Norbert Hans Poehlke was born on September 15, 1951, in Stuttgart, West Germany. He grew up in a normal household and had a typical childhood. Not much is shared about his early family life or education.

In 1971, Norbert joined the police force. He dedicated himself to his work and advanced through the ranks. By 1982, he became a high-ranking sergeant in Mühlhausen am Neckar's canine division. His role involved working closely with police dogs, which required him to be skilled and responsible.

In his personal life, Norbert faced some financial challenges. He won 36,000 Deutsche Mark in the lottery, which allowed him to build a house for his family. He lived in Strümpfelbach, a village in Backnang. His family included his wife, two sons, and a daughter. After finishing their new home, they found themselves in serious debt.

Tragedy struck the family in March 1984 when his three-year-old daughter, Cordula, died from a brain tumor. This event impacted the family deeply and was a turning point for Norbert.

On 3 May 1984, a man named Siegfried Pfitzer was found dead at a highway rest stop in Marbach, West Germany. He had been shot in the head. His car was discovered a short distance away and was linked to a bank robbery that had occurred the same day. The robbery involved a sledgehammer used to break a teller window. Despite police efforts, they could not locate the assailant.

Later, on 21 December 1984, another victim named Eugene Wethey was found shot dead at a rest stop near Grossbottwar. Wethey's car was used in another bank robbery a week after his death. The robbery was carried out by a man who also used a sledgehammer.

A year later, on 22 July 1985, 26-year-old Wilfried Scheider was discovered shot dead in a parking lot in Beilstein-Schmidhausen. Like the previous victims, he had been shot in the head. Police found his car near the scene of another bank robbery.

In response to these crimes, a special police task force called SOKO "Hammer" was established. This operation involved investigating numerous clues and interviewing many people over several months.

On 5 July 1985, police in Stuttgart asked for public assistance regarding these murders on a television program. Despite a dramatic reenactment that aired, the police did not receive useful information. Investigators later discovered a police uniform belonging to Norbert Poehlke at a railway station. Poehlke, a police officer, claimed he left it there for a family funeral. However, officials investigated further and found inconsistencies in his story.

On 14 October 1985, Poehlke took sick leave from work. When police went to his home to question him about the ongoing investigations, they found his wife shot twice in the head and his son Adrian also dead in the house.

A few days later, on 23 October 1985, Norbert Poehlke and his other son, Gabriel, were found dead in a car in Italy. It was confirmed that Poehlke had committed suicide using his service pistol, which matched the weapon used in the murders. The investigation into the murders was then closed.