Home where 92-year-old political socialite was murdered 'by her young husband' goes up for sale
Would you pay $1m for a murder scene? D.C. townhouse where German socialite, 91, was strangled and beaten to death in the bathroom 'by her toyboy husband' goes on the market
- Viola Drath was strangled and beaten to death in the posh Georgetown home and her much younger husband Albrecht Muth is accused of the crime
- Drath's heirs are asking $995,000 for the three bedroom townhouse
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The Washington, DC home where German-born socialite Viola Drath was brutally killed at 91 is now for sale.
Drath’s heirs placed the three-bedroom townhouse in posh Georgetown on the market for the bargain price of $995,000.
But since Drath’s own husband, the much younger Albrecht Muth, is accused of strangling and beating her to death in the bathroom at 3206 Q Street, they may still be asking too much.
Georgetown chic: The home at 3206 Q Street in Washington, DC was the site of the brutal murder of a 91-year-old German-born socialite
Accused: Seen here sporting a fake Iraqi military uniform, Albrecht Muth is accused of beating his 91-year-old wife Viola Drath (left) to death in the home in 2011
According to the Washingtonian, an adjoining townhouse in the sought after neighborhood recently sold for half a million more.
However, the 2011 crime received extensive media coverage thanks to the late journalist’s name recognition and her younger husband’s reputation for bizarre behaviour, which likely dealt a blow to the home’s value.
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ShareCurbed reports that the once drab residence has been completely renovated, including the bathroom where the crime took place.
Don’t look for it in real estate photos, though. The sellers didn’t bother to include the room in a series of shots taken inside the 1,770 square foot row house.
Revamped: Since Drath's gruesome murder, the home has since been fully remodeled
The sun-drenched photos convey luxury and style, with two fireplaces and a bay window in the living room and hardwood floors running throughout the home.
Years of media reports have made it the unlikely backdrop for some strange and gruesome events.
Albrecht Gero Muth, who was 44 years his wife’s junior, was seized by police in August 2011 after details emerged about their violent marriage.
Viola Drath obtained a string of orders against Muth during their marriage after he once allegedly attacked her with a chair and held her captive in her own house.
Personal touches: Hardwood floors run throughout the 1770 square foot home, which has played host to elite Washington society in addition to playing backdrop to a heinous crime
Easy to forget: Once described as drab, the home that has seen the likes of Dick Cheney and Antonin Scalia is now warm and modern despite its chilling history
The built-in bookcases add a classic touch to the three-bedroom Georgetown rowhouse
Muth is also said to have sat on her during the disturbing incident in which he 'pounded her head into the floor' several times.
The sellers would likely prefer potential buyers to focus on the impeccably maintained home’s history of playing host to DC power players, though.
Muth and Drath hosted many honoured guests in their home over the course of their marriage, including Vice President Dick Cheney and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Heart of it all: The sunny master bedroom. Nearby are the dining, shopping, and nightlife of historic Georgetown
Stylish: A dining area gleams in the 1770 square foot home. Not pictured are the home's 2.5 baths. Not surprising since the murder occurred in an upstairs bathroom
The living room with its two fireplaces and bay windows. Well worth the $995,000, since an adjoining rowhouse recently sold for half a million more
But the accused killer’s strange behaviour has gotten him much more press than his dinner guests.
Muth, who married Drath when he was in his 20s and she her 70s, claims to be a brigadier general with the Iraqi army and prior to his life awaiting trial behind bars he was often seen sporting a makeshift Iraqi military uniform. This, despite his having been born in Germany.
He has even asked for the right to wear his military uniform at trial, long delayed because of antics on Muth’s part, though the Iraqi Embassy says he has no connection to the government or the military.
Great for kids: In back are a terrace and large garden
Room to grow: The home features a master bedroom and two smaller guests bedrooms
Sunny: The guestrooms have seen many a high-ranking official come and go
Thanks to prospective buyers, Drath’s murder occurred in the upstairs bathroom, which leaves 1.5 others to use in the 2.5 bath home.
And there were interested parties at a recent walk-through, reports the Washingtonian.
Offers for the centrally located home were due July 16.
Muth’s long-delayed trial is scheduled to finally take place in December.
Though Muth tried to forge documents in order to claim hundreds of thousands from his wife's estate, Drath's will was changed to exclude him before she died
Day in court: After multiple delays due to his poor mental health, Muth will finally stand trial for his wife's death in December
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