Mystery crossbow deaths baffle Germany


German police said Monday two more bodies have been found during investigations into the deaths of three people discovered in a Bavarian hotel room killed by crossbow bolts. The two female corpses were found in the town of Gifhorn, near the city of Hanover, while detectives probed the mysterious deaths of a man and two women who were discovered Sunday in the Bavarian town of Passau close to the Austrian border.

Employees found the bodies of a 53-year-old man and two women aged 30 and 33 in a room in a guest house alongside two crossbows. The group had rented the room on Friday. They arrived late Friday evening in a white pickup truck, the news portal merkur.de reported. All of them are German nationals, according to police. The 53-year-old man and the 33-year-old woman were from Rhineland-Palatinate state in south-central Germany while the 30-year-old was from Mecklenburg West Pomerania in north-eastern Germany. Prosecutors have ordered a postmortem, police said Sunday. The postmortem is to be carried out early in the week. Officials hope this will shed light on the cause of death.

There is no evidence so far that anyone else was involved in the killings and the relationship between the deceased is still unclear. Police have seized the crossbows as evidence. According to the German Shooting Sport and Archery Federation, there are no restrictions on anyone over the age of 18 acquiring a crossbow in Germany.