On March 6, 1981, Marianne Bachmeier entered a courtroom in Lübeck, Germany with purpose in every step.Then, suddenly, she grabbed a loaded pistol from her purse and opened fire on 35-year-old sex offender Klaus Grabowski.The man had been accused of the kidnapping, abuse and murder of Marianne’s 7-year-old daughter, Anna Bachmeier.Seconds later, Grabowski took his last breath and died on the courtroom floor – after being hit by seven of Marianne’s bullets. The vengeful mother was immediately arrested but showed no trace of remorse. 40 years later, ”Revenge mom” continues to live on in people’s minds – and her sentence yet divides a whole nation …

The loss of a child is the ultimate tragedy, often referred to as the worst experience a parent can endure.On May 5, 1980, Marianne Bachmeier’s life was forever changed. In the ’80’s, Marianne was a struggling single mom who ran a pub in Lübeck, northern Germany.Marianne’s own youth was marked by misery and several traumas. Her father had been a member of the Waffen-SS, one of the most infamous organizations in Nazi Germany.Growing up, she had been raped several times by different men. At just 16 years old, Marianne fell pregnant. As a teenager, she couldn’t raise the baby alone and decided to give the infant up for adoption. When she was 18, Marianne became pregnant a second time – and once again left her baby to an adoption agency.In 1973, Marianne gave birth to a third child, her daughter, Anna. Marianne was still a single mom, but raised Anna on her own.