A court hearing for a 76-year-old man suspected of murdering his 69-year-old girlfriend in their villa in Opgrimbie, Maasmechelen, has been postponed at the request of his defence.
The hearing before the pre-trial chamber in Tongeren-Borgloon had been scheduled for Tuesday, but will now take place on 25 August. The suspect, identified as T. G., is a well-known businessman from Maastricht.
The woman was found dead in her bed on 20 July at the couple’s home on Oude Baan. The man had alerted the emergency services at the time.
Because the death was considered suspicious, the Limburg Public Prosecutor’s office launched a standard investigation. A forensic team and a pathologist were sent to the scene, where their initial findings provided sufficient grounds for further inquiries.
An autopsy was ordered, but it did not immediately establish a clear cause of death.
The victim’s partner was first taken in for questioning by Lanaken-Maasmechelen police, but was soon released. An investigating judge was then assigned to the case.
Late last week, police arrested the 76-year-old man. On Friday, the investigating judge in Tongeren-Borgloon remanded him in custody on suspicion of murder.
The couple’s villa, known as Manoir des Lions, is currently sealed off. The property is on the market for about €2 million.
