WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:10.720 In the early hours of May one, nineteen ninety nine, 2 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.560 a sixteen year old girl disappeared while cycling home through 3 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:18.280 the dark countryside in the northern Dutch province of Friesland. 4 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:23.120 Later that morning, her body was discovered in a nearby field, 5 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:25.800 and she was found to be the victim of a 6 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:30.320 brutal murder. The crime sent shockwaves through the Netherlands and 7 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:36.799 ignited years of speculation, protests, and political controversy. For more 8 00:00:36.840 --> 00:00:40.759 than a decade, the identity of the man responsible remained hidden, 9 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:48.520 until eventually a massive DNA investigation changed everything. This is 10 00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:51.679 the story of Dear Mary Anne Vatstra. 11 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:56.799 My name's Ben, I'm Nicole, and you're listening to Wicked 12 00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:01.920 and Grim, a true crime podcasting. The following. 13 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:29.359 Material more mature audience listeners. I think I might be 14 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:32.400 getting a tan. But the sun was out the other 15 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:34.079 day and I think I might have gotten some sun. 16 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:36.799 I might have a tan. Yeah, summer's here. 17 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:39.760 I was at the doctor today and I wanted to 18 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:41.959 get some blood work done and one of the things 19 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:46.159 I wanted to test was vitamin D and they were 20 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:49.280 just like, no, like, you're going to be deficient, deficient, 21 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:51.920 There's no point just like, if you live in Canada, 22 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:52.719 take Vitamin D. 23 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:55.719 Pills, welcome to being Canadian. 24 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:59.159 And I was like, okay, that's fine, but I probably 25 00:01:59.159 --> 00:01:59.879 should we should. 26 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:01.400 I am taking Vitamin D. 27 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:04.959 Okay, I am not, which is probably why half the 28 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:06.359 time I feel so tired. 29 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:08.159 Well, I've only been taking it for two days, so 30 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:09.719 I just started. 31 00:02:09.879 --> 00:02:13.000 And you feel like a new person alive again, not. 32 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.360 Really not yet. Wonder what does make me feel alive though? 33 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:22.560 Ah yeah, boom, so good. There is another thing it does. 34 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:24.599 But there is another thing that actually can make me 35 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:26.919 and you feel alive, and it may be signing up 36 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:31.560 for Patreon, getting that behind the scenes content, the exclusive content, 37 00:02:31.639 --> 00:02:34.800 and our Patreon is being revamped very soon. We are 38 00:02:34.840 --> 00:02:37.360 almost done getting it revamped. So if you want the 39 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:40.199 new you know tears that we're offering, great, But if 40 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:41.879 you want the old ones, they're only going to be 41 00:02:41.879 --> 00:02:45.039 available for so long. And we've had some cool people 42 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:47.639 sign up this week, So shout out to Nurse Diesel, 43 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:53.680 Sarah Gain, Stephanie Craig, Catherine Paulter, Rana Joiner, and Rachel 44 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:55.960 who all signed up for Patreon. 45 00:02:56.199 --> 00:02:58.800 Yeah, thank you, so little applause. 46 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:01.199 Applause because you guys are amazing and thank you for 47 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:03.400 supporting the show. It means a lot. 48 00:03:03.879 --> 00:03:04.719 It means a lot. 49 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:09.919 Oh yeah. I went on a bit of an internet 50 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.639 rabbit hole chase, if you will, to see if I 51 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:15.199 could find a Dutch case, because I mentioned last time 52 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:17.879 we should do one. So here we are. 53 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:21.759 Well, we had a patron sign up suggested that we 54 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:24.599 look into Dutch cases, so here we go exactly. 55 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:26.840 So I went, did some googling, found one, and I 56 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:29.639 found it. Rather. I think it's kind of prominent. It's 57 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.479 hard because you know, different languages and stuff like that, 58 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:35.680 it's hard to really find one that's like, it's hard 59 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:39.919 to see if it's really dominant in North America versus 60 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:42.000 you know, overseas and the Netherlands, that sort of thing. 61 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:45.280 So I think it's kind of a prevalent story there, 62 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:47.439 but it certainly isn't here in North America at the 63 00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:47.960 very least. 64 00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:50.039 Okay, yeah, well I haven't heard of it. 65 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:53.199 Well you're too, Are you ready for this? 66 00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:54.120 I sure am. 67 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:57.120 Well. In the far north of the Netherlands lies the 68 00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:00.879 province of Friesland. It's a small place known for its 69 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:05.000 open farmland, narrow country roads, and small villages scattered across 70 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:08.840 the flat countryside. Life here, well, it moves at a 71 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:11.639 bit of a slower pace, especially rather than you know, 72 00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:15.199 going to the big Dutch cities. Now, people here knew 73 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:19.160 their neighbors, families, they lived in that same communities for generations, 74 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.600 and bicycles were one of the most common ways to 75 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:24.439 get around. But before I get into deep I do 76 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:27.480 want to warn you, well, I'm probably not going to 77 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:29.720 do the best with names, but I'm going to do 78 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:30.639 my best. 79 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:32.399 I'm going to try your hardest. 80 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:35.279 Yes, when it comes to the pronunciation of individual names 81 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:38.560 and villages that sort of thing. And now, between the 82 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:44.399 villages of Zagwestinde, Colum and Ving Cluster, quiet rural roads 83 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:48.600 cut through fields, tree lines and canals all alike. At night, 84 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:53.360 those roads could feel especially empty, long stretches of countryside 85 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:57.199 with only the sound of wind and the occasional passing cyclist. 86 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:03.000 It's the kind of environment that well Mary Anne Vatstra 87 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:06.720 grew up in. She knew this very well. Mary Anne 88 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:09.800 was born on August tenth, nineteen eighty two, in the 89 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:13.160 city of lee Warden, but she spent her childhood in 90 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:18.560 the village of Zaguest, Indy, which is known now as Doestrian. 91 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:21.879 She was the youngest of six children in a very 92 00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:26.600 close knit Friezen family. Her father bach Vastra worked as 93 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:30.959 a carpenter, while her mother, Mike Terpstra, while she managed 94 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:34.800 the household. By the time Marianne was growing up, most 95 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:37.680 of her older siblings were already beginning their own lives, 96 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:40.399 which meant that she spent much of her youth surrounded 97 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:43.240 by both family and a wide network of friends in 98 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:47.399 the village. People who knew Marianne remembered her as being 99 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:52.000 cheerful and energetic. She loved music, enjoyed singing, and, like 100 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:55.600 many teenagers of the late nineteen nineties, while she spent 101 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:59.240 time with friends talking about music, about relationships and the 102 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:02.800 plans that they had imagined for their future. All around, 103 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:05.800 she was known to be outgoing and social, someone who 104 00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:10.560 was rarely short of company. Mary Anne attended primary school 105 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:14.399 in zaguest Indye before continuing her education at a Christian 106 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:19.560 Mavo school in Damwood, which was a nearby village. Like 107 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:23.120 many students in rural Friesland, she cycled two school each 108 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:26.240 and every day. The bike path and quiet roads that 109 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:29.720 connected the villages were just another normal part of daily 110 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:32.199 life here, especially for young people who were growing up, 111 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:36.040 and at sixteen years old, Marianne had already started working 112 00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:39.759 a part time job too, two afternoons a week, she 113 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:44.360 worked at a local supermarket while finishing school. However, she 114 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:48.240 had bigger plans beyond just the supermarket. Mary Anne had 115 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:52.600 developed a strong interest in hairstyling and in fashion. She 116 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:55.639 liked to experiment with different hair styles and often styled 117 00:06:55.639 --> 00:06:58.360 her own hair and that of her friends as well. 118 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:02.319 After complete her exams, she was planning to attend a 119 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:06.680 hairdressing school and eventually going to become a professional hairstylist. 120 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:11.279 Marianne was simply a typical teenager in every sense of 121 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:14.839 the word. Now every year on April thirtieth in the 122 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:19.920 Netherlands they celebrated something called conningenidoc I hope I pronounced 123 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:22.680 that right, I did my best, or something you can 124 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:25.639 call Queen's Day. It was one of the biggest national 125 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:28.800 holidays in the country, a day when towns and villages 126 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:33.920 alike filled with music, markets, street parties and late night celebrations. 127 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:37.839 Even small communities like those scattered across Friesland came alive. 128 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:42.560 Local festivals were organized, bars stayed open late, and young 129 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:47.040 people from nearby villages gathered to celebrate. In nineteen ninety nine, 130 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:50.439 the celebrations in the village of Colum included the final 131 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:54.600 evening of the Columber Dustagan, a local festival that drew 132 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:58.920 crowds from across the region. For teenagers from the surrounding villages, 133 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:03.439 this was a amazing It was music, friends, excitement and 134 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:07.480 staying out late. Now, imagine yourself being a teenager at 135 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:09.160 that time and having the chance to go out and 136 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:12.879 do these things I'm picturing like local carnivals or reasons 137 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:14.480 like Halloween, that sort of thing. 138 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:17.879 Right, Yeah, it sounds awesome. It's your one moment to 139 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:22.639 just like break free and enjoy your life exactly now. 140 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:25.800 That night, sixteen year old Mary Anne made plans to 141 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:28.439 meet up with her boyfriend Spencer, who was eighteen at 142 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:32.480 the time, along with his friend Wheatze. Now the three 143 00:08:32.519 --> 00:08:35.240 of them spent the evening in Colomb moving through the 144 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:39.240 festivities like many of the other young people in the area, 145 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:42.000 and as the evening stretched on into the early hours 146 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:45.919 of May first, the celebrations began to wind down. It 147 00:08:45.960 --> 00:08:49.519 was around one am that Marianne, Spencer, and Wheatze left 148 00:08:49.559 --> 00:08:52.600 colum together on their bicycles. Mary Anne rode in the 149 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:55.519 back of Spencer's bike as they traveled toward boots and Posts, 150 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:57.480 which was a village where the two young men lived. 151 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:01.840 Once they reached boots and Posts separated, Spencer and wheat 152 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:05.039 Sea stayed behind well. Mary Anne continued the rest of 153 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:08.440 the journey alone on a bike. Now, the plan had 154 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:11.480 always been for her to head home, but her parents 155 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:14.639 never wanted her traveling alone in the middle of the 156 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:15.600 night like that. 157 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:16.159 That's fair. 158 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:20.200 Now, she knew the route well, and like many teenagers, 159 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:24.279 she'd spent years cycling between surrounding villages to and from school, 160 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:27.080 off going meet friends, that sort of thing. She knew 161 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:29.960 the area like the back of her hand. And it 162 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:33.720 was some time after one am Marianne began that final 163 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:37.919 part of her trip, pedaling through the dark countrysides towards 164 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:41.919 her home where her family was waiting for her. Now, 165 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:44.840 the road she took pass through a quiet farmland with 166 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:48.840 narrow rural paths, and at that hour the countryside was 167 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:52.279 nearly empty, and it should have just been a simple 168 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:56.879 short ride home. However, it wasn't because she would never 169 00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:58.240 make it home. 170 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:02.720 Oh man, see, I just freaking hate stories like this, 171 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:07.279 because that should be okay, it should be right. And 172 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:10.360 I feel like it's stories like this that we've just 173 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:13.360 learned that you can't do that kind of stuff really anymore, 174 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:16.799 and you're not safe potentially one hundred percent. 175 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:18.480 And I hate to be this person to point it out, 176 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:22.039 but the reality is, if it were a young man, 177 00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:24.399 he might have made it home. 178 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:27.600 Mm hm most likely. And I'm kind of assuming here 179 00:10:27.639 --> 00:10:31.559 that it wasn't. It was just kind of like the 180 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:33.600 person took a moment of opportunity. 181 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:37.360 Well, that's certain to get into it, don't worry. Yeah, 182 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:39.639 did you want to smack me across the face when 183 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:41.159 I was saying that, No. 184 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:42.960 I knew, I knew it was coming. I was just 185 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:44.639 going to put it out there because it doesn't seem 186 00:10:44.679 --> 00:10:47.200 like it would necessarily have been like targeted, I suppose. 187 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:51.000 Okay, Well, well we'll talk all about it. Don't worry now. 188 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:53.320 As the night passed and the morning of May first, 189 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:56.320 nineteen ninety nine began, mary Anne was nowhere to be seen. 190 00:10:56.919 --> 00:10:59.919 At first, there may not have been any immediate panic. 191 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:03.080 You know, teenagers, especially on nights like this, sometimes stay 192 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:07.399 out a lot later than expected. And her parents were 193 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:09.720 probably just preparing to give their daughter a good scolding 194 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:10.799 when she got home. 195 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:13.679 Finally, or she could have been like stayed at a friend's. 196 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:16.120 House exactly, So that's kind of what might have been 197 00:11:16.120 --> 00:11:21.200 in their mind, but they probably expected nothing more than that. Now, 198 00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:24.159 as the hours passed without her coming home, that's when 199 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:28.799 concerns began to grow because something was clearly wrong. And 200 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:31.960 it would be around eleven am that morning that Marianne's 201 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:35.519 body was discovered in a meadow near a wooded embankment 202 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:41.320 along kenningwe Road, close to Ving Cluster. The field sat 203 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:44.480 just off the rural path one that was connected to 204 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.799 the surrounded villages. It was an isolated place that cyclists 205 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:51.519 and locals would normally pass without a second thought. But 206 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:57.240 what they found this morning in this inconspicuous meadow, though it. 207 00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:59.919 Was devastating, m some serious bullshit. 208 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:03.600 Now. Police were quickly called to the scene and the 209 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:07.759 area was quickly secured as a crime scene. Marianne's body 210 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:10.159 was found laying deep in the grass of the field, 211 00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:13.559 and the evidence around her made it immediately clear that 212 00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:19.000 a violent crime had taken place. Investigators began documenting everything 213 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:21.960 that they could see, every footprint, disturbance in the grass, 214 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:24.840 every piece of potential evidence that might explain what had 215 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:28.240 happened during that night. Now, the condition of the scene 216 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:32.879 also told investigators that Marianne had been sexually assaulted along 217 00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:36.320 with being murdered. She had been strangled with her own 218 00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:41.639 bra and her throat had been cut. The sheer brutality 219 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:46.919 of the attack alone shocked even experience investigators. Now, despite 220 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:50.279 the horror at the scene, investigators found something very important 221 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:55.200 clues and evidence like. For example, forensic teams collected multiple 222 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:59.799 biological samples, including traces of blood and seamen that clearly 223 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:04.000 belonged to the perpetrator. They also recovered a cigarette lighter 224 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:07.440 bearing a Playboy logo near the scene. The lighter appeared 225 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:10.320 to have been dropped during what they assumed was a struggle, 226 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:13.720 and it contained DNA that likely belonged to the attacker too. 227 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:20.000 In fact, numerous traces of Marianne's body and clothing things 228 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:23.360 that were recovered carefully were sent to the laboratory for 229 00:13:23.399 --> 00:13:26.879 analysis because they had DNA on them. 230 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:30.320 Man, obviously this person is a nasty piece of shit. 231 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:32.440 You can just tell freaking instantly. 232 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:35.799 Yeah. Now, news of the discovery spread quickly through the 233 00:13:35.799 --> 00:13:39.559 surrounding villages, and this is an area where word traveled fast, 234 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.759 and by the end of the day the murder struck 235 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:46.039 the region like a complete shockwave. For mary Anne's family, 236 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:51.240 the loss was of course devastating. Only hours earlier, they 237 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:54.120 had expected to hear from her return, see her walked 238 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:57.799 through the door, and any moment, but instead they were 239 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:01.799 confronted with the unimaginable reality that their youngest daughter had 240 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:05.159 been brutally murdered while she was out alone and helpless 241 00:14:05.320 --> 00:14:05.759 at night. 242 00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:10.720 That's so sad. I'm assuming world word travels fast, but 243 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:12.799 also things like this don't really happen. 244 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:17.679 Definitely now, the grief quickly spread. Maryanne had been known 245 00:14:17.720 --> 00:14:19.759 to many people in the area through her job at 246 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:23.039 the local supermarket, friends at school in nearby, and for 247 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:26.840 the community, her death felt deeply personal. In the days 248 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:30.399 that followed, the village it became very quiet, of course, 249 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:33.399 but it was also the focus of national attention, and 250 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.480 in that sense it boomed so loud. Journalists began arriving 251 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:41.120 from across the Netherlands as news outlets covered the story extensively. 252 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:44.039 The brutal nature of the crime, combined with the age 253 00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:47.559 of the victim and the mystery surrounding the attacker. It 254 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:50.320 made the case one of the most widely discussed crimes 255 00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:54.600 in the country. When Marianne's funeral was held on May sixth, 256 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:58.759 nineteen ninety nine, the community gathered to say goodbye, and 257 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:02.799 during the procession, residents formed a human shield around the 258 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:07.279 funeral cortege, protecting Marianne's grieving family from the cameras that 259 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:11.679 gathered in the village. The gesture reflected the deep respect 260 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:14.240 many locals felt for the family as they mourned the 261 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:15.080 loss of their daughter. 262 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.559 Oh that's like, oh, it breaks your heart, but it's 263 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:20.879 also so nice, like so kind. 264 00:15:21.639 --> 00:15:24.200 And then just one day later, on May seventh, an 265 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:28.320 enormous silent march was held in Marianne's memory. And when 266 00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:33.759 I say enormous, I mean enormous. In total, an estimated 267 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:38.240 twenty thousand people walked through the streets of zagwest Endy 268 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:42.440 in silence, many carrying flowers or candles. For a village 269 00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:46.799 of only a few thousand residents, the turnout was extraordinary. 270 00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:48.600 Wow, that's really special. 271 00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:51.879 People actually traveled from across Friesland and beyond to take 272 00:15:51.960 --> 00:15:54.639 part in this walk to show their respect to their support, 273 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.480 you know, ensuring they both expressed grief and well demanding 274 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:02.919 justice right now. As the days passed, the murder continued 275 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:06.240 to dominate headlines, and somewhere out there in the community, 276 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:11.200 the person responsible for Marianne's murder was still free, and 277 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:16.039 the search for that person was just beginning. In the 278 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:19.600 days following the discovery of Marianne's body, many residents in 279 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:23.120 the surrounding villages began searching for an explanation for the crimes. 280 00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:25.720 There wasn't yet one from the investigators and the police, 281 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:29.799 so speculation began to spread, and it began to focus 282 00:16:29.879 --> 00:16:33.840 on a nearby asylum seeker center outside of Kolum Now. 283 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:36.080 The facility is a place where people who have fled 284 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:39.320 their home countries and lived temporarily. That's what this is. 285 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:43.720 It housed refugees for several countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan, 286 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:46.919 and it had already been subject of local debate even 287 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:50.159 before the murder had occurred. But rumors were now beginning 288 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:53.279 to circulate that the attacker must have come from inside 289 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:56.799 this center. Some residents even claimed that the method used 290 00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:01.399 to kill Marianne, particularly the cutting of the throat, seemed 291 00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:03.879 something that did not fit what they believed was a 292 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:10.920 quote Western crime. These claims, though unsupported by evidence, quickly 293 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:14.240 spread through conversations in the community and in the local 294 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:18.880 media discussions, and the asylum center itself became a focal 295 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:23.519 point of public anger. Police in fact even increased security 296 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:26.640 around the facility, fearing that violence could erupt between local 297 00:17:26.680 --> 00:17:30.640 residents and the asylum seekers living there. Riot police were 298 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:33.839 placed on standby just in case protests turned into something 299 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:38.119 more serious. Meanwhile, investigators were still in the early stages 300 00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:41.119 of the case. They had collected forensic evidence and began 301 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:45.000 interviewing witnesses, but no definitive suspect had yet been identified. 302 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:48.599 This is how the case sat as the months passed 303 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:52.160 without an arrest. Frustration in the region continued to grow, 304 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:55.000 and the murder of Marianne had left the community of 305 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:59.039 Friesland shaken by the lack of answers, and it began 306 00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:03.240 to fuel anger and suspicion amongst residents, and the focus 307 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:07.559 on that nearby asylum seeker center only intensified those feelings. 308 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:13.599 Local residents increasingly voiced their belief that the killer must 309 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:16.839 have come from the refugee facility, and the longer the 310 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:21.680 investigation went without a breakthrough, the stronger the speculation became, 311 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:24.880 and all of that tension reached a boiling point in 312 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:28.160 October of nineteen ninety nine, during a municipal meeting in 313 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:31.160 Coolum that was meant to discuss the opening of another 314 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:34.759 asylum seeker center in the town. Instead of a calm 315 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:39.920 public discussion, the meeting turned chaotic. A group of young 316 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:44.720 protesters disrupted that gathering, shouting at officials and throwing eggs 317 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:47.440 at the mayor. Even the anger that had been building 318 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:51.039 for you know all this time spilled out into an 319 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:57.160 open hostile situation, with some demonstrators openly accusing asylum seekers 320 00:18:57.160 --> 00:19:01.119 of being responsible for Marianne's murder without any evidence whatsoever. 321 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:05.599 The protest quickly drew national attention, and at least one 322 00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:09.559 woman involved was later convicted of a racist offense for 323 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:13.400 her role in encouraging the riots. But no matter what 324 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:17.400 was going on, it did not change how investigators continued 325 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:19.839 to do their work behind the scenes, because for them, 326 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:24.440 the focus remained on evidence, interviews, forensic analysis, and the 327 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:28.039 leads that might actually eventually point to the person who 328 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:29.400 was in fact responsible. 329 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:32.599 This does make sense, though, I mean, a sixteen year 330 00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:36.839 old getting murdered to this in this way is very emotional, right, 331 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.400 So it is all of these people are kind of 332 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:42.799 of course, the police are doing what they need to 333 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:45.559 be done, but that doesn't help all of these emotions 334 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:48.160 that everyone else is feeling. And you know, well, it 335 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:50.920 couldn't have been one of us that did this, right, So. 336 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:53.559 But the thing is you can't jump to those conclusions 337 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:55.880 to sit here and say, well, it must be this 338 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:00.039 group of people that is I mean, it's racist, that 339 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:00.839 is what it is. 340 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:03.960 Well, because often yeah, it's people like that you would 341 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:07.640 never expect that do something like this very much. So 342 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:10.759 be someone that they know, but they don't want to 343 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:11.759 believe that. 344 00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:14.759 Yeah, But for them, they were just trying to find answers. 345 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:17.359 I mean, it's a terrifying situation. So if you're like, 346 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:19.480 fuck it, it must be someone who could it be 347 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:24.640 on them? Yeah, just pointing a finger because you're scared. 348 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:27.240 You're trying to resolve something in your. 349 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:29.799 Mind, and it's kind of easy exactly. 350 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:32.960 Now, don't get me wrong, it's not an excuse, but 351 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:36.200 mentally it makes sense for people to try and find 352 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:39.359 an answer exactly. Now, From the very beginning the murder 353 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:43.279 of Marianne triggered a large scale police investigation involving detectives, 354 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:47.319 friendsic specialists and officers who are working across multiple agencies. 355 00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:50.240 The brutality of the crime and the national attention it 356 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:53.960 received meant that solving the case was a top priority. 357 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:59.119 Police had began by reconstructing Marianne's final hours. Detectives interviewed 358 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:01.480 people who had seen her during the Queen's Day celebration 359 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:05.160 and column, including friends, witnesses at the festivals, and anyone 360 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:08.160 who might have been traveling along the rural roads between 361 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:11.920 the surrounding villages during that night. They tried to establish 362 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:15.160 a clear timeline ofver moments and that was essential for them. 363 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:20.640 In fact, in total, investigators conducted around one thousand witness interviews. 364 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:25.480 In the early stages of this investigation, Every single possible 365 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:28.440 lead was followed, whether it was people who had attended 366 00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:34.400 the celebrations, residents living on route, whatever. They pursued it. 367 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:38.559 Even the smallest details such as a passing bicycle, a 368 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.640 parked car, or an unfamiliar person in the area were 369 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:46.480 considered potentially important pieces of information, and at that same time, 370 00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:50.440 police received hundreds of tips from the public. In total, 371 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:53.920 about a hunt. About sorry five hundred leads were reported 372 00:21:54.039 --> 00:21:57.279 and examined. Some tips came from local residents who believed 373 00:21:57.279 --> 00:22:00.559 they'd seen suspicious behavior, and others were based on rumors 374 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:05.480 or speculations circulating the community, things like that center right, well, 375 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:06.119 there could. 376 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:09.200 Probably have been a lot of suspicious activity on a 377 00:22:09.480 --> 00:22:12.480 night like that when literally everybody's out in a boat and. 378 00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:16.759 Everything's different about place right now. Either way, investigators had 379 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:20.240 to carefully evaluate each piece of information to determine whether 380 00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:23.720 it had any real connection to the crime or not. Meanwhile, 381 00:22:23.799 --> 00:22:27.359 forensic specialists continued to examine the evidence collected from the 382 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:31.519 crime scene too. The biological traces recovered from Marianne's body, 383 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:35.839 particularly the DNA evidence from blood and seamen, offered investigators 384 00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:39.680 one of the most promising leads at the time. Though 385 00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:44.400 DNA analysis was already an established forensic tool, which is great, 386 00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:48.000 but it could only identify a suspect if a matching 387 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:52.319 profile was already available for comparison, and for that reason, 388 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:56.440 detectives began looking for individuals whose DNA could be tested 389 00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:59.920 against those samples that were recovered, and as the investigation 390 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:05.359 continued through nineteen ninety nine, detectives began narrowing into potential suspects, 391 00:23:05.400 --> 00:23:07.440 anyone who might have been in the area that night 392 00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:10.079 or who could have possibly had a connection to Marianne 393 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:13.880 or the crime scene. Anyone that fit that they became 394 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:17.119 a person of interest. Some of these leads seemed promising 395 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:21.839 at first, but one by one they fell apart. The 396 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:25.559 first major arrest came in May of nineteen ninety nine, 397 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:28.640 when police detained a thirty two year old man from 398 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:33.960 d Westing, Marianne's own village. At the time, investigators believed 399 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:36.640 he could potentially be linked to the crime, and the 400 00:23:36.680 --> 00:23:40.440 public hoped that the case might soon be solved. But 401 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:43.240