ZDF schedules four XY gelöst true‑crime special episodes for 2026

Germany’s public broadcaster ZDF will air four new episodes of its true‑crime spin‑off series XY gelöst in 2026. The double‑bill installments are set for Wednesday evenings on 29 April and 10 June, with back‑to‑back broadcasts at 20:15 and 21:00 on each date. All episodes will also be available online via the ZDF Mediathek from 22 April.

The first episode, “Mord im Karneval”, revisits the 1988 murder of 24‑year‑old hairdresser Petra Nohl during Cologne’s carnival, solved after DNA analysis and a tip from the original Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst show. The second, “Tödliche Nachtschicht”, examines the 2007 stabbing of a bistro co‑owner in Cologne’s inner city, which remained unsolved until a phone tip revived the case eight years later. The third, “Begegnung mit einem Mörder”, follows the 2012 killing of a mother near Worms, where investigators reconstructed the crime through witness statements and forensic evidence. The final episode, “Verhängnisvolle Vergangenheit”, covers the 2025 murder of a 61‑year‑old man found bound and stabbed in his apartment.

These episodes aim to showcase how historic homicide investigations were eventually resolved through modern forensic methods and renewed investigative efforts.