U.S. Soldier Faces Extradition in Cold Case Murder of Pregnant German Student

DEGermany|

More than 45 years after the murder of Cornelia Hümpfer, a former student, her alleged killer, ex-U.S. soldier Tommy M., may soon be extradited from the United States to Germany. The District Court in Lincoln approved a murder charge against him, citing credible evidence.

Cornelia Hümpfer's body was discovered on April 20, 1978, in a ditch near Kolitzheim, shortly after she had informed friends she was going to practice with her church music group. Investigators believe she met Tommy M., who allegedly killed her with 14 stab wounds.

Police had interviewed Tommy M. just five days post-murder, as he was driving a military vehicle similar to one seen at the scene. Early evidence linked him to the crime, including unique patterns from his car mats that matched impressions on the victim's clothing. However, he claimed to have been home, a statement his wife could not corroborate.

Breakthroughs in DNA testing led to new evidence, including traces of Tommy M.'s semen found on Hümpfer's knee. Testimonies from four witnesses suggest he confessed the crime over the years. His ex-wife reported a confession after their divorce in 1995, alleging Hümpfer was pregnant and had threatened to reveal the affair to Tommy M.'s wife.

Tommy M. has previously dismissed incriminating statements as drunken exaggerations, but authorities in Schweinfurt are hopeful about his imminent extradition, aiming to bring him to justice at Frankfurt Airport.

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