A German man is standing trial for allegedly strangling and killing a young woman, during Carnival festivities in the western German city of Cologne 35 years ago.

The murder of the 24-year-old woman, remained unsolved for decades.

Then, last year, investigators reopened the cold case and presented it on a programme on public broadcaster ZDF.

The now 56-year-old man was arrested after a tip-off from a viewer. A DNA match with traces seized at the crime scene had resulted in a match.

The man appeared in the Cologne Regional Court on Monday.

The accused allegedly killed her in February 1988 on the night of Carnival Sunday in Cologne’s Old Town, in order to get his hands on her valuables – including a pouch containing a 100 Deutsch Mark (about $55) note.

According to the prosecution, the accused followed the woman that night when she moved from one discotheque to another while partying.

Behind a snack cart, he then allegedly attacked the young mother, beat her and strangled her with her necklace, causing severe injuries to her head and upper body.

The strangulation with the necklace had resulted in a ‘shattering of the laryngeal skeleton,’ the prosecution said.

After the arraignment, a defence lawyer, representing the man, said: ‘I had nothing to do with the killing and death of the woman.’

Nine more days of hearings are scheduled for the trial, with a verdict expected on October 24.

Source: Ghana News Agency