Episode #58: Germany's Coldest Case Ever Solved & the 1835 Zodiac Back

youaintawoofin
Feb 19
2 min read

Saint George's fountain, where the killer in the brimmed hat was spotted.

2/19/2025: On today’s episode, Valerie presents the murder of Johann Heinrich Rieber, beloved mayor of Bönnigheim, Germany. Despite quick action by neighbors (by 1835 standards, that is), the case went cold. A chance conversation in Washington D.C. four decades later with a man who’d been accused of the crime, revealed the name of the killer - a war hero, praised by Robert E. Lee. Next, in Amy Jo’s 1835 Zodiac Back, we discuss the Feb/Mar 2025 astrology and the sign of Sagittarius. We peek at some interesting 1835 natal charts - one volatile person you know has some interesting asteroids in there! We dive into Neptune in Aquarius and cover some past predictions for the transit (no hoverboards!), as well as how it related to The Great Moon Hoax from last week. Lastly, Halley's Comet is back!

MAGA Love
Antique townview of Bönnigheim close to Ludwigsburg by M. Merian. From the 1643 edition of Topographia Sueviae by Matthaeus Merian printed and published in Frankfurt
Coat of arms of Bönnigheim
Kavaliersbau
Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee, Ann Marie Ackerman
Robert E. Lee, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Battle of Veracruz during the Mexican-American War
Birth Chart for Elizabeth Hely Walsh
Chart for the Great Moon Hoax publication August 21, 1835.
Notable comets of the period 1811 to 1910, 1910
Neptune Cycle Chart - April 1697 - April 1861
Neptune Cycle Chart - March 2025 - May 2188
Mark Twain
Halley's Comet Illustration

Sources/Photo Sources

Intro Sources:

https://www.tag24.com/politics/politicians/lauren-boebert/lauren-boebert-sparks-kid-rock-dating-rumors-with-late-night-rendezvous-3359492

Germany's Coldest Case Ever Solved Sources:

Ackerman, Ann Marie. Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee, Kent State University Press, 2017

https://www.annmarieackermann.com/robert-e-lees-mystery-letter/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6nnigheim

https://www.moongiant.com/phase/10/21/1835

https://www.annmarieackermann.com/murder-world-record-white-squirrel/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-reward-for-solving-the-1835-murder-of-a-german-mayor-will-be-paid-out-in-md/2018/05/15/e58fff80-584f-11e8-8836-a4a123c359ab_story.html

https://www.dw.com/en/long-overdue-reward-presented-in-historical-german-murder-case/a-43847741

Germany's Coldest Case Ever Solved Photo Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6nnigheim#/media/File:DEU_B%C3%B6nnigheim_COA.svg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6nnigheim#/media/File:Boennigheim-kavaliersbau.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6nnigheim#/media/File:BoennigheimGeorgsbrunnen.jpg

https://www.vintage-maps.com/en/antique-maps/europe/germany/merian-germany-baden-wurttemberg-boennigheim-1643::12344

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Veracruz#/media/File:Battle_of_Veracruz.jpg