Ex-criminal commissioner Markus Melzl (70) on the verdict on Viviane O. (36)
“She has nothing left to lose”
Viviane O. (36) is said to have beaten her husband to death with 19 blows to the head alone: On Friday, the court of first instance found the boxer guilty of murder. Ex-crime inspector Markus Melzl (70) classifies the verdict.
Luisa ItaReporter News
She repeatedly protested her innocence: Viviane O.* (36) was found guilty of murder by the regional court in Thun BE on Friday. She is said to have beaten her husband – the popular cult host of the Restaurant Des Alpes – to death in cold blood with a baseball bat on the night of October 19, 2020 at his home in Interlaken BE.
The internationally renowned boxing great has been behind bars for 16 years, and she has also been expelled from the country for twelve years. She should shell out all the costs herself and also pay the victim’s sister a satisfaction of 6,000 francs.
Good investigative work
“I expected this verdict,” says retired detective inspector Markus Melzl (70), who classifies the case for Blick. “The prosecutor would not have drafted such a clear indictment if she had not been able to rely on clear evidence and findings from the criminal police – thorough investigative work was done.”
The experienced criminalist is not surprised that Viviane O.’s defense attorney has already announced in an interview with Blick that he will continue the verdict: “She has nothing left to lose.” The penalty can only be increased slightly, but there is always a small chance that the second or ultimately the third instance will impose a much milder penalty.
Did the court expect a freak out?
For reasons of process tactics, Melzl assumes that the public prosecutor’s office will also move on to the higher court: “Otherwise the second instance will not pronounce a prison sentence that is higher than 16 years.”
The retired criminalist understands that the public prosecutor, in contrast to the first two days of the trial, was flanked by two police officers when the verdict was announced: “Since Ms. O. reacted emotionally several times during the trial, such precautions make sense.” He also sees the security detention, which has now been extended for at least three months due to the risk of absconding, as a necessary measure: “After all, she still has family in Brazil.”
* Name known
** Name changed