DUISBURG — 1976 · Serial Murder
The "Ruhr Cannibal" Case
Joachim Kroll carried out a series of murders targeting women and children in and around the Ruhr region between 1955 and 1976. For years the cases were not linked, and other people were wrongly suspected or even convicted for some of the killings. Kroll was arrested on 3 July 1976 at his apartment building in Duisburg-Laar during a search for a missing child. Although he confessed to many more killings, after a 151-day trial the court on 8 April 1982 sentenced him to life for eight murders and one attempted murder. Kroll died of a heart attack in prison in 1991. The case prompted debate over why links between serial crimes had been missed in West Germany.
- Date
- 1976
- Place
- North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Duisburg, DE
- Category
- Serial Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 51.4675, 6.7385 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1955The first killing linked to the series took place near Lüdinghausen.
- 1959–1966Unlinked killings continued across the Ruhr region.
- 3 July 1976The offender was arrested in Duisburg-Laar.
- 8 April 1982He was sentenced to life for eight murders.
- 1 July 1991He died in prison.
Sources
- Crime + Investigation — Joachim Kroll crimeandinvestigation.de ↗
- Wikipedia — Joachim Kroll en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Crime + Investigation
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.