Stuff You Should Know – The Hinterkaifeck Axe Murders

Podcast: Stuff You Should Know
Hosts: Josh Clark & Chuck Bryant
Release Date: September 26, 2025
Episode Length: ~52 mins (main content ~46 mins)
Main Theme:
A deep-dive into the unnerving, unsolved 1922 Hinterkaifeck murders in rural Bavaria, Germany—a case marked by grisly violence, longstanding mystery, small-town suspicion, and centuries-old rumors. Josh and Chuck blend detail, wit, and skeptical reasoning as they explore suspects, possible motives, odd happenings, and the enduring legacy of this infamous crime.

Overview

The episode revisits the brutal and still-unsolved axe murders at Hinterkaifeck farm, where an entire family and their maid were killed. Josh and Chuck recount the eerie events leading up to the murders, the crime scene's peculiarities, and the complex speculation surrounding suspects—both plausible and supernatural. The hosts deliver their classic banter, balancing the dark subject with moments of humor and pointed skepticism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene

• Location: A small, isolated Bavarian farm, Hinterkaifeck, situated near the towns of Ingolstadt and Schrobenhausen, but technically closer to Weidhofen.
  "So the name of this farm was Hinterkaifeck. And on this farm lived a man, a woman, another woman, some little kids..." (05:20, Josh)
• Family: Andreas Gruber, wife Kazilia (discussed pronunciation wittily), adult daughter Victoria, granddaughter Cäzilia, and two-year-old grandson Josef.
• The family was disliked locally. Andreas was described as unfriendly and abusive. Victoria, a widowed choir singer, was somewhat respected.
  "The Grubers...they were very much disliked as a family." (08:01, Josh)

2. The Grubers’ Family Dynamics

• Abuse & Isolation: Andreas' abuse and coldness led to family isolation and suspicion.
• Rumored Incest: Local rumor held that Josef, Victoria's son, was the product of incest between Andreas and Victoria, though this was unproven.
  "He was rumored to have been born from an incestuous relationship with her father." (09:27, Chuck)
• Victoria’s Suitors: There was a local suitor, Lorenz Schlittenbauer, complicating matters around paternity and motives.

3. Strange Happenings Before the Murders

• Haunted House Fears: The previous maid quit, complaining of ghostly noises from the attic, footsteps, and a mounting sense of dread.
  "She said, 'I'm out of here. I quit because this house is haunted.'" (11:18, Chuck)
• Unexplained Incidents:
  • Footprints in the snow led to the house but not away (13:10-13:36)
  • Lock tampering on the tool shed
  • Keys went missing
  • A strange newspaper appeared on the porch—origin didn't match any household subscriptions
• Auditory Evidence: Andreas began to hear the same noises previously reported by the maid.
  "Now I'm hearing things. I'm hearing people in my own house." (18:09, Josh)

4. Discovery of the Crime

• Timeline:
  • March 31, 1922: New maid Maria Baumgartner's first (and last) day
  • By April 4, neighbors noticed absence of the family—no church attendance, mail piling up, Josef missing from school
• Initial Discovery:
  • The search party found the house eerily quiet, the Grubers’ dog Pomeranian tied up and barking
  • Four bodies (Andreas, Kazilia, Victoria, Cäzilia) found beaten to death, stacked in the barn, covered with hay
  • Josef (2) and new maid Maria (in her bed) found murdered in the house
    "They found some of the Grubers bludgeoned to death... in the barn. Stacked one on top of the other" (23:48, Josh)
• Brutality: Killed with a mattock (pickaxe variant), wound focus on head/face. Signs some victims survived for hours.
  "They found in Tizilia's hands, clenched in her fists, tufts of her own hair." (26:07, Josh)
• Crime Scene Details:
  • All bodies covered (hay, sheets, or clothing).
  • Some evidence of strangulation, but most fatalities from head trauma.

5. Chilling Post-Crime Activity

• Signs of Life After Death:
  • Smoke seen from the chimney for days after estimated murders
  • Livestock and pets well fed
  • Recent meals, slept-in beds
    "All signs point to the fact that someone killed this family and then hung out there for a few days." (28:42, Chuck)
• Inferred: The killer likely remained in the house, caring for animals and eating.

6. Investigative Theories & Leading Suspects

• Robbery Dismissed: Only a minor sum was taken; valuables left behind.
  "They had four days ... to rob the whole house blind... They also found out in the investigation that Victoria had emptied her bank account and left a donation to the church. But there was also a substantial amount that just wasn't accounted for." (29:50-30:24, Josh)
• Lorenz Schlittenbauer (Neighbor):
  • Prior romantic involvement with Victoria, possible Josef paternity
  • Odd behavior: In search party, disturbed bodies/the crime scene, knew details about the house, claimed searching for ‘his son’
  • Family testified he was elsewhere that night but alibi suspect (asthma vs. sleeping in barn)
  • Dog barked at him; he gave inconsistent statements
    "He was part of the original search party that searched the house. Suspicious, first thing." (34:21, Josh)
    "He had no alibi for the night, apparently, his family said... He spent the night in the barn because he knew there was weirdness going on over there." (37:09, Chuck)
  • Discussed that his intimate knowledge of the house was suspicious, but might be due to previous relationship.
• Other Theories/Suspects:
  • Victoria's dead husband, Carl Gabriel: Unlikely, as evidence suggests he died in WWI, despite rumors to contrary.
  • Random killer, vagrant: Unlikely, details (remaining in house, animal care) indicate personal connection.
  • Supernatural/ghost theory: Skewered by hosts as implausible, though locals and internet conspiracists have considered it.

7. Police & Forensic Follow-up

• Lost Evidence: Many records and potential clues were lost to time, compounded by lack of forensic methods.
  • Victims’ heads were severed for clairvoyant analysis, then lost in WWII destruction—recurring black humor.
• Modern Review:
  • 2007 police academy students re-investigated; declined to publicly identify their suspect due to living relatives, but all evidence points to Schlittenbauer. "They said, we think we know who it is...But you can guess, right? It's the one living suspect..." (44:45, Josh)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On local suspicion & rumors:
  "That was the rumor in town...Which smacks to me of small town, 1920s stuff. I'm not sure if I bought that." (09:38-09:48, Chuck)
• Humor & Banter:
  "Don't be a sicko." (03:04, Josh, deadpan about letting kids listen)
• On the supernatural:
  "You don't want people to think you got ghosts, you know? Right. So the maid leaves, and that kind of sets the tone. Like that kicks off this season of dread that settles over Hinterkaifeck." (12:02-12:21, Josh)
• Immersive Storytelling:
  "Creepy, creepy, creepy." (14:18, Chuck, re: the footprints)
• On suspect awkwardness:
  "Why would he be looking for his son in the stack of bodies when he knew full well his son was in his room in the house?" (36:54, Josh)
• Summing up the solution:
  "So, yeah, you’re right, it probably was him. But no one will ever be able to prove it one way or another." (43:51, Josh)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 05:20 | Introduction to Hinterkaifeck, the Gruber family | | 08:01 | The Grubers’ reputation and family background | | 09:27 | Rumors of incest and small-town suspicion | | 11:18 | Maid’s haunted house claims and departure | | 13:10 | Andreas finds footprints in the snow | | 17:12 | Strange newspaper and missing keys incidents | | 18:09 | Andreas hears attic noises, referencing previous maid| | 20:34 | Day of the murders; new maid arrives | | 23:48 | Search party finds stacked, bludgeoned bodies | | 26:07 | Details of violence; tufts of hair in victim’s hands| | 28:42 | Evidence someone lived in the house after the crime | | 32:29 | Introduction and analysis of Lorenz Schlittenbauer | | 36:54 | Oddities in Schlittenbauer’s behavior and alibi | | 39:06 | Legends about Victoria’s dead husband, dismissed | | 41:55 | Ghost/supernatural theories debunked | | 44:45 | 2007 police academy re-investigation and conclusions| | 47:03 | Tangential banter on Steve Guttenberg, Party Down |

Tone & Style

• The hosts use sardonic humor and conversational asides to balance the episode’s grim story.
• They mock outlandish theories, focus on factual inconsistencies, and often note how details are “lost to time.”
• Banter provides levity: mispronunciation jokes, police academy references, a Steve Guttenberg tangent (47:03), and poking fun at small-town rumors.

Conclusion

The Hinterkaifeck murders remain one of Germany’s most perplexing unsolved crimes, shrouded in rumor, small-town pettiness, and chilling, unexplained aftermath. Though much of the evidence is lost, Josh and Chuck compellingly argue—alongside most modern researchers—that neighbor Lorenz Schlittenbauer fits the suspect profile best. Yet, in the absence of concrete evidence, the case endures as a source of speculation and fascination nearly a century later.

Further Listening & Reading:

• Stuff You Missed in History Class did their own Hinterkaifeck episode.
• The main English source referenced was a detailed article from mysteriousuniverse.org.
• For more, listeners are advised to search further online for investigative articles and true crime discussions.

For listeners intrigued by unsettling mysteries, true crime, or the eerie collision of folklore and forensics, this is an engrossing episode with both depth and entertainment.