Jerry Springer show linked to murder

The fevered world of The Jerry Springer Show, where participants are encouraged to trade insults and even punches, intersected with the real world of love, jealousy and bloody murder yesterday with the opening in Florida of the trial of a former guest who is accused of killing his ex-wife after they both appeared on the programme.

Ralf Panitz, a German native who lives in the United States, is accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nancy Campbell, in July 2000, three months after they recorded a segment on the Springer show.

The murder allegedly happened, moreover, just hours after the segment was broadcast across the US.

The story of Panitz seemed ideal for an episode of Stringer, dubbed "Secret Mistresses Confronted".

Panitz came on to the set both with Campbell, from whom he had separated a year earlier, and his new wife of just a month, Eleanor Panitz. Then he confessed he was still having sex with Campbell.

"I had sex with my ex-wife yesterday, but I did that to keep her illusioned," Panitz said on the show.

"Why? Why is it important to keep an illusion that you love her if you don't?" Springer asked.

"I wanted Nancy to go on the show ... A month ago I married Elli. I do love Eleanor," Panitz said.

To Nancy he said, "I care for you and don't wish you any harm. I just wanted you to know. Please let me go on with my life."

According to prosecutors, however, it was during the three months after the taping of the programme that the love triangle turned from simply messy to murderous.

The final act began about two months after the show's taping when Ralf and Eleanor split up, barely three months after they were married. Ralf then reconciled with Nancy and they moved into a house together.

A few weeks later, Ralf invited another person to move in - Eleanor. Nancy responded by moving out and filing stalking charges against Eleanor.

On July 24, 2000, a judge in Sarasota ruled in favour of Campbell granting her exclusive use of the house. Ralf, Eleanor and a nephew of Ralf's, Marcus Panitz, were escorted to the house to collect their things. Then they went to a nearby bar to watch television - it was also the day that their segment on the Springer show was being aired.

Prosecutors say that after watching the programme, Panitz returned to the house with Eleanor and Marcus. He then vanished for a while. Marcus, fearing that his uncle might have killed himself, called the police. When the officers arrived, the bloodied body of Campbell was on the kitchen floor.

The defence, headed by celebrated lawyer Geoffrey Fieger, is expected to argue that Campbell, who was 52, fell to the floor after suffering a heart attack.

"He didn't do it," Fieger said flatly before the trial began. If Panitz is convicted of first-degree murder, however, he could face life in prison.

- INDEPENDENT

* The Jerry Springer Show screens from Sky 1 at 11pm weeknights.