Suzane's parents, who initially allowed her to date Daniel, changed their opinion when they discovered that he used
marijuana almost daily, was unwilling to work or attend school, and came from a
lower-class background. In July 2002, while Suzane's parents were on vacation, Daniel moved into the house for a month. When the parents came back home, Suzane suggested they buy her a flat in which she could live with Daniel. Her father refused, saying that she could do whatever she liked only if she earned money herself.
[9] She continued meeting Daniel secretly. Suzane claimed that her actions were motivated by love, and a fear that Daniel would leave her if the parents were not killed.
[11] Her lawyer, Denivaldo Barni, said that Suzane had no motive at all, but was forced to the crime by Daniel, whom she adored like a god.
Another part of the motive may have been the parents' wealth, estimated at about $ 17 million, which Suzane would inherit in the event of the parents' death. As Prosecutor Roberto Tardelli put it, Suzane wanted to "get her hands on the money and assets her parents had worked so hard to obtain"; she "wanted her freedom and independence without having to work for it".
[4] On trial, Cravinhos claimed that Suzane was abused by her father, which she and her brother Andreas von Richthofen deny. It was also claimed that the Richthofen parents were
alcoholics, but in the
autopsy no alcohol was detected in their bodies.
[9]
In 2018, a justice denied request of freedom for von Richthofen, citing her
egocentrism and a
narcissistic personality disorder as serious personality traits that may have led to her crime.
[12]