JRCC inmate convicted of brutal 1986 murder makes another attempt at deportation to Germany

The North Dakota Parole Board considered Tuesday whether to release convicted murderer Werner Rümmer, A.K.A. Werner Kunkel, directly to ICE for deportation to Germany. The board denied parole, citing an inability to control his anger and history with violent crimes.

Rümmer was convicted in 1995 for stabbing Gilbert Fassett more than 100 times in 1986. He maintains his innocence, and is hoping to utilize allegedly suppressed evidence to aid in his parole case, according to extensive reporting by Inforum. He’s served 30 years and continues to serve a life sentence at the James River Correctional Center in Jamestown.

The board granted parole for deportation in 2022 but rescinded it days before his release after receiving letters expressing safety concerns. Rümmer’s lawyers say deportation would be swift, and he’s agreed to return to North Dakota custody if not deported within six months.

An evidentiary hearing in January will present evidence his attorneys say proves prosecutors withheld witness statements showing Fassett alive after the alleged murder date.