A German opera singer has been arrested on accusations that she murdered her husband and then had an accomplice impersonate him to sign all his possessions over to her.
Waltraud Hill, 55, is alleged to have approached up to 10 men to find a suitable doppelganger, then used a make-up artist to disguise him as her dead husband Hermann, UK newspaper the Telegraph reported.
The soprano has been charged with murder and fraud over the death of her husband, 71, a wealthy former fisherman.
Detectives interviewed 7000 people during the investigation, finding eight who admitted to have been approached by Mrs Hill to pose as her husband.
"She showed me a photo of this old geezer, said there would be a 'good drink in it for me' if I played him at a lawyer's office and at a notary's," one is alleged to have said.
After allegedly finding a willing doppelganger, the pair went to a solicitor and signed over his properties, stocks, bonds and insurance policy to her.
Police are yet to find the body of Mr Hill but are working on the assumption that he is dead.
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