Brit, 70, is extradited to Germany over brutal murder of a pensioner who was found bludgeoned to death in a bath in 1979

• A 69-year-old man was found dead in a bathtub on 2 January 1979 
• Indictment against unnamed Brit, aged 70, was filed at the state court in Munich

A Brit has been extradited to Germany and charged with the murder of a man nearly 45 years ago, according to German officials.

A 69-year-old man was last seen on 30 December 1978, in the company of a younger man, according to police investigator Stephan Beer.

On 2 January 1979, he was found dead in a bathtub after he failed to respond to calls from relatives.

A post-mortem examination found that he died following at least 10 blows to the head, which is believed to have been inflicted with a 1kg (2.2lb) bronze pestle that was found at the scene.

Three fingerprints were also found, which could not be attributed to anyone at the time.

Cash and keys were stolen from the property along with a ring, which was found around a week later on a building site at Munich’s main station.

Investigators were unable to find a suspect at the time, although they offered a reward and issued an identikit picture of the man’s companion. 

An indictment against an unnamed Briton, now aged 70, was filed at the state court in Munich, prosecutor Juliane Grotz said. Pictured: Stock image of Munich

The Brit  was arrested in late March and extradited in early April to the Bavarian city where he has been in custody since. Pictured: A stock image of Munich 

An indictment against an unnamed Briton, now aged 70, was filed at the state court in Munich, prosecutor Juliane Grotz said.

He was arrested in late March and extradited in early April to the Bavarian city where he has been in custody since.

In 2005, evidence found at the scene was examined for DNA and in 2018, officials looked at their files again and sought to find a match with the fingerprints – at first unsuccessfully.

But in November 2021, they were informed of a match with a person living in England. In January, German prosecutors sought an arrest warrant.

Mr Beer said that the suspect has not commented on the case against him but told an officer that he had been in Munich in 1978 during his transfer to Germany.

He said that he does not have a previous police record in Germany.

Mr Beer said: ‘Files are not closed here if we think we still have promising investigations. That was the case here.’

German officials have not identified the victim or the suspect, in accordance with local privacy rules.

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