A suspect in the 2018 murder of a man from Ravels has been re-arrested, the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed following a report by Gazet Van Antwerpen.
The suspect was previously released after six months of pre-trial detention. The investigation is now complete, and the Prosecutor’s Office will decide on the next steps.
The victim disappeared without a trace in the summer of 2018. Months later, his body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, wrapped in a plastic bag, by the side of a road in northern France. A 59-year-old man from Rijkevorsel was arrested as a suspect several months after the discovery.
This suspect had been seen with the victim prior to his disappearance and his mobile phone signal was traced near the location where the body was found. However, he was released due to a lack of evidence.
The victim’s family opposed the closure of the case. According to their lawyer, they requested the retranslation of an intercepted phone conversation. This led to a different interpretation, resulting in the suspect’s re-arrest.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on the case details but confirmed the suspect’s re-arrest and the end of the investigation. The case could be brought before the Assize Court.
