Lars Mittank had a good job at the coal-fired power plant in Wilhelmshaven, where he had been working since 2007.
28 years of age, Lars traveled to Varna with four friends. One of them also happened to be a former classmate, from the same high school, from which they graduated in 2003.
They stayed at a posh resort near the beach, at which they had an all-inclusive reservation. All food, and all drinks, including alcohol, on the house. During the day they split their time between the beach, and the hotel pool.
At night, they would visit the discotheques, and the bars. One of his friends described Lars as easy-going, but also a guy who likes to drink. One night they ended up at a saloon called, the "Rock Bar". It was the summer of the World Soccer Cup, and Lars got into a confrontation, with a group of German soccer club fans. When Lars backed off, the argument subsided. Or, so everybody thought.
Among the last to leave the bar, Lars and his friends then went, to a fast food restaurant. Lars said he would wait for them on a bench outside the restaurant. But when his friends turned around, Lars was gone. All they could do was go back to the hotel, and hope that he showed up soon.
When they woke the next morning, Lars was there. But he was injured. He told them he was attacked by some local men, who were speaking either Bulgarian, or Russian. These ****s were hired, he said, by the Bavarian soccer club fans, with whom he had argued, in the Rock Bar. After he got punched in the head, his ear began to hurt
