Wolfgang Schmidt

Background

Wolfgang "Beate" Schmidt was also known as The Beelitz murderer and The Pink Giant. He was born October 5th, 1966 in Lehnin.

In late 1992, Wolfgang Schmidt was sentenced to 15 years in prison and was sent to the Forensic Hospital in Brandenburg. Schmidt asked the court that if he would be addressed in the future as a woman and asked that his name would be changed.

In 2001, the courts granted Schmidt's wishes and his name was changed to "Beate". Beate later said:

"The other's are nasty to me. They say i could get a fat ass. That hurts. Then i have to cry, i cry alot now, but it helps me. I feel the more feminine inside"

The offence

On the 24th of October, 1989, in the town of Brandenburg, Wolfgang Schmidt murdered 51 year old Edeltraud Nixdorf while she was outside planting tulips in her garden.

In March of the following year, Edeltraud's husband committed suicide by poisoning himself with pesticide.

On the 24th of May, 1990, Schmidt raped 55 year old Christa Naujoks and then murdered her by strangling her with a cord. Her body was later found in a junkyard on the 25th of May. At the scene, investigators found pink ladies' underwear which didn't belong to the victim.

On the 13th of March, 1991, Schmidt stabbed 34 year old Inge Borkheide to death in the woods of Neuendorf, Beelitz. Hikers found her body a week later. Inge Borkheide had also been raped.

On the 22nd of March, 1991, 44 year old Tamara P. was walking through the woods with her 3 month old son, Stanislaw in his stroller; nearby the Russian military hospital where her husband was working. Schmidt grabbed Stanislaw out of the stroller and smashed him up against a tree, killing him instantly. He then gagged Tamara with a bra and strangled her to death.

On the 5th of April, 1991, only 14 days after the death of Tamara P. and her son, Schmidt spotted two 12 year old girls in a wooded area, nearby a village church in Ludwigsfeld. He grabbed hold of one of the girls and was only able to scratch at her face with a knife. The girl fought off Schmidt and escaped. For the first time, police were able to get a description of the man from the two girls who were attacked. A composite sketch was prepared and published.

On the same day when the two girls were being questioned about their attacker, Schmidt entered the home of 66 year old Talita in spruce forest, near Beelitz. He strangles her and defiles her corpse.

On the 1st of August, two men were jogging in the woods and discovered a man masturbating with a bra on under his jacket. The two men grabbed him right there and then and handed him over to the police and that's when they arrested him.

Investigation

The police suspected the husband of murdering Edeltraud Nixdorf.

For the first time, police were able to get a description of Schmidt from the two girls who were attacked on the 5th of April, 1991.

Arrest

Two men jogging in the woods discovered Schmidt masturbating with a bra on under his jacket. They grabbed him right there and then and handed him over to the police, and he was arrested.

Sentencing

Appeals

Aftermath

Beate attempted to push forward to getting a sex change and was given hormones, but not everyone respected Schmidt's desire to be a woman. Beate said:

Other details

Investigators found pink ladies' underwear at the scene after the death of Christa Naujoks, and it didn't belong to the victim.