Herisch Ali Abdullah

Case identification

• Defendant: Herisch Ali Abdullah, 25, Iraqi man and asylum seeker
• Victim: Rudolph Moshammer, 64, German fashion designer
• Victim’s pet: Yorkshire terrier Daisy

Timeline

• 14 January 2005 — Rudolph Moshammer was found dead at his Munich villa; his personal driver discovered him in his mansion in Grünwald, a suburb south of Munich, with a telephone cable around his neck. Police reported that an autopsy showed the cord had been the murder weapon; Daisy the Yorkshire terrier was found unharmed in the living room of the mansion.
• January 16, 2005 — The Munich police gave a press conference at noon reporting that Herisch Ali Abdullah, tracked down through a DNA database, had admitted murdering Moshammer.
• January 21, 2005 — A report stated that Moshammer had left his home in Munich to his Yorkshire terrier Daisy under the terms of his will, with Daisy cared for by his former chauffeur; a 25-year-old Iraqi man had been charged with killing Moshammer found dead at his home on 14 January.
• November 4, 2005 — Reuters reported that Abdullah, at the start of his murder trial on Wednesday, acknowledged under questioning that he had slung a cable around Moshammer's neck after an argument in the designer's villa and left him groaning on the floor; when asked if the judge’s description of events was correct, Abdullah answered "Yes".
• November 20, 2005 — A court in Munich sentenced Herisch Ali Abdullah to life imprisonment for murdering Rudolph Moshammer.
• November 21, 2005 — BBC reported the life sentence and stated that a court in Munich had sentenced Abdullah to life imprisonment for strangling Moshammer with a cable to commit a robbery.

Background

• Rudolph Moshammer was a German fashion designer born in Munich, Germany, who designed fashion beginning in the 1960s.
• His boutique was described as “Carnaval de Venise” in Munich’s high society street, Maximilianstraße, and he opened a boutique in 1967 in Munich’s most expensive street Maximilianstrasse offering fur, cashmere and silk garments.
• He inherited the boutique from his mother, Else Moshammer; Else died in 1993, and Moshammer had a strong relationship with her and frequently appeared in public with her.
• He was described as eccentric and iridescent, and as carrying his Yorkshire terrier Daisy in public wherever he went; he also wrote a book about Daisy.
• Moshammer had a strong commitment to helping homeless people and was awarded the “Martin's Coat 2000” of the radio station “Sankt Michaelsbund”.
• The proceeds from the sale of Moshammer’s shop, limousines and other possessions were to go to charities for the homeless; a report also stated that he had recently begun to build a house for the homeless in Munich.
• Moshammer was reported to have played in made-for-TV movies like in the German crime series Tatort.
• He had a musical band, “Münchner Zwietracht” (“Munich Dissension”), which he was a contestant in the German Eurovision Song Contest preliminary round show in 2001; the song was entitled “Teilt Freud und Leid” (“Share Happiness and Sorrow”).
• Moshammer sold a shirt thought to have been worn by Napoleon Bonaparte (also described as Napoleon I) at the Battle of Waterloo at auction for more than 62,000 euros (BBC also reported more than £40,000 (62,000 euros) and other figures in different fragments); he donated the proceeds to a Munich homeless charity.
• Moshammer’s reputation included wealthy and celebrity clients, including:
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger (described as Austrian-born, now Governor of California)
  • Jose Carreras
  • Richard Chamberlain
  • Siegfried and Roy (described as Las Vegas-based magicians)
  • King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
  • Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
  • German media personality Thomas Gottschalk

The offence

• Police began a murder inquiry after Moshammer was found apparently strangled to death at his Munich villa; police said an autopsy showed the cord had been the murder weapon.
• A report described that Moshammer was discovered by his driver on Friday morning with a telephone cable around his neck.
• Initial reports by public prosecutors said Moshammer had been strangled with a black telephone cable, and the cable was found near the dead body.
• One report stated that the murder allegedly happened during a row about payment for sexual favours.
• Another report stated that prosecutors say Moshammer picked up Abdullah near Munich's central railway station for sexual favours and the two later argued because Abdullah wanted money before fulfilling all the designer's wishes.
• It was also alleged that Moshammer had refused to pay 2,000 euros to Abdullah, who was in financial difficulties, in return for sexual favours.
• Moshammer allegedly demanded sex after locking the villa’s doors, leading to an argument, according to Abdullah.
• Abdullah told the trial he had struck the designer, who fell to the ground, but he insisted that when he left the house, Moshammer was still alive.
• Reuters reported that Abdullah acknowledged under questioning that he had slung a cable around Moshammer's neck after an argument in the designer's villa and left him groaning on the floor.
• BBC also reported that Abdullah had confessed that Moshammer had offered to pay him 2,000 euros (£1,359) for sex when they met at a train station in Munich, and that after returning to Moshammer’s villa and having sex, Moshammer later refused to pay, sparking an argument.

Investigation

• A Munich prosecutor, Peter Boie, said there was no apparent motive for the attack and that police were conducting investigations in Munich's gay scene.
• Peter Boie said: "Everything indicates that he was murdered. He had neck injuries."
• The officer leading the inquiry was Harald Pickert.
• Harald Pickert said Moshammer had last been seen alive at about 2200 local time (2100 GMT) when he went home alone in his car after dining in Munich.
• A police spokesman said the designer had probably been killed at about midnight.
• Police said there were no signs of a burglary or fight and no items of value had been removed.
• One report stated Abdullah was tracked down through a DNA database.
• The Munich police gave a press conference at noon on January 16, 2005, reporting Abdullah had admitted murdering Moshammer.

Arrest / accused

• Abdullah was described as a 25-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker.
• He was charged with killing Moshammer.
• At the start of the murder trial, Abdullah admitted throttling Moshammer.
• Reuters reported Abdullah initially said he could not remember the fateful January night, but finally answered "Yes" when asked if the judge’s description of events was correct.

Trial

• BBC reported that a court in Munich sentenced Abdullah to life imprisonment.
• The sentencing outcome was described as related to strangling Moshammer with a cable to commit a robbery.
• One part of the reporting stated Moshammer was found guilty of having strangled Moshammer with a cable to commit a robbery.

Sentencing

• On November 20, 2005, Herisch Ali Abdullah was sentenced to life in prison.
• The sentencing was reported as life imprisonment by a court in Munich for murdering Rudolph Moshammer by strangling him with a cable to commit a robbery.

Outcome

• The available reporting states that Abdullah was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Rudolph Moshammer.
• The reporting also included that Moshammer was found dead at his Munich villa on 14 January 2005, and was strangled using a cable/telephone cable.

Aftermath

• Moshammer’s funeral procession in Munich was expected to include up to 10,000 people lining the streets.
• The funeral procession was expected to pause in front of the shop before continuing on to Munich's Ostfriedhof cemetery, where Moshammer would be buried next to his mother and a previous pet Yorkshire terrier.
• One report stated Moshammer’s will stipulated that the bulk of his estate should go to the benefactor who helped him realise the dream of opening the boutique almost 40 years ago.
• Under the terms of Moshammer’s will, it was reported that his Yorkshire terrier Daisy would stay at the villa until she died, cared for by his former chauffeur.
• Millions of Germans were expected to watch TV coverage of Moshammer's funeral on Saturday (date not separately provided in the source text).
• One report noted that Moshammer’s murder was a prominent public case, with multiple named celebrity clients and media coverage referenced.

Other details

• Moshammer was reported as claiming to be 59 but being revealed to be 64 when he appeared in an Austrian court for a driving offence.
• Moshammer was reported to have been known as much for his eccentric wig and pet dog as for his creations.
• Moshammer’s driver was the person who discovered him dead in his mansion.