Mysterious murder of Cologne sunbed king - perpetrator on the run!

Mysterious murder of Cologne sunbed king - perpetrator on the run!

In Cologne, a tragic murder case is causing a lot of conversation and worrying people: the so-called “sunbed king” Phil Gießen was brutally killed on October 8, 2024 in his villa in the Hahnwald district. Gießen, the 74-year-old operator of a successful tanning salon chain, was found lifeless by an employee later that morning. The case is now attracting increasing attention as the circumstances surrounding the murder remain unclear.

The police are faced with a mystery and classify the murder as a robbery-homicide. A Cologne murder investigator, Ramona Breuer, spoke in the current ZDF program “Aktenzeichen XY… unsolved” and explained the details of the shocking crime. Giessen visited various tanning salons the evening before his death and reached his villa around 11 p.m. There was probably a confrontation with the perpetrators, who got into his house via a neighboring property.

The perpetrators and their escape

During the attack, the perpetrators stayed in the villa for around three hours and broke into a safe, from which they stole tens of thousands of euros in cash as well as a black leather jacket, which is still missing today. Breuer suspected that the perpetrators took the jacket with them to cover up potential traces. The police officers were also able to determine that the perpetrators escaped in a dark BMW - possibly a 1 or 3 series model. At the Cologne-South motorway intersection, investigators hoped to obtain valuable information from surveillance cameras.

Visitors to the show and viewers were able to help with information; The police received numerous calls during the broadcast, particularly about the missing jacket. In addition to cash and coins, this feedback is part of the collected knowledge that the police now use to convict the perpetrators.

Crime in focus

The number of murders is increasing not only because of the high-profile victim, but also against the background of increasing crime statistics in Germany. Over 5.63 million crimes were recorded in 2022, including an increase in theft and robbery crimes, questioning the population's sense of security. There were over 23,500 home break-ins in North Rhine-Westphalia - a worrying development that is also reflected in this murder case.

In the context of the horror surrounding the murder of Phil Gießen, those responsible for the Cologne criminal police have offered a reward of 35,000 euros for information that could help them catch the perpetrators. Witnesses are urged to come forward. Information can be submitted by telephone at 0221/229-0 or by email to poststelle.koeln@polizei.nrw.de.

It remains to be seen how the case will develop and whether the authorities will be able to hunt down the perpetrators. Giessen's conditions and the placement of crime on the agenda are likely to continue to play a role in the near future, while the people of Cologne live in fear for their safety.