German police have launched a murder investigation after a 50-year-old woman was found dead on the floor of her own snack bar on Saturday morning.
Authorities were called to an establishment in Hünxe-Drevenack shortly after 10:30 a.m. where 50-year-old Yüksel Y. was found lifeless with multiple stab wounds.
An autopsy report suggested the attack occurred before the restaurant had opened for the day, and police are investigating whether it was a random attack or a personal vendetta against the woman.
The victim’s vehicle remained parked outside the property on Sunday as police searched the premises. Her car’s trunk was full of food and drinks, which suggested she had probably arrived at the restaurant shortly after shopping for the day’s groceries. Police believe the attacker could have seen her pull up and enter the premises alone before following her in at the side entrance.
The CCTV footage within the property was disconnected with the cables hanging loose, suggesting that the perpetrator either noticed the surveillance equipment on the spot before the attack and deactivated it, or had known ahead of time the property had security footage and sabotaged the equipment.
Mourners in the town left flowers outside the crime scene on Sunday, and a handwritten note from the victim’s grieving family was left on the shop door which read: “For family reasons, our snack bar remains closed. We thank you for your understanding.”
Despite unconfirmed reports from Germany that the attacker was of Arab appearance, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office said on Sunday that they would not be providing any information about possible suspects at this time.