Scene of the Crime and Surrounding Area:
The Liederbach Tunnel
Frankfurt-Höchst
Thursday, 26 March 1998: Shortly before his murder, Tristan was in Frankfurt
in the area around Höchst railway station.
in the area around Höchst railway station.
Bruno-Asch-Park
Around 3:20 pm Tristan is last seen alive in the Bruno-Asch-Park (to the east of the station’s entrance), sitting on a bench and petting a dog. Two men, probably foreign, sat down on the bench next to him.
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Pictures: © Mordfall-Tristan.de, 2019
The pictures show the Bruno-Asch-Park in fall 2019. The park was renovated between 2010 and 2013. Therefore it might have looked different in 1998 than our images depict. The benches might have looked differently or have been located elsewhere.
Southern Entrance of the Liederbach Tunnel (Site of Crime) and Surrounding Area
Probably between 3:20 and 3:30 pm Tristan went towards the southern entrance of the Liederbach Tunnel. Tristan was murdered in the entrance area of the tunnel. His murderer then brought the body inside the tunnel, mutilated it and left it laid out there. Tristan’s body is found around 4 pm by some children. (-> More about the progession of events)
The distance between the Bruno-Asch-Park and the southern entrance of the tunnel is about 100 meters (a little over 110 yards), which means about 5 minutes walk. The route passes the station building. The whole area surrounding the station is bustling and busy. But the tunnel is a little removed and “hidden” below some shrubs. It is difficult to see from the small path, it is overgrown and “reclusive”. At that time and still today it is necessary to have some local knowledge to find it.
The Liederbach passes through the tunnel, during some times of the year it runs dry. Its normal depth is about one foot. On the day of the crime, 26 March 1998, the water level of the Liederbach was average.
The tunnel itself is about 140 yards long and passes underneath a train overpass. Inside the tunnel, there is a small path and a concrete base next to the river’s bed. One can see the other exit from both sides of the tunnel, nonetheless, the middle part of the tunnel lies in total darkness looking in from either side at any time of the day. Neither then nor today has there been any form of illumination. Tristan’s body was found laid out on the concrete base about 27 yards into the tunnel from the southern entrance.
Today, the southern entrance can only be reached via two small, very steep beaten paths. In 1998 there was a wider, much-frequented path because the tunnel was well-known and regularly used as a shortcut. It was also often used as an „adventure playground“ for dares. As Tristan was living north of the tunnel at the time, he might have used the tunnel as a shortcut on his way home.
Since the crime, the tunnel has been closed off with lattice and swivel doors on both sides so it cannot be used as passage anymore. In 1998 the southern entrance was completely open, the northern entrance had a wire fence but this was open and the tunnel accessible.
The distance between the Bruno-Asch-Park and the southern entrance of the tunnel is about 100 meters (a little over 110 yards), which means about 5 minutes walk. The route passes the station building. The whole area surrounding the station is bustling and busy. But the tunnel is a little removed and “hidden” below some shrubs. It is difficult to see from the small path, it is overgrown and “reclusive”. At that time and still today it is necessary to have some local knowledge to find it.
The Liederbach passes through the tunnel, during some times of the year it runs dry. Its normal depth is about one foot. On the day of the crime, 26 March 1998, the water level of the Liederbach was average.
The tunnel itself is about 140 yards long and passes underneath a train overpass. Inside the tunnel, there is a small path and a concrete base next to the river’s bed. One can see the other exit from both sides of the tunnel, nonetheless, the middle part of the tunnel lies in total darkness looking in from either side at any time of the day. Neither then nor today has there been any form of illumination. Tristan’s body was found laid out on the concrete base about 27 yards into the tunnel from the southern entrance.
Today, the southern entrance can only be reached via two small, very steep beaten paths. In 1998 there was a wider, much-frequented path because the tunnel was well-known and regularly used as a shortcut. It was also often used as an „adventure playground“ for dares. As Tristan was living north of the tunnel at the time, he might have used the tunnel as a shortcut on his way home.
Since the crime, the tunnel has been closed off with lattice and swivel doors on both sides so it cannot be used as passage anymore. In 1998 the southern entrance was completely open, the northern entrance had a wire fence but this was open and the tunnel accessible.
Pictures from 1998
© PP Frankfurt
Pictures from 2019
© Mordfall-Tristan.de
Northern Entrance of the Liederbach Tunnel and Surrounding Area
Around 3:30 three teenagers coming from the north side (Adelonstraße 31) wanted to use the tunnel as a shortcut to the railway station. They saw the silhouette of a male person bending over something in the tunnel and decided to take the long way. The police believe that the teenagers watched the murderer commit the crime but were not aware of it.
The area surrounding the northern end of the tunnel is less busy than the southern area with the bustling station. The exit of the tunnel is next to a small park with a playground in a quiet residential area.
The area surrounding the northern end of the tunnel is less busy than the southern area with the bustling station. The exit of the tunnel is next to a small park with a playground in a quiet residential area.
Pictures from 1998
© PP Frankfurt
Pictures from 2019
© PP Frankfurt
Please note: All pictures on this page were taken exclusively for this website in fall 2019. The surroundings and the vegetation have of course changed since 1998 so that the pictures cannot accurately reflect what different scenes might have looked like on the day of the murder.

