School shooter left chilling message for mum about his cat before killing 10
The Austrian school massacre gunman begged his mum to take care of his cat in a video message before he killed 10 people. Artur A, 21, was pictured for the first time yesterday – holding the pet – as it emerged he asked for his mother's forgiveness for 'what I'm about to do'.
By the time she saw the video, he had already carried out Tuesday's rampage at his former school in Graz. A non-functional pipe bomb and a note were uncovered by police at his home. Pals suggested the attack could be an act of revenge after he failed the sixth- form exam and quit school. In the 'farewell letter', he reportedly said he had felt bullied.
The killer was armed with a legally-owned Glock pistol and a shotgun when he stormed BORG Dreierschützengasse high school. He killed a female teacher, 59, and nine pupils aged 14 to 17 before taking his own life in a toilet, local media reported.
Lea Bajrami, 15, originally from Kosovo, was among the dead in the worst massacre in Austria's recent history. Her aunt Muhabi posted a picture of her and wrote: 'With a broken heart and great pain, we inform family, friends that our niece, Lea Ilir Bajrami tragically lost her life in the attack in Graz, Austria.
'We pray for her soul and express our gratitude to all those who share our pain in these difficult times.' Lea was one of six girls killed alongside three boys in the bloodbath in two classrooms in south-east Austria.
Hana Akmadzicis, 15, was the second victim to be named. Her uncle Ilhad said: 'She was my child, not just my niece. A flower of paradise. I can't believe she's gone.'
The gunman was not known to police, and a motive is yet to be confirmed. Shocking footage showed pupils fleeing the scene as heavily armed police entered the 400-pupil school and helped evacuate students from the building.
Officials said 28 people were injured, 12 of them seriously, with two said to be critical. One was reportedly shot in the head. A minute's silence was held yesterday at the start of three days of national mourning.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Fritzl case led Badenoch to ‘reject God', says Tory leader
The case of Austrian sex offender Josef Fritzl caused Kemi Badenoch to lose her faith in God, the Conservative leader has said. In an interview with the BBC, Mrs Badenoch said she was 'never that religious' while growing up but 'believed there was a God' and 'would have defined myself as a Christian apologist'. But this changed in 2008 when she read reports that Fritzl had imprisoned and repeatedly raped his daughter, Elisabeth, in his basement over 24 years. Mrs Badenoch, whose maternal grandfather was a Methodist minister, said: 'I couldn't stop reading this story. And I read her account, how she prayed every day to be rescued. 'And I thought, I was praying for all sorts of stupid things and I was getting my prayers answered. I was praying to have good grades, my hair should grow longer, and I would pray for the bus to come on time so I wouldn't miss something. 'It's like, why were those prayers answered and not this woman's prayers? And it just, it was like someone blew out a candle.' But she insisted that while she had 'rejected God', she had not rejected Christianity and remained a 'cultural Christian', saying she wanted to 'protect certain things because I think the world that we have in the UK is very much built on many Christian values'. During her interview, which is due to be broadcast on Thursday evening, Mrs Badenoch also said her tenure as Conservative leader was going 'well', adding her job was to 'make sure that people can see that we are the only party on the centre-right'. In an apparent dig at Nigel Farage's Reform UK, she said: 'There are pretenders. We're the only party on the centre-right, and we're the only ones who still believe in values like living within our means, personal responsibility, making sure that the government is not getting involved in everything so it can focus on the things it needs to look at, like securing our borders.' She went on to defend previous comments saying the fact she had worked at McDonald's made her working class, saying: 'I had to work to live. 'That, for me, is what being working class is. It's the lifestyle that you have. You have to work, to survive.' And she argued that parents who were 'worried about their children getting stolen or snatched' had created a younger generation that lacked the 'resilience' to deal with problems in life. Responding to figures suggesting a quarter of people aged 16-24 said they had a mental disorder, Mrs Badenoch said: 'I think they think they have a mental disorder, I don't think they all have a mental disorder.' She added: 'I'm not a medical expert so it is not my expertise on exactly what we need to do to get them into work, but we should be trying to get them into work.'
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
How Monster of Rillington Place evaded justice for evil killing spree…& why secret doc could prove he had MORE victims
PURE EVIL How Monster of Rillington Place evaded justice for evil killing spree…& why secret doc could prove he had MORE victims Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JOHN Christie is one of Britain's most notorious serial killers - a soft-spoken gentleman on the outside but a perverse and sadistic predator underneath. He targeted women, usually strangling and raping his victims, before burying them in the garden at the infamous 10 Rillington Place, in Notting Hill, London. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 16 Serial killer John Christie murdered at least eight victims, including a baby Credit: Alamy 16 Christie covers his face as he's led to court 16 10 Rillington Place in west London where Christie hid many of the bodies Credit: Getty Christie carried out a decade-long murder spree from 1943, initially while working as a War Reserve Police officer following the Blitz. The monster used his role patrolling the streets of London to hunt out his victims and hid behind his uniform to lure women into a false sense of security. Despite racking up a gruesome kill count of at least eight victims, Christie managed to fly under the radar, in part thanks to a police blunder. It was only after his crime spree was finally exposed that Christie became known as the "Monster of Rillington Place". Now The Sun can reveal that Christie may have admitted to more victims after a bombshell piece of evidence was uncovered. Kate Summerscale - who wrote The Peepshow, a book on Christie - has also told how the killer was able to evade detection for so long. She said: "His first murder, that we know of, was just a case of opportunity. 'He was patrolling the streets of London during black outs, during bombing raids - he had the authority of the uniform." She added: "There was such chaos during the blitz, during the war people went missing, bodies were found, it was an environment in which people who wanted to do things might feel the power to do them." Christie had invited 21-year-old Austrian munitions worker and prostitute Ruth Fuerst back to his flat on August 24, 1943, while his wife Ethel was away. New York's most feared serial killer told me he was hunting women, but wanted to be a 'hero.' After having sex, he impulsively strangled her and stowed her body beneath the floorboards. Christie then had a sinister change of heart and buried Ruth in the back garden the following evening - the first of many victims to be hidden at 10 Rillington Place. The murder sparked a grisly spree across London that left local women terrified of going out alone. Nine years earlier, Christie and his wife Ethel - who would go onto be one of his later murder victims - had moved into the modest home - one of four families crammed into the squalid terraced block. The year after he left the reserve police, Christie took up employment as a clerk at an Acton radio factory, where he met colleague Muriel Amelia Eady - his second victim. On October 7 1944, Christie invited Eady back to his flat, promising he'd concocted a mixture that could cure her bronchitis. He in fact tricked her into inhaling domestic gas - which at the time had a 15% carbon monoxide content - through a tube. While Eady was unconscious he raped and strangled her before burying her next to Fuerst. 16 Police digging up the garden at 10 Rillington Place Credit: Getty Images 16 Crowds gathering outside 10 Rillington Place during the trial Credit: Getty Images 16 Christie stalked the streets of London during World War Two in police uniform Credit: Getty Christie's next two victims have caused some contention for decades. In October 1948, Timothy Evans and his wife Beryl moved into the top floor flat of 10 Rillington Place. Beryl soon gave birth to a baby girl named Geraldine but the joy was short-lived when Evans called police and cryptically informed them that his wife was dead 11 months later. After multiple searches, cops eventually found Beryl, as well as her baby daughter Geraldine and a 16-week male fetus all dead in an outdoor wash-house at the property. A post mortem found both mum and daughter had been strangled, with Beryl also raped and beaten before she was killed. Evans was arrested and initially claimed neighbour Christie had killed his wife during a botched abortion operation. Following questioning, a full confession signed by Evans emerged but it was marred by speculation that the cops had fabricated his admission. Evans withdrew it and again accused Christie, this time of both murders, but was charged. On January 11 1950, Evans was put on trial for the murder of his baby daughter Geraldine, the prosecution opting not to pursue a second charge of murder for Beryl. He was found guilty and then hanged on March 9 at HMP Pentonville. 16 Timothy Evans was convicted and later hanged for the murder of his wife Credit: Getty - Contributor 16 Beryl Evans and her baby Geraldine were murdered by Christie Credit: Getty Images 16 Ruth Fuerst, thought to have been the first victim of Christie Credit: Hulton Archive - Getty In the years since, Christie has been ruled responsible for both murders - and the blunder meant he was free to kill four more women - his wife Ethel on December 14 1952, then Kathleen Maloney, Rita Nelson and Hectorina MacLennan between January 19 and March 6, 1953. Each of these last three victims were killed with his gas and strangulation technique. He also repeatedly raped them while they were initially unconscious. The bodies were stowed in a small alcove behind the back kitchen wall - which was then covered with wallpaper. Ethel, strangled in bed, was hidden under the floorboards. Christie had been out of work since early December 1952 and following Ethel's death he began selling off furniture, then her wedding ring and clothes, and even forged her signature in order to clear her bank account. On March 20 1953 Christie illegally sublet the flat and hastily moved out - possibly fearing capture was imminent. Four days later the three bodies in the alcove were discovered and a manhunt was launched. He had been staying at Rowton House in Kings Cross until news of the grim discovery was made and then quickly packed up and left, wandering around London until he was arrested on March 31 1953 near Putney Bridge. Christie eventually admitted to all of the murders, except for that of baby Geraldine. He was tried only for the murder of Ethel in June 1953 - and with his plea of insanity failing, was convicted and hanged on July 15, aged 54. Unearthed documents During research for her book, Kate came across a memorandum written by a prison guard who spoke to Christie following his trial and prior to his execution. "I wasn't necessarily going into this to solve the mystery of the Evans case - but it was quite a shock," she told The Sun. He allegedly confessed to both Evans murders for the first time - while further letters allegedly reveal the Home Office opted against releasing the information to the public. Drudging up the case again and admitting to a potential miscarriage of justice would not have been a good look with capital punishment a particularly loaded topic at the time. Referring to the Evans murders, Kate told The Sun: "It was not a very high profile case, it was just seen as a domestic, fish and chip type of crime. "There was not a huge amount of police resources or press interest. It was quite a cursory investigation." Kate said confusingly Evans "told several stories about what happened". 16 Rita Nelson was murdered on January 19 1953 Credit: Getty - Contributor 16 Katheen Maloney was killed by Christie in February 1953 Credit: Getty - Contributor 16 Christie's second known victim Muriel Amelia Eady Credit: Alamy "In one of them he confessed in detail to how he'd killed them and why. That was enough." He had originally accused Christie of being responsible on being arrested - but after police questioning signed a confession which he later retracted and again pointed the finger at his neighbour. "He was a semi-illiterate van driver in his mid-20s and Christie was a middle-aged, apparently respectable man," said Kate. "He'd been injured in the First World War and a police officer in the Second World War. The authorities dismissed Evans' accusations against Christie." She said there was a "certain amount of class prejudice", adding: "Respectable middle aged men or hard-drinking van driver". During her research, Kate was surprised to find the forgotten documents in the archives that may well prove Evans' innocence once and for all. She unearthed the memo written by a prison guard claiming Christie had confessed to him in the cells. Kate said: "He had nothing to lose, he was going to be hanged - Christie made a confession to the murder of Beryl and Geraldine Evans, the only time he did so, and explained how it came about." She went on to say: "I then found letters between a government minister and the head of the Civil Service which shows the prison guard's memo was kept from the public and press in 1953 and remained in sealed files for decades." Kate said the prison guard had toyed with selling the story to the press but in the end reported it to his governor who gave it to the Home Office but the government department "hid it". She said: "It would have been a big scandal, a miscarriage of justice. Capital punishment was already a very hot topic." In 2004, the High Court had acknowledged that Evans did not murder his wife or daughter. But while the court recognised the case as a miscarriage of justice, it did not formally overturn the conviction due to the cost and resources required. Monster cop John Christie lived in a world of female independence similar to today By Ryan Merrifield SERIAL killer John Christie began his decade-long murder spree in 1943 while working as a War Reserve Police officer following the Blitz. The monster used his role patrolling the streets of London to hunt out his victims and hid behind his uniform to lure women into a false sense of security. Author Kate Summerscale told The Sun: "His first murder, that we know of, was just a case of opportunity. 'He was patrolling the streets of London during black outs, during bombing raids - he had the authority of the uniform." Kate continued: 'The freedom and the power of being in that role enabled him to start luring women and killing them, and feeling he could get away with it. 'There was such chaos during the blitz, during the war people went missing, bodies were found, it was an environment in which people who wanted to do things might feel the power to do them.' I said the image of a man in police uniform targeting young lone women reminded me of another more recent murder. Kate agreed. 'When I started researching the case, when I realised he secured his first victim in uniform, it did remind me powerfully of Wayne Couzens,' she said. Then-serving Met officer Couzens abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, 33, in Clapham in March 2022 - having roamed the streets for a random victim, and using his police ID to gain her trust. Kate also thought of the murder of two sisters, Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, by Danyal Hussein not far from her home in Fryent Country Park, when she began toying with the idea of a new book. 'I started thinking about why men kill women that are strangers to them, without any personal animus and I remembered Christie.' She'd seen his waxwork in Madame Tussauds as a child, and then recalled watching the 'very creepy' 1971 film on late night TV as a teenager. 'That was my starting point,' she continued. 'To learn more about him as a serial killer, and to learn more about the women that he killed, and the world in which he lived, and how that might have contributed to the crimes.' She added: 'I'm quite interested in the incel culture rise, in a type of vengefulness in a certain type of men who feel threatened by the increasing independence of women." She explained that the immediate years after the Second World War's end, when Christie committed the majority of his at least eight murders, saw a 'similarly feverish attitude, a tension about gender roles' as perhaps today. This had come about because women had entered the workforce while the men were away fighting and when they returned home their wives, girlfriends and mothers 'returned to domestic duties' which led to a 'restlessness', she said. 'There was huge pressure on family life,' Kate continued. 'Families were broken up, separations, death, people moving around, a massive increase in divorce rate came after the war. 'It was a period of turbulence, particularly in power relations between the sexes and perhaps we've been in a similar period of turbulence recently.' 16 Ethel Christie was murdered by her husband in December 1952 Credit: Getty - Contributor 16 John Hurt as Timothy Evans, Judy Geeson as Beryl Evans, and Richard Attenborough as John Christie in 1971 film 10 Rillington Place Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 16 Christie in his reserve police uniform Credit: Reddit
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman smashed into ground from 4,000ft and survived – then terrifying truth emerged
A woman who miraculously escaped death after her parachute failed discovered that her horrific fall was no accident – and that her husband had tried to kill her twice After seeing a woman jump from an aircraft 4,000 feet up, onlookers could only watch in horror as her body slammed into the ground. In what at first appeared to be a freak accident, both the main and reserve chutes that keen skydiver Victoria Cilliers had been using that day failed to open. Speaking on the documentary SkyDive Murder Plot, Rob Camps, secretary of the parachuting club at Nertheravon Airfield in Witfield, said that it looked almost as if a 'bag of washing' had been thrown out of the plane. He added that it was 'sickening' to watch as Victoria fell for around 25 seconds. He had assumed that her fall would be fatal, and had even grabbed a body-bag before running to the field where she had landed. But what Paul discovered in the days following the horrific incident revealed that Victoria's fall had been no accident – but attempted murder. Victoria was an experienced skydiver, an accredited accelerated freefall (AFF) instructor with 2,654 jumps to her name, but nothing she could do during that terrifying 25-second fall could have prevented that bone-crushing impact. But miraculously, Victoria survived. She had suffered severe spinal and internal injuries, as well as a broken pelvis and five broken ribs, but was well enough to be interviewed by police a few days later. Police took an interest in Victoria's accident after an examination of her parachutes had revealed that the soft links – important components known to insiders as 'slinks' – seemed to be missing from both of parachutes. Without them, jumping out of an aircraft from 4,000 feet would mean almost certain death. Rob Camps had called in the police after he checked her parachute and realised what had happened. Investigators' suspicions quickly fell upon Emile Cilliers, Victoria' husband and the father of her two children. He had been with her the previous day, when a planned parachute jump had been called off due to bad weather, and had inexplicably carried her parachute with him into the loos when one of their children said she needed to use the toilet. Study of the 38-year-old army officer's phone records indicated that he had not only been cheating on his wife with another woman, an Austrian skydiving instructor he'd met on Tinder, but had also amassed significant debts due to his regular use of sex workers. But the problem for detectives investigating the case was that Victoria was unable to accept that the father of her two children could ever want to kill her. She remained under the charismatic South African's spell even after evidence emerged that the sabotage of Victoria's parachute was not Emile's first attempt on her life. Six days before that fateful parachute jump, Victoria had noticed a strong smell of gas in her kitchen. Emile had not been at home, telling his wife he was staying at the army barracks so he could get an early start in the morning. Examination of the gas pipes leading into the house showed irrefutable evidence that Emile had tampered with the valve – and that he had been perfectly willing to kill his children, as well as his wife. A check of his internet search history showed that he had been researching the availability of wet-nurses to feed their newborn baby before his wife's expected death. Still, Victoria found it hard to accept the truth, even after police presented her with the irrefutable evidence of her husband's guilt. She did eventually agree to testify against him, but in a huge twist changed her evidence on the witness stand, raising the possibility that she might somehow have been responsible for the accident. She testified that she had misled police in her initial interviews, and had exaggerated the time that he had been in the ops with her parachute: 'I made it sound worse than it was because I was humiliated. I wanted him to suffer." Emile consistently denied attempting to kill his wife throughout a seven-week trial at Winchester Crown Court and the jury eventually sent a note to the judge stating they would be unable to reach a verdict. With the prospect of a retrial, DI Paul Franklin and DC Maddy Hennah were sent back to the drawing-board. They doggedly assembled more evidence, interviewing Emile's ex-wife, Carly Cilliers, mother to two of his older children. They discovered that he had also rekindled his relationship with her. DI Franklin said that Emile's ability to lie so smoothly to all of the women in his life was the hallmark of a psychopath. He continued: 'He can have a conversation with his wife about picking up the children or a bit of shopping at the same time as arranging to meet someone he knows from Fabswingers for some weekend fun, and ringing someone from Adultwork to see if they are available. 'Three totally separate conversations at the same time, managed in such a way that there was never a wrong phone call to the wrong person. When you see that repeated constantly for years, you see what kind of person he was.' Even after Victoria's near-fatal fall, Emile was texting sex workers from her hospital bedside and arranging to meet them nearby. But Emile's lies began to unravel at his retrial and he was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder, as well as a third charge of recklessly endangering life. He received a minimum 18-year sentence. Meanwhile – at the same parachute club where she so narrowly escaped death – Victoria met former Royal Marine Simon Goodman and the two were married in October 2024.
