A German tourist allegedly spotted a serial killer who has been missing for 23 years on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, according to authorities.
North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office investigators said the tourist allegedly spotted 51-year-old Norman Volker Franz, 51, a notorious gang member responsible for multiple murders, the Mirror reported. Franz escaped prison twice and has been on the run since then, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Sheriff’s Department Looking For Inmate Who Escaped By Pretending To Be Someone Else In Prison)
WANTED: Norman Volker Franz has a long history of violent & organized crime. He is wanted for five murders.https://t.co/6tQ100ihd4
— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) February 23, 2021
“A German tourist saw a man on the island who matched Norman Franz’s description. Franz knows that he is not allowed to be near Germans. They might recognize him,” the investigators reportedly said. “Franz is a polite, intelligent person. He can be very charming towards women. Franz wants to achieve his material goals, or get money in short. The use of funds is completely irrelevant to him. He’s very, very dangerous.”
Franz attempted to flee to France with his girlfriend but was arrested in May 1995 and sentenced to life in prison a year later, the Mirror reported. Franz reportedly escaped by sawing through the window bars and used a ladder he made using bucket handles and broomsticks on March 11, 1997. Franz shot three security guards after he escaped, according to the Mirror.
The couple fled to Portugal where Franz was arrested in the city of Albufeira in October 1998, according to the outlet. Franz reportedly escaped again by sawing through the window bars and using bedsheets less than a year later and has been on the run ever since.
Franz is on the most wanted lists in Germany and Interpol, according to the Mirror.