Will the locals or the Fed allow the German “authorities” to investigate? This case is receiving a lot of attention in Germany and the other Exchange Student with Diren has already went back to Ecuador.
Via FOX News
While Markus Kaarma gets death threats and awaits his formal arraignment in the shooting death of a foreign exchange student last month in a Missoula, Mont., garage, a representative of the German government has floated the option of pursuing its own case.
In a letter sent to Montana Gov. Steve Bullock days after the death of 17-year-old Diren Dede, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Peter Rothen wrote, “…you might find it useful to know that German penal law also applies for crimes committed against German nationals abroad, enabling German state prosecutors to open investigations in such cases.”
Here at home, a charge of deliberate homicide has been filed in Missoula District Court against Kaarma for the April 27 killing of Dede, who was trespassing in Kaarma’s garage. Court documents indicate Dede and friends had learned about “garage hopping” or “garage shopping” from local friends. His friend, who was with him right before the shooting, said Dede may have been looking for alcohol when he entered the garage.
Elected officials and government investigative agencies are responding to Germany’s threat of its own investigation by passing the buck. The governor’s office is referring questions to the U.S. Justice Department. The Justice Department suggested to Fox News that state Justice Department officials are in play. The Montana attorney general referred us back to the local district attorney.
When asked if Germany could also pursue a prosecution, Missoula County Deputy County Attorney Andrew Paul, who is prosecuting the case locally, said he is not familiar with German penal law and “German authorities would not have jurisdiction to prosecute a separate criminal case in the state of Montana.” The U.S. State Department said it would typically only be involved if the U.S. citizen is overseas, not located in the U.S.