The Trier public prosecutor's office has formally charged a married man with murder, alleging he killed his secret lover in a secluded spot after she threatened to reveal their affair.

A 34-year-old man from northern Saarland has been charged with murder by the Trier public prosecutor's office in connection with the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old woman in June.

The incident occurred on the evening of 4 June in a car park along a country road near the town of Hermeskeil, located approximately one hour from the Luxembourg border.

According to the prosecutor's office, the accused and the victim were engaged in a secret relationship that the man intended to end by telephone that day.

As reported by the newspaper Trierischer Volksfreund, the suspect is married with a young child. The victim had allegedly planned to make their relationship public. The prosecution states that the man lured the woman to the secluded location under the pretext of discussing their situation. During the conversation, he is accused of shooting her without warning with a pistol, fatally wounding her.

The public prosecutor's office considers the man's fear of his affair being exposed a plausible motive for the crime.

The suspect was arrested the day after the shooting and has remained in custody since. The Trier Regional Court must now review and formally accept the charges before a trial date can be set.