Darmstädter Krimilust 2026 | 5

Andreas Roß speaks with District Attorney Sebastian Knell
about the general responsibilities of the public prosecutor’s office and his specific areas of work.

Sebastian Knell is a prosecutor and press spokesperson for the Darmstadt Public Prosecutor’s Office, representing the Offenbach am Main branch office, and deputy press spokesperson for the main office in Darmstadt. He regularly appears in regional and national news coverage, particularly in cases involving serious violent crimes and homicides.

For example, he reported on a 38-year-old woman who was found dead in September 2025 at Kavalleriesand in Darmstadt, as well as on the suspected homicide of a newborn in December 2024 in Neu-Isenburg. In 2024, he also reported on a suspected sexual offense against children in Ginsheim-Gustavsburg.

In the past, he was personally responsible for handling narcotics offenses and currently works in the department for politically motivated crimes. In addition, he is one of two prosecutors responsible for crimes typically associated with soccer. In this capacity, he is also present at the stadium on official duty during some SV Darmstadt 98 soccer matches.

Music by: Bird’s Talk

Over the past 25 years, Bird’s Talk has developed into one of the best a cappella jazz ensembles in Frankfurt. Thirteen singers create an outstanding sound that immediately captures your attention. Whether it’s bebop, swing, ballads, or pop songs, Bird’s Talk’s signature qualities—sophisticated arrangements, uniquely beautiful harmonies, and ever-surprising rhythms—stick in your mind. Poetic German lyrics penned by the Birds themselves breathe new life into many a jazz standard. Sophisticated original compositions are a hallmark of choir director Regina Klein and her group.
Join the Birds on a journey through standards and little-known gems of blues, bebop, big band swing, cool jazz, Latin, and even a bit of pop and rap. "

Read by:Elizabeth Horn
from her latest choir-themed mystery, “Mitternachtsmorde”

Elizabeth Horn is an author best known for her feel-good novels and cozy crime mysteries. She currently lives in Hesse. After graduating from high school, she earned her state examination in German Studies as well as English and American Studies in Mainz and subsequently taught primarily English.

Midnight Murders
Jakob Mitternacht is a trained bass-baritone who, for personal reasons, gave up a very promising career as an opera singer and is now a chief detective.
The humor in this mystery stems largely from the clash of two worlds. A new choir director, who sees himself as a star tenor, deigns to step in at the last minute before a scheduled concert and is suddenly confronted with the everyday lives of the choir members in a small village.
In tranquil Sangholm on the Schlei, all hell breaks loose! The body of the glamorous Eloise Marchand is found in the choir rehearsal room of the “Schilfrohrsänger”—with a sheet of music in her mouth bearing a single name

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