Unbelievable: killing your own mother with a shot to the head. Markus S. (32) from Pinzgau did that in the autumn and he admits it. He describes how in the Salzburg Regional Court and explains: He wanted to put her out of suffering. The unanimous, but not final verdict: 18 years in prison for murder.
Sonja S. (55) was sitting on the couch in her house in Lofer watching television on November 23, 2023. The son entered the living room with a “Baikal” shotgun in his hand, pointed the long gun very close to the woman’s face – and said: “Mom, I’m sorry. I can not help it.’ Then he pulled the trigger. Sonja S. died immediately. He then hugged her and then called the police.
This is exactly how Markus S., the murder suspect, described it on Friday in the Salzburg Regional Court. The audience at the trial also hears the emergency call that S. made shortly after the crime: “I just shot my mother,” S. said clearly and almost friendly to the police officer in dialect.
Trained nurse, but unemployed for five years
“We will not fully understand it even after the trial,” prosecutor Robert Holzleitner begins his plea and talks about the Pinzgauer’s past: Since 2019, he has been “alone on the first floor of the apartment building,” the prosecutor said. , which reported “significant ‘psychological problems’ of the suspect, which led to social withdrawal. “That is why the question of why is central to the process.”
The suspect was addicted and suffered from depression
Because: “Yes, he is guilty. There is no way to justify this act,” emphasizes lawyer Peter Macheiner. He describes the incident as a “human and family tragedy” and also briefly talks about the life of Markus S.: he grew up with his mother and grandmother. “Very well protected,” will be heard during the trial. He completed the same nursing training as his mother, worked in the same nursing home and lived in the same house all his life: his mother on the ground floor, he on the first floor. Depression, anxiety disorders and a syndrome diagnosed twenty years ago caused him to become addicted to medication. “He trusted doctors and became addicted. “It became a constant battle,” Macheiner says.
On that day, withdrawal symptoms in combination with alcohol abuse played a role: he had a blood alcohol level of 2.3 per mille. S. himself describes how he woke up that day, took the bottle and realized his personal setback. At that moment he is said to have made the decision to kill his mother: ‘So that she no longer has to suffer because of me.’ Judge Martina Kocher then confronts him with the words: ‘And then you just decide that you’. Are you going to take your mother’s life? She could have sought help herself.” S. cannot find the correct answer.
And the two long guns he legally owned because he went to the shooting range every now and then: “Isn’t that problematic with her depression. “Did your psychotherapist say anything about that?” Kocher wanted to know. No, says S., that was no problem.
The jury’s unanimous verdict Friday afternoon: 18 years in prison, not final.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
