[1] After college at the University of Texas in Dallas, where he tried his hand at stand-up comedy, he returned to live near his parents in Winnebago County, Wisconsin.
Diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager,[2] Kopitske needed to be close to his parents but required some independence as well.
[7] Glenn Kopitske had been dead for almost two days when his mother drove to his house on Saturday, August 2, after not being able to reach him by phone, and discovered his nude body.
The summer heat had affected Kopitske's body so badly that authorities initially thought he had died of natural causes.
Only on Tuesday, August 5, when a pathologist turned Kopitske's body over and noticed liquefied brain matter leaking from a wound in the back of the head did authorities realize that Kopitske had been shot to death, and that the marks on his chest and back were actually post-mortem stab wounds.
During a canvas of the neighborhood, a neighbor claimed that a few nights earlier he had seen "an older car with square headlights and rectangular taillights" driving through the area, flashing a bright light at the three residences on the dead end street.
Thoma became convinced that Hirte was telling the truth and, in January 2004, told local police about her suspicions, providing details about the murder that had not been reported in the media.
[3] On January 28, 2004, Thoma agreed to engage Hirte in a telephone conversation about the murder, while the police listened and recorded what was said.
[14] Forensics tests show that Hirte then pressed the muzzle of the shotgun in to the back of Kopitske's head and then fired.
[15] Boyle said that Hirte could not explain the murder for months, until a forensic report suggested a possible sexual element to the crime.
[8] Hirte said that hours before the murder he had been sitting on top of his car, underneath a bridge, drinking alcohol and listening to Nirvana.
Expert witness for the defense, John Liccione, said that Hirte was in the middle of a psychotic depressive reaction, though he had no history of mental problems.
Assistant District Attorney Michelle, emphasized that the sexual encounter did not come up until trial, asked Liccionne during cross examination if Hirte would rather have had his parents believe that he was a cold-blooded killer or a homosexual.
Licionne answered that it would be very difficult for a teenager in a religious family to admit homosexual feelings or activities.
[2] Hirte's parents believed their son's story about a sexual encounter with Kopitske, and that he would have been willing to risk life imprisonment to keep that secret to himself.