The Standard can today reveal shocking new images of aristocrat killer Bennet von Vertes brazenly posing on dating apps around Europe.
Von Vertes, 40, an ultra-rich art dealer, brutally beat London socialite Alex Morgan before killing him on Zurich’s Gold Coast in 2014. He is the subject of The Standard’s powerful new true-crime podcast, (In)Justice: Killer Privilege, which recently reached number two in the Apple Podcasts charts and launches for free for all listeners from today.
The six-part investigation explores the devastating story of Alex’s mother Katja Faber’s fight for justice after her son’s killer, von Vertes, got away with serving just nine years of his 12-year sentence for the brutal, ketamine-fuelled attack. Faber claims he also still owes her more than 100,000 francs (£88,000) in legal costs from the trial — an injustice that is only made more painful with the release of these latest screenshots of him posing on dating apps in plain sight.
The images — one of von Vertes with an AirPod in his ear, the other of him standing in front of a set of mailboxes — were sent to Faber by two separate dating app users following von Vertes’ release from jail, and offer a terrifying example of how easy it is for convicted criminals to match with unsuspecting dating app users online.
The dating app Bumble, where at least one woman has reported seeing a profile belonging to von Vertes since his release, says it reserves the right to investigate members with serious criminal histories, but users are not required to disclose criminal convictions, including rape and intentional killing — both of which von Vertes was found guilty of in Switzerland.
Faber, who has heard from two individuals with important information about her son’s killer since the launch of the podcast, says she finds this fact terrifying.
“It's quite extraordinary that someone on parole for such serious crimes can wander about the world as if he had done nothing,” she told The Standard on sharing the screenshots — sent to her by two of the three women who’ve approached her about seeing von Vertes on a dating app so far. She wanted to share the pictures with Standard readers in the hope that they will remember his face and warn others against meeting him.
Indeed, the screenshots follow a recent report that von Vertes, aged 30 at the time of the killing in 2014, has already boasted about being a convicted killer on a date with a woman since leaving jail in 2023.
According to a woman who found herself on a date with von Vertes, while he was on day release earlier that year, the art dealer was “verbally abusive” and boasted openly about being fresh out of prison because he killed someone. He then tried to persuade her to come with him to a hotel. The woman reportedly fled under the pretence of using the bathroom, having matched with him on a dating app where he’d used the name Benjamin Schwarz.
Others have reported similar incidents as von Vertes seemingly enjoys what has become the latest chapter in a cat-and-mouse game with the authorities. He is understood to be on the run, at least financially, with Faber claiming he still owes her more than thousands in legal costs from the trial.
“Catch me if you can” is the now-deleted phrase splashed across a private Instagram profile that until recently boasted a series of shirtless, middle-finger-up selfies of Bennet alongside tropical snaps believed to be a trip around Vietnam and Thailand since his release from jail.
The posts have since been deleted, with insiders speculating that von Vertes was advised to do so as he attempts to re-establish himself as an art gallery owner — updates we explore in our podcast (In)Justice: Killer Privilege, hosted by London Standard journalist Katie Strick.
The series — which recently reached number two in the Apple Podcasts charts and was splashed across a giant billboard in New York’s Times Square — takes listeners on a journey around the world as Faber seeks justice for her son. It is a story of traumatic grief, the psychology of wealth, and how power and privilege can intersect with the justice system, with often terrifying consequences.
After the podcast’s exclusive release on Wondery+ back in March, all six episodes are now available to binge from today. Just search “(In)Justice: Killer Privilege” wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting this week, we’ll also be sharing each episode, week by week, in our The Standard daily podcast slot every Thursday — giving listeners the chance to follow the story at their own pace.
You’ll be able to catch up on all episodes on our podcast channel here.
Episode 1 of (In)Justice: Killer Privilege launches on The Standard daily podcast at 4pm today — and all six episodes are now available to binge. Just search (In)Justice: Killer Privilege wherever you get your podcasts
