The Murder of Werner Hartmann

For this case I watched an episode of I’d Kill For You. It’s season 1 episode 2, titled ‘Murder in Stereo.’

A self made millionaire nicknamed the “stereo king of Chicago,” is killed in his own home.

Background

Werner Hartmann grew up in Germany, and moved to the U.S. in his teen years. By 1978, he became a self made millionaire, and his stereo business was in full swing. He was known as the ‘stereo king,’ because his business sold more car stereos than any other store.

His friends and employees said Werner could sell anything to anyone. He loved his business and he loved talking to people.

A New Relationship

Once his business took off, Werner was able to purchase a nice home in Northbrook, a suburb of Chicago. He had a loving wife and two daughters, but his the marriage didn’t last. His wife and daughters moved down to Florida after the divorce.

One night, Werner was lonely, and walked into a Chicago strip club. He was intrigued by one of the dancers, a 24 year old named Debra Stover. Debra came from a rough background, and dropped out of school at age 15.

Werner and Debra seemed to hit it off. She took him to a VIP room, and they started dating after that. She moved into his new home, and they got married within six months. She also started working at the stereo business, leaving the strip club behind.

The Other Man

Werner worshipped Debra. He bought her jewelry, fur coats and cars. Debra seemed happy at first, but after a year of marriage, she started going out and partying.

Debra also met a man named John Korabik. John was a part time tennis pro, who still lived with his parents. They met one day when John came into the stereo store. Debra and John became involved, and Werner found out about it. This caused tension between Debra and Werner, and the relationship became volatile.

One night, Debra came home drunk. Werner ended up shooting at Debra’s car. He told the police that he wasn’t aiming for her, and he was let off with a warning.

In January 1982, Debra moved out, and in with John.

The Rich Lifestyle

By the spring of 1982, Debra was bored of her life with John. She returned to Werner’s house, and he took her back.

Things seemed to go back to normal, until Werner became paranoid that Debra was planning to kill him. He had confided in friends that he overhead Debra talking to John on the phone about having him killed. His friends didn’t believe him, and tried to talk him out of feeling so paranoid.

Werner contacted his insurance agent and friend Harvey Loochtman. He asked if he could change the beneficiary of his life insurance policy from Debra to Eva and Stephanie, his daughters. Werner also asked Harvey to create a new life insurance policy in their names. The two life insurance policies totaled $800,000.

Werner also contacted his first wife and daughter Eva to come up to Chicago. He was still friends with his ex-wife, and confided in her that he was leaving Debra, and that there was something going on with his business. She agreed.

The Discovery

On June 8, 1982, Debra contacted Werner, and finally agreed to give him his divorce. Debra asked Werner if they could meet in person, and he agreed.

Debra met Werner at his home, and said she’d sign the papers. She also suggested that he come out and meet her, Eva and his first wife out for dinner. Werner thought it seemed strange, but said he’d get ready and meet them later.

Eva and her mom were out to dinner, when Debra arrived. They were suspicious, but Debra invited them out to the disco. She also said that Werner would meet them soon.

At the disco, Debra was drinking heavily, and giving Eva sips, who was 14 at the time. Debra and Eva stayed out until about 4am. Werner never showed up, or answered any of their phone calls.

When they arrived home, they discovered that the front door was open. Debra persuaded Eva to walk upstairs to her father’s bedroom. Eva found Werner lying on his bedroom floor. He was naked and lying in a pool of blood.

The Investigation

According to Oxygen.com, Eva wanted to call 911, but Debra suggested that they drive to the Northbrook police station. She told the officers that Werner had committed suicide.

The police arrived at Werner’s home, and soon discovered it was not a suicide. Werner had 14 bullet wounds to his body, and all of them had been at close range. There was no sign of robbery, and the killer or killers hadn’t left behind any evidence. The only thing left behind was a few shell casings from a unique weapon: a MAC 10 machine gun.

Debra immediately became the prime suspect, as well as her boyfriend John. They both had alibis for that night, and there was no evidence linking either of them to the crime.

After the murder, they moved into Werner’s home together. They had the money from the $800,000 life insurance policy. The relationship didn't last too much longer though, Debra dumped John a few months later.

A New Development

The case went cold until 1984. Jim Delorto with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, was working on case. He had been listening to a conversation between his undercover partner and a firearms dealer named Kenneth Kaenel. Kenneth was discussing his involvement in selling machine guns.

There were bullet holes in the ceiling of Kenneth’s basement, and he told the undercover officer that they had come from a MAC 10. The agents also discovered that Kenneth and John Korabik had been roommates at the time of Werner’s murder.

Days later, the police went back to collect the bullets from Kenneth’s basement. Kenneth was arrested for illegal gun running and grand larceny. He immediately started talking when he discovered he could be charged with murder.

The Murder Plot

Kenneth told the police that he had delivered the gun to John, and that Debra was the mastermind. She had planned a meeting with him and John just a few months before the murder.

Kenneth told Debra that he knew some people who could kill Werner. Debra offered $50,000 to have it done. Kenneth told the police that he wasn’t the shooter, and believed that John was.

The police searched phone and bank records for months, and discovered that there was one other person involved. The person was Harvey Loochtan.

Harvey started talking as soon as he was brought in. He said Debra had paid him $3,000 to change the will back to her name, and she forged Werner’s signature.

Harvey pleaded guilty to his role, and was sentenced to two years.

Convictions

On January 21, 1989, Debra, John and Kenneth were indicted on charges of mail fraud and conspiracy.

The jury deliberated for three hours, and found all of three guilty of mail and wire fraud charges, conspiracy to commit murder and for cheating life insurance agencies out of money.

John Korabik was sentenced to 16 years, Kenneth Kaenel to 20 years and Debra Hartmann to 22 years. Debra served 12 years.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I feel so bad for Eva Hartmann. She was interviewed in this episode, and she said she’ll never forget seeing her dad lying on the floor dead. Debra is an awful person for not only planning to kill her husband, but for making Eva find his body. She manipulated every single person in her life, and only served 12 years in prison. Her co-conspirators should have been giving longer sentences too, but sometimes the justice system fails. People serve longer sentences for drug offenses than they do for murder.

Sources

https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/werner-hartmann-murder-why-debra-hartmann-wasnt-convicted

https://murderpedia.org/female.H/h/hartmann-debra.htm

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-11-23-8903120105-story.html

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-03-13-9001210328-story.html