DNA Breakthrough Revives 2005 Murder Case of Austrian Student Daniela Kammerer
A 42-year-old Austrian man has been charged with the 2005 murder of Daniela Kammerer, a 19-year-old student from Lower Austria. The indictment follows new DNA evidence linking him to a cigarette found at the crime scene near a phone booth in Innsbruck.
The suspect, once a fellow student of the victim, denies involvement and has pledged to return voluntarily for trial from Australia, where he currently resides. Daniela Kammerer was fatally stabbed outside an Innsbruck phone booth on June 23, 2005. For years, the case remained unsolved until November 2023, when investigators re-examined a partially smoked cigarette left at the scene. DNA on the filter matched the now-accused man, prompting prosecutors to reopen the investigation.
An in-depth DNA analysis was later ordered for Kammerer’s personal belongings from the night of the murder. Prosecutors argue the evidence places the defendant at the crime scene, though the indictment remains open to challenge for 14 days. No trial date has been set.
The suspect’s lawyer, Tyrolean attorney Mathias Kapferer, insists the case is weak and that his client could not have committed the crime. Despite an international arrest warrant, Australian authorities refused to detain the man, who has since agreed to return to Innsbruck to face proceedings. The trial will hinge on DNA evidence from the cigarette and Kammerer’s belongings. If convicted, the suspect could face life imprisonment under Austrian law. The case marks a significant development after nearly two decades without resolution.
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