In Leuven, the assize jury has declared 47-year-old Alinda Van der Cruysen guilty for the murder of the elderly couple Jeanne Jacobs and Jules Bogaerts in 1991. Alinda Van der Cruysen is the couple’s second cousin.
–
The jury of the court of assizes of Flemish Brabant in Leuven found Alinda Van der Cruysen (47) guilty on Thursday of the murder of Jules Bogaerts (81) and Jeannette Jacobs (78) in Tienen in 1991. According to the jurors the premeditation has been demonstrated .
Van der Cruysen killed the elderly couple with extreme violence in their home in Tienen on December 9, 1991. She is the victims’ grand-niece. According to the jury, the woman did intend to kill them and she committed the facts premeditated.
Seven jurors voted yes to the guilt question. Five of them said no. That simple majority was not enough to answer the guilt question. The three professional judges therefore also had to vote. That transferred the answer to guilt.
“The couple died in an identical way, through the use of blunt and sharp violence,” said assize chairman Peter Hartoch. The ultimate cause of death was asphyxiation from swallowing blood. The victims also received hard blows to the head and torso with various objects. ‘
According to the jury, it is certain that Van der Cruysen was present in the house at the time of the facts. ‘This is evident from various DNA analyzes. Among other things, on the jeans and shoes that were found, on which her DNA and traces of blood from Bogaerts were found. ‘
The jurors stated in the motivation that Alinda Van der Cruysen probably did not act alone. The deliberation took eight hours.
Bloody jeans
For more than 29 years there was no trace to the culprit. The key to the case turned out to be bloody jeans by Pepe Jeans, which were found just after the murder along the ring road in Tienen. The blood on the pants belonged to the victims, but investigators could never find out who had worn the clothes (shoes and a sweater were also found). Recent DNA research could. Traces of Van der Cruysen were found in the trouser pockets and at the front right on the edge
Jeanne and Jules were found murdered in their home in Tienen in 1991. They had been stabbed to death and suffered several fractures and bruises. When the police entered the house, Jeanne’s belly still contained the murder weapon: a butcher knife.
– .
