Crime at Mayerling deals with two of the most sensational crimes committed during the past century. Although separated in time by a hundred years, they are inextricably connected. In January 1889 the corpses of Archduke Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, and of Baroness Mary Vetsera were discovered in the prince's hunting lodge at Mayerling, near Vienna. In December 1992 Mary's remains were stolen from a cemetery in the same area.For decades, scientists and historians had been trying to solve the mystery of what had happened at Mayerling. An Austrian "Mayerling buff" felt compelled to reach an explanation in his own way: he secretly opened the grave of Baroness Vetsera at night, stole the coffin with her remains, and had them examined by forensic physicians and other specialists.Georg Markus, a Viennese author and journalist, discovered the desecration of the grave, reported it to the police, and obtained for his newspaper the exclusive rights to the story. His reporting led to an early solution of the case.There has been considerable speculation about the crime at Mayerling for over a century. Now, for the first time, the way Mary Vetsera died can be precisely reconstructed, providing information that contributes to a final resolution of the mystery.
