Fritz Honka

Who was Fritz Honka?

Fritz Honka was a German serial killer. Between 1970 and 1975, he killed at least four prostitutes from Hamburg's red light district, keeping the bodies in his flat.

At 5 ft 5 in, Fritz Honka was extremely sensitive about his height. He liked his women shorter, and he also liked them toothless, to alleviate his fears of mutilation during oral sex. He found relief with aging prostitutes from Hamburg's red light district, killing at least four of them in his small attic room in the Zeißstraße 74 of Ottensen, Hamburg. Disposal was a problem, given Honka's size and basic laziness. He kept the bodies in his flat, and fortified himself with alcohol against the stench. When neighbours griped about unpleasant smells, he doused the place with quarts of cheap deodorant.

On 15 July 1975, the mummified remains were found by firemen after a fire in the house. Honka was not present, being on shift as a night watchman. He was arrested when he returned home. In custody, Honka said he killed the women after they mocked his preference for oral sex over "straight" intercourse. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, the maximum possible under German law.

Honka was released from prison in 1993 and spent his last years under the name of Peter Jensen in an nursing home. He died in a hospital in Langenhorn, Hamburg on 19 October 1998.