Gerd Wenzinger

Gerd Wenzinger (1943 – 16 June 1997), known as The Havel Ripper, was a German doctor and suspected serial killer, thought to have killed between 2 and at least 17 women in Germany and Brazil between 1991 and 1996. He committed suicide shortly after his extradition to his home country was approved.

Life Gerd Wenzinger was born in Sankt Blasien in 1943 (or, according to other sources, 1941 or 1942), the second of three children. From an early age, he had an affinity for music and art, playing the violin, as well as having a keen interest in painting and modelling.

After graduating from high school, Wenzinger began studying mathematics and physics, but later switched to medicine. After four years of being together, he and his wife separated, and from then on, he had only temporary relationships with various women.

In 1978, Gerd settled as a general practitioner in Stuttgart. In 1990, one of his partners accidentally discovered secretly filmed video footage of Wenzinger torturing his patients during treatment. The tape was sent to the authorities and the medical association, which forced him to forfeit his medical license. Wenzinger ended his practice and moved to Berlin the following year. His neighbours described him as a nice and polite man, who had many lovers. Two of his would-be murder victims were introduced to the neighbours as friends when they were still alive.

Gerd notably often went on vacations to Brazil. At the time of his death, he was imprisoned in the country for a sexual offence. Brazilian media reported that he had tortured around 90 women, mostly prostitutes, killing four of them. In some cases, the deeds were recorded on video. Various lawsuits against Wenzinger, including for rape and sexual abuse of minors, were filed, but the proceedings were dropped in 1993.

Shortly after his first suicide attempt, Wenzinger gave the Brazilian media an interview in which he denied killing Franzke, but admitted to dismembering her body. He claimed that she had died from a heroin overdose, but no trace of the narcotic was found in her body.