Kidnapper and Murderer uses RPG as a bait

[Jürgen Hubert]

A spectacular and horrible case of kidnapping has caused an uproar here in Germany in recent weeks: A 27 year-old law student had befriended the son of a rich banker, and used that „friendship“ to kidnap and suffocate him. After that, he demanded a ransom of one million Euros (approximately one million dollars) from the boy’s father, and received it. He was caught by the police soon afterwards. The police still aren’t sure how it all happened, but the man’s guilt is pretty much clear from all the evidence.

That this is a sad and horrible case goes without saying, and most Germans are understandably angry at the kidnappers. Many people have called for the reestablishment of capital punishment. But all this isn’t relevant to role-playing games. However, today I read the following in my local newspaper (translated from German):


”A Role-Playing Game as a Bait

FRANKFURT/Main (AP/dpa) - The alleged murderer of Jakob von Metzler apparently has talked his victim into an “exiting role-playing game” called “Kidnapping” before the deed.
According to a report by Stern magazine, the 27 year-old man, who allegedly had participated in fantasy role-playing games with a medieval touch, had taped over first the mouth and then the nose of the unsuspecting boy. According to the investigators, this caused the 11 year-old Jakob von Metzler to suffocate.”

(Non-relevant portions of the article snipped.)

I’d like to stress here that it isn’t clear yet whether these links to RPGs are true. After all, while Stern isn’t a tabloid, it doesn’t have the best reputation either - I’d rank it equal to Newsweek in terms of reliability.

However, earlier reports did mention that the murderer had befriended the boy, and several other boys of the same age. Perhaps (and this is only my speculation) RPGs were the link here that made this possible

If this is true, things could get ugly for the German RPG scene. I will keep you informed if I learn more of this.

 

[Joshua Randall]

It sounds like the article is referring to role playing games in a more generic sense than the one we usually think of. Perhaps a more idiomatic translation of the concept would be make believe games?

From the context it sounds like the murderer somehow convinced his victim that the kidnapping and suffucation was only pretend (make believe). Thus a crude form of role playing. But not an RPG in the sense of D&D.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

It sounds like the article is referring to role playing games in a more generic sense than the one we usually think of. Perhaps a more idiomatic translation of the concept would be make believe games?

Well, the article was specifically mentioning that the 27 year-old used to play fantasy role-playing games (the exact phrase is "mittelalterlich angehauchte Fantasy-Rollenspiele"). To me, this either suggests pen & paper RPGs, Live RPGs, or possible medieval re-enactments like the SCA does. "Make-believe games" doesn't sound right here.

From the context it sounds like the murderer somehow convinced his victim that the kidnapping and suffucation was only pretend (make believe). Thus a crude form of role playing. But not an RPG in the sense of D&D.

Possibly. Unfortunately, I don't have the Stern article this one is referring to, and so we can only speculate...