German Man Suspected Of Killing 21 Coworkers
Police in northwestern Germany have arrested a 56-year-old man after they suspect he is responsible for up to 21 of his coworkers’ deaths. The discovery came about after an employee at ARI Armaturen in the town of Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock noticed some white powder on his food. The unnamed man notified his superiors and asked them to check security cameras to see if anyone tampered with his food.
The cameras showed the 56-year-old suspect adding the substance to the person’s food. Initially it was thought that this was just a prank between two coworkers – “In the beginning we thought it was a misconceived prank between co-workers, and not a murder attempt,” Tilo Blechinger, manager for ARI Armaturen, told local reporters.
Police were notified and launched an investigation and determined that the white powder was lead acetate. Lead acetate is an almost tasteless substance that is incredibly toxic; causing serious organ damage in those who ingest it. After discovering this, police searched the 56-year-old male’s home and discovered mercury, cadmium, and lead, which can be used to poison people.
On Wednesday German authorities announced that they have created a 15-member squad tasked with looking into the deaths of 21 employees at the company since 2000. Currently, two employees are in a coma and one is receiving dialysis. Many of the employees who died during the 18 year period passed away due to heart attacks or cancer, and both of these causes of deaths can be linked to heavy metal poisoning.
Belchinger described the 56-year-old employee as “conspicuously inconspicuous,” and noted that he had worked at the company for almost four decades.
