Missing children of Pirmasens
The case of the missing children of Pirmasens refers to the disappearance of three German children in 1960, 1964, and 1967 in Pirmasens, who were suspected to have been murdered by a serial killer. Events In the years 1960, 1964, and 1967, two boys and a girl, aged between 8 and 10, disappeared. They were last seen near the area of Messeplatz in Pirmasens, Germany and all three abductions took place on a Friday. The children were never found, and the investigation went cold due to a lack of leads. 1973 investigations In 1973, a re-examination of the facts, in conjunction with offender profiling, brought new insights into the case. Following a checkout procedure, thousands of men in Pirmasens and the surrounding area were screened on the basis of suspicion. A then 42-year-old casual worker, who had known the boys well, became a preliminary suspect. He was often near the places where they later disappeared and led a "restless life." A son of a jeweler, he had been studying philosophy and psychology for a while, and in 1954 he began treatment for schizophrenia. He then lived in the wilderness in the forests around Pirmasens. During the 6-hour interrogations, he began