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In the upcoming episode of Investigation Discovery's American Monster, the show will delve into the complex case of Cindy Monkman's brutal murder, who fell prey to the conning schemes of two German brothers, Michael Apelt and Rudi Appelt.
The sensational case saw Cindy Monkman stabbed to death and left in the desert by Michael after marrying her and getting her life insurance. This elaborate scheme was later uncovered with the help of Michael's ex-girlfriend, Anke Dorn.
Titled Brothers and Sisters, the synopsis for the upcoming episode of American Monster reads:
"Cindy Monkman turns heads wherever she goes, but by age 30, she's looking for something serious; Michael Apelt, a handsome German businessman, seems to be the answer to her prayers, until their first Christmas together turns into a horror story."
After police linked Michael to the crime by using insurance, he was sentenced to death, with his later appeal being denied. American Monster season 8, episode 4 will premiere on November 20, on Investigation Discovery, at 9:00 pm EST.
Who was Cindy Monkman and what happened to her?
A beautiful and charming lady, Cindy Monkman was an unassuming citizen who managed to stumble on the path of German con artist Michael Apelt. He and his brother, Rudi, had a long history of conning women. The two German citizens came to Arizona to make money in illicit ways, posing as rich businessmen.
Cindy Monkman met Michael at Bobby McGhee's restaurant and the two soon started bonding. This evolved into a love affair, at least in Cindy Monkman's mind, and eventually, the duo married in October 1988. All this while, Michael and his brother were conspiring to make money out of this.
A few weeks after marrying Cindy, Michael got her a life insurance policy for $400,000. The insurance policy was supposed to become effective on December 22, 1988. Meanwhile, throughout the two months, the Apelts brothers and Anke Dorn went on shopping sprees, buying expensive goods worth almost $300,000 with low down payments.
The day after Cynthia Monkman's insurance policy became active, Michael and Rudi took her to the desert near Apache Junction and stabbed her several times. They also allegedly cut her throat. After the murder, the brothers went to have dinner with Anke.
The next morning, Michael called the police and told them that his wife was missing. Her body was later found in the desert. Though their plan seemed perfect to Rudi and Michael, the authorities immediately began suspecting them because of the insurance policy. After interviewing them at the police station, the authorities managed to convince Anke to bend over.
With the promise of immunity, Anke testified against the brothers. This led to a trial where both the brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and simulataneously sentenced to death. The brothers appealed to the court, saying mentally incompetent people cannot be sentenced to death, according to U.S. laws.
After testing the brothers, the court found that Rudi was indeed mentally incompetent. The accused's sentence was overturned and he was sent to prison. However, Michael was sentenced to death.
Investigation Discovery's American Monster will cover this tragic incident in detail when it airs on November 20 at 9:00 pm EST.
