SWAKOPMUND – An investigating officer in the murder case against Ernest Lichtenstrasser, says that the state does not have eyewitnesses to the murders but has overwhelming forensic evidence in the matter. 
Lichtenstrasser, a Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (Nimt) employee is the only suspect in the matter.

Detective Inspector Reinhardt Maletzky yesterday told the court that police carried out diligent investigations to obtain evidence against Lichtenstrasser to build a strong case. 
Lichtenstrasser is accused of murdering Nimt Executive Director Eckhart  Mueller and his deputy Heimo Hellwig in Arandis on 15 April.

Maletzky yesterday told the court during the continuation of Lichtenstrasser’s bail application that the accused’s claim that he was forced to confess to the murder was not true. 
“He made the confessions out of free will and even told police that they would not find the murder weapon even with a chopper,” Maletzky said. 

Maletzky also told the court that Lichtenstrasser was heard saying “everything went wrong” and that the police were with him, minutes before he was taken in at the Karibib Engen Service Station for questioning for the murders.

According to Maletzky’s testimony, Lichtenstrasser also contemplated suicide but had to tell himself that the deceased were the enemy. 
Maletzky said that during questioning, Lichtenstrasser also asked to be shot by one of the investigators so that the investigator can become a hero. 

He also asked for his shoe laces, presumably to commit suicide with, and to be left alone. 
According to Maletzky, Lichtenstrasser told investigators that he saw the deceased’s car in front of the building and went to park behind them. 

“He told us that he just wanted to talk to the deceased persons and Hellwig asked what he was doing here. He became angry and took out his pistol that dates back from his Karibib stash and shot Hellwig first and the same bullet went through Helwig and hit Mueller and then went on to firing more shots,” Maletzky said. 
He added that Lichtenstrasser was never threatened or told that his wife will be arrested too, nor was he denied access to a lawyer or his wife. 

 Maletzky also told the court that they, during the investigation, collected 53 empty. 9 millimeter cartridges.
“The firearm report came back and all cartridges found at the murder scene shooting range and Lichtenstrasser’s house all match,” Maletzky said.