The “Revenge Mom” Who Gunned Down Her Daughter’s Killer in Court — and Divided a Nation
On March 6, 1981, the air inside a courtroom in Lübeck, Germany, was thick with tension.
Witnesses recall how 31-year-old Marianne Bachmeier entered with a determined expression and a handbag clutched tightly to her side.
Moments later, the quiet was shattered by the sound of gunfire.
Marianne pulled a pistol from her purse and fired at Klaus Grabowski — the man on trial for kidnapping, abusing, and murdering her 7-year-old daughter, Anna.
Seven bullets hit their mark. Grabowski collapsed to the floor and died instantly.
Within seconds, the grief-stricken mother was disarmed, arrested, and led away, showing no hint of regret. Four decades later, her act of vigilante justice still sparks fierce debate.
A Life Scarred by Loss and Trauma
Marianne’s road to that fateful day was paved with hardship. Born to a father who had served in the Waffen-SS during World War II, she endured a troubled youth, including repeated assaults. She became pregnant at 16 and again at 18, placing both children for adoption.
In 1973, she gave birth to Anna — her third child — and raised her alone while running a small pub in Lübeck. Friends described Anna as cheerful and friendly, but in May 1980, their lives took a devastating turn.
The Murder of Anna Bachmeier
After a disagreement with her mother one morning, Anna skipped school and set off to a friend’s house. She never arrived.
On the way, she crossed paths with 35-year-old Klaus Grabowski, a convicted sex offender.
Grabowski lured Anna into his apartment, kept her there for hours, and eventually strangled her. He placed her body in a box and hid it near a canal. Police later arrested him after his fiancée alerted authorities.
Grabowski’s past was disturbing. He had served prison time for assaulting two young girls and had undergone voluntary chemical castration in 1976 — later attempting to reverse it through hormone treatments.
Even after confessing to Anna’s murder, he denied abusing her and, shockingly, claimed the child had tried to blackmail him. His accusations enraged Marianne and deepened her sense of helplessness.
Justice in Her Own Hands
On the third day of the trial, Marianne smuggled a small Beretta pistol past courtroom security. She waited for the right moment, then fired eight rounds — seven striking Grabowski in the back.
Witnesses say she dropped the weapon and declared:
“He killed my daughter… I wanted to shoot him in the face, but I shot him in the back. I hope he’s dead.”
Some heard her call him a “pig” before police took her into custody.
The Trial That Captivated the World
Initially charged with murder, Marianne claimed she had been in a dreamlike state when she pulled the trigger, imagining her daughter’s presence in the courtroom. But experts testified that her accuracy suggested practice and planning.
When asked for a handwriting sample, she wrote:
“I did it for you, Anna” — adorning the page with seven hearts, one for each year of her daughter’s life.
The case dominated headlines. To some, Marianne was a grieving mother pushed beyond her limits. To others, she was a dangerous example of taking the law into one’s own hands.
In 1983, she was convicted of premeditated manslaughter and illegal possession of a firearm, receiving a six-year sentence but serving just three.
Life After Prison
Following her release, Marianne left Germany for Nigeria, where she married a German teacher. The marriage ended, and she later moved to Sicily before eventually returning to Lübeck after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
She rarely spoke publicly, but in a 1995 interview, she admitted she acted deliberately to stop Grabowski from spreading lies about Anna.
On September 17, 1996, Marianne died in a Lübeck hospital at age 46. She was buried beside her daughter.
A Legacy of Controversy
Even today, the “Revenge Mom” case divides opinion.
A poll at the time revealed how split the public was: 28% believed her sentence was fair, 27% felt it was too harsh, and 25% thought it was too lenient.
Supporters view her as a mother delivering the justice the system couldn’t. Critics argue that bypassing due process undermines the rule of law.
Marianne’s story remains one of the most infamous examples of vigilante justice in modern Europe — a chilling reminder of the power of grief and the lengths a parent might go to for their child.