The fact that he apparently ate a substantial meal and was at rest when killed suggests he did not know he was in immediate danger — which argues against a scenario in which he was fleeing from known enemies.

The copper axe — an extremely valuable item — was not taken after the murder.

If robbery were the primary motive, the axe would almost certainly have been removed.

Its presence at the scene suggests either that the killing was not about robbery, or that the killer was interrupted before they could take it, or that some cultural or circumstantial reason prevented them from taking it.

Some researchers have proposed that the killing was connected to social conflict in Ötzi’s community — that he was killed by someone who knew him, in the context of whatever dispute had led to his presence in the high Alpine terrain where he died.