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Uncategorized Monday, November 19th 2012 at 11:45 am

Dutch Police Request DNA to Solve Cold Case, Alleged Murderer Submits His Own

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After 16-year-old Marianne Vaatstra was raped and murdered in the Netherlands in 1999, the case quickly went nowhere. Those responsible were were never found, though the police conducted a thorough investigation. There were, however, traces of matching DNA on both the girl’s body and a lighter in her bag. This summer, the police decided to conduct a mass DNA dragnet of around 7,000 local men. Compliance wasn’t mandatory, but that didn’t stop the man that appears to be Vaatstra’s killer from submitting his own.

DutchNews explains:

The man was picked up following the mass dna testing of men living close to the field where Marianne Vaatstra’s body was found.

According to television crime reporter Peter R de Vries, who has been central to keeping the case open, the dna match is 100%. “In ordinary words, you could say ‘the case is solved’”, De Vries told Nos radio.

Not that we’re displeased with a supposed rapist and killer being caught, but how stupid does a person have to be in order to willingly submit their own DNA if they’re not required to comply? That’s assuming that the man really is the killer, and this isn’t somehow a mistake.

A 100% DNA match certainly makes it seem like the “alleged” in “alleged murderer” won’t last for very long.

(DutchNews via Slashdot, image via Jorge Lucero)

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-E-Screws-Jr/5200506 Bruce E. Screws Jr.

    A possibility is corruption at the DNA testing facility. If they knew that he was supposed to be the killer, it is possible that the police got the results they wanted. It may sound far fetched, but there are pretty egregious instances of this recently in the US.

    I question the cost/benefit ratio for these sort of dragnets when they’re voluntary. I wonder how many of these result in convictions If someone was guilty, why would they submit? It also leaves the possibility of planted evidence to frame him. Or the perpetrator could just be dumb.

  • Tincan

    Peer pressure may have played a role. If all of his male friends and family members decided to participate in a show of public spirit, it would have been pretty obvious that he was holding out. He may have gone along and just hoped that he would slip through. I know a couple of people who deal with random drug testing of commercial drivers in large fleets and I’ve heard many stories of people taking the the test in full knowledge they aren’t “clean” – they just hope that somehow the test will fail to detect them.

  • mr_sbaker

    People are often afraid to say “no” to these “voluntary” sweeps, especially if they are conducted by uniformed officers.

    I’m glad they seem to have caught the bad guy, but this is really part of a disturbing trend on the part of law enforcement. “Voluntary” searchers are often used by police looking for drugs or other contraband in inner-city neighborhoods. It seems the police no longer need some evidence on you before taking your DNA or going through your property, as long as they call it “voluntary”.

  • radwolf76

    Isn’t being a tv crime reporter sort of a big step down from being mentat for House Harkonnen?

  • Paul

    This was all done voluntarily no one forced you to do this. People got sent an invitation to participate in giving DNA you can obviously decline if you dont want to. Out of 7300 people who got the invitation around 89% participated and gave their DNA. Public pressure is probably what made the murderer come out. The killer has a wife and kids and probably couldnt escape the pressure around him of people participating and people wanting him to participate as well.

  • http://twitter.com/Batguus Guustaaf

    This investigation wasn’t meant to directly catch the killer, but to find a familial match. The idea was to get DNA from the father/brother/cousin/etc.of the victim, which would give a familial match, which would hopefully lead to the killer.

    In this case, it was reported (but not confirmed) that the father and son of the killer both submitted DNA. So in addition to the suspicion he would raise by not submitting his DNA, the killer knew the results would lead to him anyway. Maybe now he can still claim to be innocent, saying that he had no idea how his DNA got on the victim.

  • Stealthnugget

    Exactly. And, to play the Devil’s Advocate, that there was DNA on the girl’s body and lighter doesn’t mean that the man was the killer. It places him at the scene of the crime, certainly, but unless he confesses or they find more evidence (like a murder weapon or a witness), it’s up the jury to decide if he did it or not… and seeing as the victim was a 16 year-old girl, the man’s DNA was on her body and belongings, and he lives nearby… I’d say he’ll get convicted.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Theodoor-Westerhof/100002550312151 Theodoor Westerhof

    What jury? Wrong justice system, it will be up to the judge to see whether the guilt of this man with a perfect DNA-profile match and exactly fitting the original profile of the murderer has been proven.