Bio

Thomas Rath was born in 1959 in Germany. Rath was raised in West Germany, an area that experienced significant economic development and cultural shifts.

While he was growing up, he was affected by the expectations and conflicts of family life. Information about his family background and relationships with his parents and siblings is limited. He later joined the West German army and became a noncommissioned officer. This military experience played a role in his adult life.

Rath's life in the army and the changes in his personality mark the beginning of a darker path that would lead to future events. He became known by the alias "Moormörder" or "The Devil's Moor Murderer." Despite the lack of detailed public records about his childhood and youth, his story stands out in the context of criminal history.

Murder Story

On October 30, 1981, 18-year-old Britta Schilling disappeared while hitchhiking home from a disco near Bremen, Germany. Her body was discovered on November 6 in the Devil's Moor. She had been stabbed 27 times, showing signs of torture.

Shortly after, on December 3, a 20-year-old woman was also raped in a similar pattern. On February 9, 1982, 20-year-old Heike Schnier was reported missing when she did not show up for work. Her body was found on March 24 in the same moor, having been stabbed 36 times.

On May 22, 1982, 18-year-old Angele Marks vanished while hitchhiking in Bremen. Her remains were found seven months later, alongside her belongings, on the moors. The killer then shifted tactics and committed more rapes in July.

On June 6, 1983, he abducted a 17-year-old girl at knifepoint, forcing her to perform oral sex. On December 26, 1983, he killed 20-year-old Martina Volkmann after stabbing her more than 100 times. Her body was also found in the moor, revealing more evidence of his crimes.

On January 4, 1984, he targeted another teenage girl, compelling her to perform sexual acts. A month later, he did the same to a 20-year-old woman. However, on March 8, an 18-year-old victim managed to escape. She burned his face with a cigarette and memorized his license plate number as he drove away.

This lead helped police trace the car back to Thomas Rath, a 24-year-old noncommissioned officer in the West German army. After a brief interrogation, he confessed to the crimes. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on April 26, 1985, with a requirement for psychiatric therapy during his time in jail.