The Trial

During his trial at the District Court in Hamburg, Fritz Honka was represented by star of Munich’s legal scene, Rolf Bossi. Referring to the psychiatric evaluation, Bossi had Honka classified as having a “severe mental illness with a value of deviation.” Honka’s lawyer’s defense was based around the premise that only the killing of Anna Beuschel could be classified as murder. Because of the alleged vision of Jack the Ripper, the court granted the lawyer’s application that Honka should not be found guilty of the three other deaths. The final, shocking verdict of the court was, instead of a life sentence, Honka should be imprisoned for 15 years in a psychiatric hospital.