In Germany, a high-profile court case has begun in which data from the popular mobile game Pokemon Go serves as a key piece of evidence.
According to the newspaper Bild, a 39-year-old man has been brought before the court, accused of brutally murdering and dismembering his former partner back in December 2019. The tragedy unfolded after another argument: as per the prosecution’s version, the man inflicted fatal blows on the woman, then dismembered her body and concealed the remains in a wooded area approximately 400 meters from his home. For a long time, the crime remained unsolved, and the victim’s identity was not immediately established. A breakthrough in the case only came in February 2023, when a local resident, while walking her dog, came across a skull, on which experts later found traces of a sharp object. This led to the reopening of the investigation and the re-arrest of the suspect in February 2026.
During interrogations, the man attempted to build a defense by referencing his hobby. He claimed that on the day of the woman’s disappearance, he was peacefully strolling near a reservoir and playing Pokemon Go, catching virtual creatures to support his alibi. But investigators subjected his statements to a thorough examination. By analyzing geolocation data stored in the gaming application and cross-referencing it with the time of the alleged crime, law enforcement concluded that the defendant’s account did not match reality. The information about his in-game movements completely refuted the version of a walk at the specified location on that day, striking a serious blow to the defense and allowing the court to consider this data as one of the incontrovertible pieces of evidence of his involvement.
Despite the collected evidence, the defendant himself categorically denies his guilt. During the hearing, he exercised his right to remain silent, leaving his lawyer to defend his interests. The defense attorney emphasized that his client has consistently rejected any connection to the woman’s disappearance from the very beginning. Nevertheless, the prosecution remains confident in its position, having at its disposal not only data from the mobile game but also other physical evidence. The proceedings in this high-profile case continue.
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