The Public Prosecution Service demands 18 years of imprisonment against a 51-year-old man from The Hague who is suspected of the murder of a 48-year-old man from Hoofddorp. The victim was last seen in Suriname. According to the Public Prosecution Service, it is certain that the suspect deliberately took the victims life and then disposed of the body.
The investigation into the disappearance started in December 2022 when the family reported to the police. The victim was supposed to take a flight from Suriname to the Netherlands on December 18 but never arrived. His luggage, laptop, and mobile phone were also missing. The man was last seen at a house on the Indira Gandhiweg in Lelydorp, Suriname.
Camera Footage
The police immediately contacted the Surinamese authorities and requested the camera footage from a surveillance camera directed at the premises where the victim had several buildings. The footage shows the suspect arriving at the victims property in his car and leaving alone over an hour later. Furthermore, two bloodstains belonging to the victim were found on the wall in the kitchen of a house on the premises. Witnesses also stated that they smelled a strong odor of blood in the house that afternoon. On January 16, 2024, the man from The Hague was arrested in his hometown.
Dispute Over Money
The suspect invoked his right to remain silent during his initial interrogations but began to testify from his fifth interrogation. The suspect allegedly had a dispute with the victim over money he had lent to the victim. He reportedly became angry and struck or pushed the victim, causing the victim to fall and die instantly. He then allegedly threw the body into the Suriname River.
Premeditation
However, according to the Public Prosecution Service, it is clear that the suspect deliberately took the victims life and then disposed of the body. Shortly before the murder, the suspect sent a message to the victims sister stating that he really needed to start paying back, or else he would take action against him in the Netherlands. The suspect searched the internet for a taser and the term: “how much ash after cremation of a human.” Additionally, the suspect had the back seat of his car replaced shortly after the murder.
“After committing this crime, the suspect concealed the victims body with the intent to conceal the fact and cause of death,” said the public prosecutor. “Through these actions, the suspect not only took the victims life but also deprived the relatives of the opportunity to say goodbye in a dignified manner.”