On Monday, a 56-year-old man, known to the people of Heispelt as 'Poli', was found dead in his basement.

The body of 56-year-old Poli was found in the basement of his house in Heispelt on Monday 7 March. News of his death and the suspicion that someone else was involved certainly shook the village, which counts only about 110 residents.

Police found the body on Monday. His wife has since been in jail, the prosecutor's office confirmed. Our colleagues at RTL have compiled an overview of all there is to know about the case so far.

Timeline of events

On Sunday 6 March, the local youth club went collecting donations for the annual 'Buergbrennen'. When they made it to Poli's house, his wife opened the door and  said that her husband was not home. However, his car was stationed behind the barn, which people in the village noticed had been there for at least two weeks.

When Poli's wife continued making excuses to explain her husband's absence, some of the people in town decided to call the police. Apparently, there were known incidents where Poli was locked up in his own basement, but the man never complained.

"Poli was always helpful", explained his neighbours. "I still remember when he helped me get my boat to the lake. If someone needed him, he would always accept... He was one of the best mechanics I have ever seen. Unfortunately, he lost his career to alcohol."

An isolated household

After Poli lost both his mother and brother, he began isolating himself, a process that was apparently accelerated by his wife.

Poli married the Brazilian woman about ten years ago, but according to the villagers, she behaved aggressively and did not get along with locals. There were rumours she was being treated in a mental institution. Others alleged that she conducted religious rituals.

Following Poli's death, locals wonder whether they should have intervened earlier on. After all, the police had already been called to the couple's home on previous occasions.

Nowhere to be seen

Poli's neighbours attempted to contact him several times over the past couple of weeks. After an altercation with his wife on 8 February, contact broke down completely.

Later that evening, the neighbours received text messages telling them to no longer contact Poli. However, they were certain that he did not write them, which is why they contacted the police even ahead of Buergbrennen.

Unfortunately, once police came to the home, it was already too late and it looked as though a marital dispute had escalated.

Domestic violence

The case has drawn attention to the fact that men are often forgotten when it comes to domestic violence. According to statistics from the year 2020, 1,679 people became victims of domestic violence, out of which 37% were men. A fifth of those were older than 50.

Upon enquiry, the police stated that they are unable to provide further details surrounding the case of the dead 56-year-old. The prosecutor's office has noted that there has not yet been a new development and that Poli's wife remains in custody.