Joachim Peiper - Wikipedia

On July 13, 1976, Joachim Peiper, German SS leader was assassinated (b. 1915). He probably deserved to be executed for war crimes in 1945. From the article:

"Residing in France since 1972, Peiper led a quiet and discreet life; however, he continued to use his given name. In 1974, he was identified by a former Communist resistance member of the region who issued a report for the French Communist Party. In 1976, a Communist historian, investigating the Gestapo archives, found the Peiper file.[126] On 21 June, tracts denouncing his presence were distributed in Traves. A day later, an article in the left-wing publication L'Humanité revealed Peiper's presence in Traves and he received threats that his house would be burned down and his dogs killed.[127]

On receipt of these threats, Peiper, who remained in Traves, sent his family back to Germany. During the night of 13/14 July 1976 (Bastille Day), Peiper's home was attacked. In the ruin, Peiper's charred corpse was found together with a .22 caliber rifle and a pistol.[121] The perpetrators were never identified.[127]

Investigation found that intruders had cut a wire fence between the house and neighboring properties. All three of Peiper's dogs had been wounded. Traces of shot and spent shell casings consistent with the rifle, shotgun and revolver Peiper had to protect himself with were found outside, suggesting he had fired at the intruders from outside the house. But if they had had guns of their own they may not have fired them at all since no bullets or shot was found at the places Peiper had fired from.[127]

Instead, the attackers had thrown firebombs, including at least one Molotov cocktail, at the house to start the fire, which arson specialists found had been set in three locations at once. Just outside the house they found some clothing belonging to Peiper's wife as well as some personal papers, including his last letter to her, and a binocular. Peiper's body, burnt down to a mere 60 centimetres (24 in), was found in the remains of his study where the papers would have been kept.[127]

Based on the evidence, investigators with the Dijon Police Judiciaire concluded that Peiper had heard the intruders enter his property and left the house to fire at them. When that did not prevent the firebombing, he returned to the house in an attempt to save his and his wife's valuables by throwing them out the study window, continuing to fire at the attackers outside. While the body was too badly burned to determine the exact cause of death, the official conclusion was that he died of smoke inhalation in the attempt and not at the hands of the attackers.[127]

Erwin Ketelhut, a former Leibstandarte artillery captain who had rented the house to his wartime commander, identified the remains the morning after the fire. Sigurd Peiper wanted her husband's body buried in Germany, so it was transported back there, where by law an autopsy had to be performed. His head was initially missing; when it arrived later it had been cut into sections, splitting the only remaining tooth. Joachim Peiper is buried with his family at St. Anna's Church in the Bavarian village of Schondorf am Ammersee.[127]

A group calling itself The Avengers claimed responsibility for his death; the charred remains of the house briefly became a visitor attraction. The circumstances of his death have led to allegations that it was faked."