German court frees man after serving 13 years in prison for murder

After serving more than 13 years in jail, the accused perpetrator of Germany's infamous "bathtub murder" was found not guilty at a second trial.

After being found guilty of suffocating an elderly woman in the bathtub of the Bavarian apartment complex where he worked as a caretaker, Manfred Genditzki fought for a retrial for years.

Elisabeth Ehrl, the presiding judge, informed Mr. Genditzki on Friday that "now is the time. You finally heard the legal opinion for which you waited nearly 14 years.

She declared that the government was obligated to make up for the erroneously imposed prison sentence.

The judge determined that the elderly woman, for whose suspected murder Mr. Genditzki had previously received a life sentence, most likely passed away in an accident and wasn't at all the victim of a crime.

It had been proven by experts that a crime was unlikely. A homicide was "theoretically possible," according to one expert, but there was "no actual evidence" to support it.

At Mr. Genditzki's retrial, the prosecution had petitioned the court to grant him an acquittal.

The 63-year-old Mr. Genditzki responded calmly to the verdict, but the entire courtroom was overcome with emotion. He has continuously insisted that he is innocent in the matter.

Mr. Genditzki is now entitled to compensation after being found not guilty, which some people believe is far too little. He will receive €368,400 ($401,000), or €75 for each day he was incarcerated.

He could seek monetary damages, such as lost wages while incarcerated, in addition to compensation. 

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