Traces of candle wax were found near the grave, reports say

Jul 15, 2015 11:33 GMT  ·  By

The head of Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, director of 1922 silent horror film “Nosferatu,” has been stolen from his tomb in a cemetery in Germany's Stahnsdorf municipality, just southwest Berlin, reports say. 

The late movie director shared his grave with his two brothers. However, his body was the only one that was desecrated. For now, it is unclear who discovered the theft.

Clues hint to occult intentions

To steal the movie director's skull, the grave robbers first had to open the metal coffin that Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau was buried in back in 1931 following his death in a car crash near Santa Barbara in California, US.

The law enforcement officers investigating the case have not yet confirmed this, but there are rumors that traces of candle wax were found not far from the grave, The Guardian informs.

Hence, some say that Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's head must have been stolen to be used in some occult ritual. After all, his “Nosferatu,” an adaptation of Bram Stoker's horror novel “Dracula,” is one of the scariest movies ever made.

For those who haven't seen it yet, the 1922 silent horror movie is centered around Count Orlok, a positively terrifying vampire who spends his days sleeping in a coffin and his nights chasing after blood.

An investigation is ongoing

Since it's not all that often that heads belonging to people who died decades ago get stolen from cemeteries, law enforcement officers don't really know how to go around solving this rather puzzling case. Nonetheless, an investigation is underway and authorities hope to soon identify the culprits.

By the looks of it, the grave of movie director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau has been disturbed on several other occasions over the years. To make sure that no other body parts go missing in the foreseeable future, cemetery overseers are thinking about sealing it.

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau

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A still from “Nosferatu”
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
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