberg said.
He also argued that Sinkala made no effort to familiarise herself with the evidence.
According to the judge, Sinkala's report made broad references to events in Lichtenstrasser's life and did not take into account his state of mind on the day of his guilty plea.
Afterthought
The last three charges, which are all related to a gun Lichtenstrasser stole from the safe of gunsmith Hendrik de Villiers, are not a duplication, Liebenberg said, as they are the result of three separate criminal intentions.
Lichtenstrasser was found guilty on charges of theft, the illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal supply of a firearm because he gave the stolen firearm to his farmworker. The farmworker was acquitted of all charges against him in connection with the stolen firearm as, according to Liebenberg, he did not share Lichtenstrasser's intentions.
In his ruling, the judge said Lichtenstrasser's explanation of his actions in the days after the murders "had all the characteristics of being an afterthought".
"The probable events are not favourable to the accused's claim that his presence in the area was accidental."
Court proceedings will resume on 14 November, with the State set to call witnesses to aggravate the sentence. Lichtenstrasser will then be able to call his own witnesses to mitigate his sentence, before a date for his sentencing will be set.
– [email protected]
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