Tea Time Crimes

Cold-Blooded in Chemnitz: Grete Beier

Episode Summary

On May 14th, 1907, Heinrich Pressler, Chief Engineer was found dead in the room he rented in Chemnitz, Germany. It was at first ruled as a suicide, but the case was soon re-opened and suspicion fell on his fiance, Grete Beier. Unpeel the layers of this disturbing case by diving into a murderer’s mind with us.

Episode Notes

On May 14th, 1907, Heinrich Pressler, Chief Engineer was found dead in the room he rented in Chemnitz, Germany. It was at first ruled as a suicide, but the case was soon re-opened and suspicion fell on his fiance, Grete Beier. Unpeel the layers of this disturbing case by diving into a murderer’s mind with us. 

Tea of the Day: Kiki’s Spiced Bread Tea 

Theme Music by Brad Frank 

Sources: 

• “Girl Presents Bullet to Man.” The Oregon Daily Journal (UP), Wed, Oct 30, 1907, Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1090698684/
• “A Beautiful Girl’s Confession.” The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser, Tue, Aug 25, 1908, Page 3, https://www.newspapers.com/image/964685070/
• “1908: Grete Beier, who wanted the fairy tale.” Executed Today. Posted on 23 July, 2015 by Headsman, https://www.executedtoday.com/2015/07/23/1908-grete-beier-who-wanted-the-fairy-tale/
• “Sensational German Murder Case.” The Guardian, Tue, Jun 30, 1908, Page 7, https://www.newspapers.com/image/258542940/
• “Remarkable Murder Story. An Extraordinary Story.” Grimsby Evening Telegraph, Tue, Jun 30, 1908, Page 3, https://www.newspapers.com/image/918755939/
• “Woman Guillotined in Public.” The Cornishman, Thu, Jul 30, 1908, Page 7, https://www.newspapers.com/image/786684255/
• “Shot While Blindfolded.” Long Eaton Advertiser, Fri, Jul 03, 1908, Page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/853905293/
• “Beheads Young Girl.” Idaville Observer, Fri, Jul 31, 1908, Page 7, https://www.newspapers.com/image/881953778/
• “Extraordinary Murder Charge.” Liverpool Daily Post, Tue, Jun 30, 1908, Page 10, https://www.newspapers.com/image/797545615/
• “Girl Commits Terrible Crime.” Billings Evening Journal, Wed, Oct 30, 1907, Page 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/953445310/
• “Girl Revolting Crime.” Grimsby Evening Telegraph, Mon, Oct 07, 1907, Page 4, https://www.newspapers.com/image/918752787/
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230802378/marie_margarethe-beier) accessed October 27, 2024), memorial page for Marie Margarethe “Grete” Beier (15 Sep 1885–23 Jul 1908), Find a Grave Memorial ID 230802378, citing Johannisfriedhof Tolkewitz, Dresden, Stadtkreis Dresden, Saxony, Germany; Maintained by Malita (contributor 50493639).
• “Marie Margarethe Beier.” Murderpedia, (Capital Punishment UK) https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/beier-grete.htm
• “Grete Beier, German Serial Killer, Murdered Her Three Babies in Succession and Later Murdered Her Husband - 1908.” Unknown Gender History, September 22, 2011, https://unknownmisandry.blogspot.com/search?q=grete
• “Beheads Girl Who Killed Her Lover.” Cleveland Plain Dealer, Thu, Jul 23, 1908, Page 5, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1074675524/
• The Cincinnati Enquirer, Sun, Mar 08, 1908, Page 13, https://www.newspapers.com/image/33373453/
• “‘Surprise’ Was Death.” St. Joseph News-Press, Mon, Nov 25, 1907, Page 8, https://www.newspapers.com/image/559246100/
• “Acts in Jail.” The Kingston Whig-Standard, Sat, Oct 26, 1907, Page 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/783821093/
• Walters, Guy, “How the Nazis slaughtered 16,000 people by guillotine: Found in a Munich cellar, the death machine that reveals a forgotten horror.” Daily Mail, Published: 20:27 EDT, 13 January 2014 | Updated: 20:40 EDT, 13 January 2014, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2538973/How-Nazis-slaughtered-16-000-people-guillotine-Found-Munich-cellar-death-machine-reveals-forgotten-horror.html