Who killed Dirk Hamer? How did he die? We discuss the 2023 Netflix true crime series The King Who Never Was, which will contain spoilers.
We all know the draw of true crime documentaries, and the schedules are full of them, but at least here is another one with a historical and political leaning that makes it even more intriguing.
The 2023 Netflix documentary series The King Who Never Was, manages to present the bizarre and tragic case of Dirk Hamer, his death, and the self-proclaimed King of Italy that is key to the story.
The story is the tip of a scandal that takes the viewers into a twisted tale of abolished Royal family members, political corruption, and, eventually, tragedy.
The sad and pointless death of Dirk Hamer is at the center of the series and is once again a validation of the statement that truth is stranger than fiction.
Who is Dirk Hamer?
Dirk Hamer was a nineteen-year-old German man that was innocently involved in a horrific accident that led to his eventual death.
Dirk had been on a boat with his sister Birgit Hamer and friends, enjoying a holiday when tragedy would strike.
Who killed Dirk Hamer, and how did he die?
Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia was on an adjacent boat and would become angered when he found his dinghy had gone missing. In retaliation, he accidentally shot the innocent bystander Dirk Hamer.
Savoia was a controversial figure. He would proclaim himself to be King of Italy, and after Italy abolished the Royal family, he would find himself in exile for over fifty years.
A gunshot wound was the cause of death, and although Dirk would receive months of care in the hospital, complications and significant surgery would eventually lead to the nineteen-year-olds death.
Why would Dirk Hamer be killed?
Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia was angered when he found that the dinghy of his yacht had gone missing. Believing the boat was stolen, he would arm himself with a rifle and try to get the boat back. Two shots from the gun were fired, and one would go through the cabin wall of a neighboring boat and strike Dirk, who was asleep inside the vessel. Savoia was arrested for the incident.
A few days later, he would sign a letter admitting civil liability for the shooting, and unfortunately, Dirk would die from the wound after many months of surgery. The day before Dirk died, Savoia was bailed and left Corsica for Switzerland.
Dirk’s sister and family would continue to fight for justice for Dirk after Savoia was cleared of the murder charge instead of being charged with firearm charges.
The case would continue, and a whole catalog of controversial incidents is revealed along the way.
The Netflix series covers over forty years of Birgit repeatedly trying to get a satisfactory conclusion to the case, but the show presents the incredible obstacles that seem to be in the way of there ever being a conclusion to the affair.
Perhaps this is not the usual format for a true crime documentary, but the players involved elevate this series into something more than the usual fare.
Touching upon the reach of the powerful and the possible corruption and manipulation of investigations, media, and even governments, this series goes beyond the facts and resolutions of other crime stories and presents a twisted tale of distortion and coercion, with powerful people at the heart of the matter.
