Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer, Netflix's latest true crime documentary, features a cast of real people recounting a heinous crime in Germany from 2012.
Released on April 3, Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer takes a deep dive into a string of mysterious murders in Berlin, Germany, whose culprit became known as the "Coma Killer" when they took place in 2012.
This documentary is told through multiple eyewitnesses and professionals who were close to the case, including the criminal investigators and a survivor of the attacks.
The Real People in Netflix's Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer
Nicky M.
The first victim analyzed in the documentary is 32-year-old Nicky M, who died on May 5, 2012 at the Grosse Freiheit 114 bar.
The series details his death after ingesting liquid ecstasy that was poured into his drink at the bar. This came alongside a different attempted murder that same night.
According to those who knew him, Nicky was a kind soul who was loved by everybody, bringing a sense of joy and life everywhere he went.
Alexander M.
Alexander M. is the second victim detailed in Episode 2 who was found murdered in his apartment, although he was revealed to be the first one killed chronologically
The police found him with all of his belongings missing as his family and friends tried to find out how he died, which was particularly difficult as his body did not appear to be affected physically from the outside.
Dirk P.
Dirk P is the 39-year-old man who was eventually identified as the killer, although he was previously a trainee elementary school teacher with no criminal record.
He was sentenced to life in prison when caught in 2013, but he died only one year later as reports noted he took his own life in prison.
Katrin Faust
Katrin Faust is a German state prosecutor who starts off the documentary describing how dangerous Berlin nightlife can be.
She detailed her experience investigating the murder highlighted in this documentary, sharing information on her process behind finding the truth and talking to people who knew what happened.
Patrik Berg
Patrik Berg is a professional techno DJ who gives insight into what he sees working the nightlife, speaking on how the state of the current nightlife ties back to Berlin's long history.
He explains how the Berlin Wall divided the Friedrichshain district in East Germany, turning the area into a somewhat lawless party area after it was long known for death and destruction.
Lucia Lu
Lucia Liu works as a techno DJ, describing how prevalent drugs and alcohol are on the party scene in Berlin.
She also pulls back the curtain on the dark side of that scene, explaining how partiers go too deep into the fun and put themselves in danger of assault or worse.
Matthias
Matthias worked as the bar manager at Berlin's Grosse Freiheit 114, an LGBTQ+-friendly bar, who detailed the night he and his team found a dead body at the bar in May 2012.
Initially believing it was an accident tied back to sex or drugs, he detailed how he quickly learned that his patron had been murdered, and he even felt that he was considered a suspect for a short time.
Andreas Voges
Andreas Voges is a senior homicide investigator who worked the case centered on a murder victim at Berlin's Grosse Freiheit 114 bar in 2012.
He quickly learned about what happened at these kinds of bars regarding anonymous sex and drug use, but he found it difficult to obtain any helpful evidence for his case as he did his job.
Dr. Sven Hartwig
Dr. Sven Hartwig served as a forensic pathologist who examined the dead victim from the bar, although he had challenges initially deciphering the definitive cause of death.
Finding some evidence of strangulation and other signs pointing to suffocation, this was one of the more difficult cases of his career, leaving him feeling particularly uneasy with so many unanswered questions
Anka Hilgert
Anka Hilgert is introduced as the sister of one of the documentary's main victims, Nicky, who detailed her reaction when she found out about her brother's death.
After his death, she learned more about some of his activities at the bars he visited in the city, remembering how he would often cross-dress as she reminisced on their lives together as kids.
Monika Laschke
Monika Laschke is a homicide investigator who worked closely on the murder case, looking back to her experience questioning Grosse Freiheit 114's bartender, Matthias.
She had to be thorough with her questions as he was her main eyewitness, asking him to describe all of the patrons in his bar and explain the activities that took place there late at night. She also had the responsibility of reaching out to family and friends of the victim.
Miroslaw Wawak
Miroslaw Wawak was the victim and survivor of an attack on the very same night as the first murder detailed in the documentary.
He shared his experience of being drugged by a man he met at a train station after ingesting liquid ecstasy through a drink he swapped with the man in question, believing that the man was intent on killing him that night.
Danjel Zarte
Danjel Zatte has been the owner of the Grosse Freiheit 114 bar since 2021, and in this documentary, he details how his bar has always been a safe space for gay men.
He regularly had to deal with apprehension and fear from people in the LGBTQ+ community, especially having to handle the aftermath of the murder at his bar a decade before he became the owner.
Christian Schulz
Christian Schulz is a senior case analyst who investigated the murder, detailing in the documentary how much crime is seen in Berlin on an annual basis.
Explaining how 90% of those crimes are solved, he later explores the minutia of criminology and victimology.
Regina Luck
Regina Luck is the grandmother of another victim in this documentary named Alexander, recounting the events leading up to her finding out about her grandson's death.
She describes her grandson as joyful and willing to help people as she looks back to their discussions about social issues and politics, calling him a lovely boy and remembering him fondly.
Doreen
Doreen is interviewed due to her close relationship with Alexander, being a longtime friend of his.
She heard about his death after a phone call from another friend, recalling Alexander's dry sense of humor and looking back to how they would rate men's dating profiles with one another.
Ulrike Pohle
Ulrike Pohle is a criminal investigator who led the charge looking into Alexander's tragic death.
She found him lying in bed on his stomach and covered up, although she noticed that his body was relatively untouched while many of his personal belongings were missing.
Dr. Nahlah Saimeh
Dr. Nahlah Saimeh is a forensic psychiatrist who puts her expertise on the human psyche on display as it pertains to how criminals like the one in this documentary think.
She explains how some criminals realize what they are doing as their crimes increase, starting to wonder if they are truly doing something right or wrong.
Birgit
Birgit is Dirk's aunt, but she noted that her relationship with him was more of a brother/sister bond as she raised him while he was at her parents' house with her.
Birgit admitted to loving the person she knew Dirk to be, describing him as kind and caring, although she also dove into the physical and emotional abuse he took from her mother after her father passed away.
Silke
Silke is a nurse who previously worked with Dirk, sharing how open he was about his sexual orientation as a gay man.
She reflected on him giving the impression that he lived a normal life and had a normal background, leaving her shocked that he was convicted of such a horrible crime.
All three episodes of Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer are now streaming on Netflix.
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