08.11.2019 Update – Observations, DNA sampling and more house raids –
Some (older and newer) news about the park bench 3.
According to the Public prosecutor’s office, on the evening of the arrest one of the accused was watched filling a canister with petrol at a petrol station. Two of the defendants are said to have been observed from their home to the park bench, where they were then checked and arrested by several civilian dressed police officers. As already stated, DNA was taken from the two companions in custody. The DNA extraction of the 3rd person was (at that time) not ordered because the DNA traces found on the examined evidence were (albeit very weakly) only of male origin. This meant that the accused was not a possible culprit. After a complaint from the General Public prosecutor’s office, the regional court Hamburg decided to request the DNA of the 3rd person. The reason given by the experts a the LKA (State Criminal Police Office) is a concern due to „complex mixed traces“ found. All three DNA samples will presumably also be compared with the BKA (Federal Criminal Police Office) database, as this order was also issued. On 09.10.2019 there was another house raid of the 3rd person accused. The cops went into the flat alone, the only „witness“ was the locksmith. Officially, the reason for the raid was to find handwritten records for a comparative writing report. The LKA were searching for the author of a note that was confiscated during the arrest. It has also become clear that further investigations are being carried out and, in particular, further persons are being looked for. During the house search, the LKA made it clear that people close of the three accused are being observed and are known by name. Following the house raid, DNA was also taken from the third defendant. The latest decision made by the regional court regarding the DNA of the third person has however, been challenged again. Currently, a new decision of the district court is awaited and the DNA, which lies with the cops, may not be (further) analysed, for the time being. At the present time, a new remand review will not be applied for. The reason for this being that while the obvious ongoing investigation is happening, that the State lawyers will withhold information. Which means that a hearing resulting in the two leaving remand prison will be almost impossible to grant. If the Prosecutor General’s Office remains within the 6-month framework, the indictment must be issued before the turn of the year and the first trial date must take place before 8 January 2020.