Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter German swindler, swindler and murderer. Date of Birth: 21.02.1961 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter
2. Arrival in the United States
3. California Dreams
4. The Rockefeller Deception
5. Arrest and Murder Charges
6. Final Verdict

Biography of Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was a German fraudster, con artist, and murderer. Born on February 21, 1961, in Bergen, Germany, he claimed to have been born on February 29, 1960, and that his mother was American actress Ann Carter. His parents, Simon and Ermengard Gerhartsreiter, managed to determine his true date of birth through their efforts.

Arrival in the United States

In 1978, Christian met Elmer and Jean Kelln, who were traveling in Germany at the time. Christian later used their names to gain entry into the United States. He claimed that the Kellns had invited him to California. However, instead of going to California, he found shelter in Berlin, Connecticut, with the Savio family. Christian deceived the Savios, pretending to come from a wealthy German family. Eventually, the Americans became suspicious and expelled him.

California Dreams

After being expelled by the Savios, Gerhartsreiter headed to California, where he aspired to become an actor. He changed his name to Chris Gerhart and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In 1981, he married a 22-year-old woman named Amy Jersild Duhnke. Christian convinced her to marry him by fabricating stories about needing to avoid returning to Germany due to the Cold War. However, he abandoned his wife shortly after the wedding and went to California. Duhnke filed for divorce in 1992.

The Rockefeller Deception

In 1995, Gerhartsreiter married American entrepreneur Sandra Boss. However, their marriage had no legal force as they had a Quaker ceremony. Sandra later gave birth to their daughter. It was later revealed that Christian had also deceived Sandra by claiming to be a member of the Rockefeller family. When the deception came to light, Sandra not only filed for divorce but also legally changed their daughter's surname. Sandra claimed that she was the sole provider for the family, although Christian controlled the family's finances and attempted to control her life.

Arrest and Murder Charges

On July 27, 2008, Gerhartsreiter kidnapped his own daughter. Police obtained a warrant for his arrest almost immediately. He was apprehended on August 3, 2008, in Baltimore, Maryland. The process of identifying Gerhartsreiter turned out to be more complicated than anticipated, as police discovered a collection of various aliases he had used. The trial was lengthy, with Gerhartsreiter's defense attorneys employing multiple tactics, including claiming his mental incompetence.

Final Verdict

In the end, Gerhartsreiter was sentenced to 4-5 years for kidnapping and 2-3 years for assault. Authorities later discovered that he was a far more dangerous criminal than initially believed. Further investigation linked Gerhartsreiter to the murder of Jonathan Sohus in California in 1985. He was officially charged with murder on March 15, 2011, and on April 10, 2013, he was found guilty of first-degree murder.