The Creepy Truth About The Hinterkaifeck Murders

Despite the Gruber family's reputation for keeping to themselves, the town became concerned when the younger Cäzilia didn't come to school on April 1. Soon, the family's absence from church was noticed, as was the considerable amount of mail for them piling up at the post office. By April 4, a search party was assembled by neighboring families, led by Lorenz Schlittenbauer, a farmer who had previously had a relationship with the widowed Viktoria. What they found was a truly shocking, grisly scene, and you might want to skip the next paragraph if you don't care for those kinds of details.

According to Atlas Obscura, the elder Cäzilia had her skull cracked from multiple blows to the head, as well as bearing signs of strangulation. Andreas had blood caked all over his face, which was described as "shredded," with his cheek bones sticking out of his ragged flesh. The daughter Viktoria also had her skull shattered, with signs that her face had been hit with a blunt object. The young Cäzilia had her jaw shattered and her face and neck were covered with slashing wounds. These bodies were found in the barn covered with hay, while the maid Maria and little Josef were found inside the farmhouse, covered with sheets and a dress, respectively. The two of them seem to have died fairly quickly after a number of blows to the head and face. The tool used in the murders was likely a mattock, a pickaxe-like tool used for digging.

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