A candle with “RIP Micha” written on it is part of a memorial in Wittlich, Germany, for a 28-year-old man who was stabbed to death on Saturday. Two American service members are being held on suspicion of the killing. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
WITTLICH, Germany — Two American service members are in U.S. military custody on suspicion of stabbing a man to death at a fair near Spangdahlem Air Base over the weekend, according to American and German officials.
Authorities in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz arrested the service members Saturday before handing them over to the 52nd Security Forces Squadron the following day, as per NATO’s Status of Forces Agreement, the 52nd Fighter Wing said in a statement issued Sunday.
The men, ages 25 and 26, fought with the victim at the street fair Saturday in Wittlich, Rheinland-Pfalz police said in a separate statement.
The victim, a 28-year-old who managed a security service and was known as a martial artist, died from stab wounds, according to the regional public service broadcaster SWR, which said the stabbing occurred about 2:40 a.m.
A knife was found in a nearby river, but as of Sunday, police had not connected it to the killing, SWR reported.
Diyar Askan, a bakery owner in Wittlich, said Monday that he was one of the best friends of the victim, whose first name was Michael, he said.
“He was disciplined and respectful. He was not hot-headed,” Askan said. “We are all asking why. That’s the biggest question. For what? What was the problem?”
He said Michael had been born in Kazakhstan and represented Germany in judo.
“We all loved him,” Askan said. “He brightened up any room.”
A memorial in Wittlich, Germany, for a 28-year-old man who was stabbed to death Saturday was steadily growing Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Two American service members are being held on suspicion of the killing. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and)
A man walks past a nearly empty ride at the fair in Wittlich, Germany, on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Attendance at the annual event has been low since a man was stabbed to death Saturday, workers say. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and)
The Lieser River in Wittlich, Germany, shown Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Local media reported that a knife was found in the river, but as of Sunday, police hadn’t connected it to the stabbing of a 28-year-old Saturday. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and)
At a makeshift memorial on Trierer Strasse on the spot where the stabbing is believed to have occurred, a plush toy of the Russian cartoon character Cheburashka was accompanied by candles, flowers and martial arts memorabilia, among other mementos.
Wittlich resident Andrea Barthen visited the memorial Monday. She said everyone in town was talking about the killing, which she said was so shocking and tragic that she couldn’t bring herself to leave her house during the festive weekend.
“We know the American military people,” she said. “They are here every year, and it’s peaceful.”
Gerhard Knauf, who works in Wittlich, said a colleague of his had known the victim. Knauf added that he was surprised that U.S. service members are the suspects in such a crime.
When asked whether he thinks the killing will cause him and others in the area to change their perceptions about the U.S. troops stationed nearby, he said it’s too early to tell.
German authorities identified the service members after witnesses described them being at the crime scene with two other people who were not arrested, the police said.
The inquiry is being done by the Office of Special Investigation at Spangdahlem, according to police.
The men’s names and information about their roles in the military were being withheld because of the ongoing investigation, the wing statement said.
They will remain jailed until an investigation is complete, it added.
Wittlich is roughly 12 miles east of Spangdahlem Air Base, home to the 52nd Fighter Wing, and about 70 miles northwest of Ramstein Air Base.
“This is certainly an intolerable and preventable tragedy in our peaceful community,” 52nd Fighter Wing Commander Col. Kevin Crofton said in the statement. “We thank the local polizei and the Wittlich town leadership for their partnership and patience as the investigation runs its course.”
