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.

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.
Tristan Brübachs last way to the place where he was murdered
Shortly before this death, Tristan walks from the Bruno-Asch-Park westwards to the Liederbach tunnel
where he was murdered.
(© OpenStreetMap contributors / Licence: ODbL, Reference: www.openstreetmap.org/copyright)

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.
Luftbild des Tatorts Liederbachtunnel 1998
Aerial photograph of the crime scene taken in 1998. (© PP Frankfurt)
Crime Scene Surroundings in the murder case of Tristan
Aerial photograph of the western environment of the crime scene taken in 2019.
(© GeoBasis DE / BKG)

Pictures from 1998

© PP Frankfurt

Weg zum Liederbachtunnel mit Brücke
The way to the tunnel, coming from Adolf-Haeuser-Straße / Höchst station.
Hinter der Abgrenzung befand sich ein Trampelpfad, der zum Liederbachtunnel hinabführte
There was a footpath behind the boundary which led down to the southern entrance of the tunnel.
Dieser Trampelpfad führte zum Liederbachtunnel
In 1998 there was a foothpath down to the tunnel.
Der Trampelpfad hinab zum Liederbachtunnel 1998
The foothpath down to the tunnel.
Der Trampelpfad hinab zum Liederbachtunnel 1998
The foothpath down to the tunnel.
Am Südeingang des Liederbachtunnels wurde Tristan ermordet
The southern entrance of the tunnel. From there it was only a few meters to the tunnel entrance. Tristan died right here in front of the entrance area of the tunnel.
Am Südeingang des Liederbachtunnels wurde Tristan ermordet
The southern entrance of the tunnel.
Blick in den Liederbachtunnel von Süden aus
A view into the tunnel from the southern entrance.

Pictures from 2019

© Mordfall-Tristan.de

Weg zum Liederbachtunnel, vom Bahnhof Höchst kommend 2019
The way to the tunnel, coming from Adolf-Haeuser-Straße / Höchst station.
Weg zum Liederbachtunnel, vom Bahnhof Höchst kommend 2019
The way to the tunnel leads past abandoned garden plots.
Rechts befindet sich ein Trampelpfad, der zum Liederbachtunnel führt
On the right of the way, there was a footpath behind the boundary in 1998 which led down to the tunnel.
Rechts befindet sich ein Trampelpfad, der zum Liederbachtunnel führt
Approximately at this place (arrow), a footpath led down to the tunnel in 1998.
Blick von oben auf den Südeingang des Tunnels
A view down to the southern entrance of the tunnel. In 1998, this place was accrued and could not be seen from the outside.
Der Südeingang des Liederbachtunnels mit trockenem Bach
The southern entrance of the tunnel. Tristan died right here in front of the entrance area of the tunnel. In 1998, the small stream called “Liederbach” flowed through the tunnel. At the time when we took the pictures, the stream was dry.
Der Südeingang des Tunnels ist mit einem Gitter versperrt
In 1998, the tunnel was free walkable. It was covered with a grid after the murder.
Blick in den Liederbachtunnel vom Südeingang aus
Tristan’s dead body was lying about 25 meters inside the tunnel. It was laid out at the concrete base on the right.

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.
There are different ways to the crime scene
On the northern side, there are three ways to reach the tunnel.
(© OpenStreetMap contributors / Licence: ODbL, Reference: www.openstreetmap.org/copyright)
Umgebung nördlich des Liederbachtunnels
Aerial photograph of the environment around the northern entrance
of the tunnel taken in 2019.
(© GeoBasis DE/BKG)

Pictures from 1998

© PP Frankfurt

Weg zum Nordeingang des Tunnels von der Adelonstraße kommend
The way to the tunnel, coming from Adelon Straße. Standing on the bridge, you
can see the northern entrance of the tunnel on the left side.
Der Nordeingang des Liederbachtunnels 1998
The northern entrance of the tunnel.

Pictures from 2019

© PP Frankfurt

There are different ways to the crime scene
The environment of the northern entrance of the tunnel. The numbers show the area where the pictures were taken. The arrows show the direction in which the photographer took the pictures.
(© OpenStreetMap contributors / Licence: ODbL, Reference: www.openstreetmap.org/copyright)
Der Weg zum Nordeingang des Tunnels beginnt an der Adelonstraße
The way to the tunnel, coming from
Adelon Straße.
Auf dem Spielplatz befanden sich 1998 Jugendliche, die Tristans Täter bei seiner Tat beobachteten
There's a playground besides the way
to the tunnel.
Der Weg zum Nordeingang des Liederbachtunnels führt an einem Spielplatz vorbei
The way to the tunnel, coming from
Adelon Straße.
There's a playground near the Liederbach tunnel
The way to the northern entrance of the tunnel, coming from the west and direction
Liederbacher Straße.
There's a bridge over the Liederbach near the tunnel
On the bridge, right above the north entrance
of the tunnel with a view to the east, into the direction of Höchster Bahn street.
There are different ways coming from the crime scene
On the way coming from the northern
entrance of the tunnel in the north
and east direction.
The way to the northern entrance of Liederbach tunnel
The way to the northern entrance
of the tunnel, coming from the east
and direction of Höchster Bahn Straße.
There's a bridge over the Liederbach tunnel
The bridge that leads crossing the small stream
called “Liederbach”.
There's a bridge over the Liederbach tunnel
The bridge that leads crossing the small stream called “Liederbach” with a view to the west into the direction of Liederbacher Straße.
There's a bridge over the Liederbach tunnel
On the way coming from the northern entrance
of the tunnel to the west and into the direction
of Liederbacher Straße.
Von einer Brücke aus sieht man den Nordeingang des Liederbachtunnels
A view from the bridge to the northern
entrance of the tunnel with a dry stream.
Der Nordeingang des Liederbachtunnels ist mit einem Gitter verriegelt
The northern entrance of the tunnel.
Der Nordeingang des Liederbachtunnels mit trockenem Bach
The northern entrance of the tunnel
with a dry stream.
Im Inneren des Liederbachtunnels ist es stockdunkel
The northern entrance of the tunnel.
Blick in den Tunnel vom Nordeingang aus.
A view into the tunnel from the northern entrance.
Blick vom Nordeingang des Liederbachtunnels aus.
A view from the northern entrance
of the tunnel.
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.
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