Stéphane Vanelslander (57) has been found guilty by a jury of murdering his son-in-law, Ilir ‘Mario’ Sumaj (28), in Diksmuide, West Flanders, in 2022.
Local police received a call at 8:57 p.m. on 17 July 2022 about a shooting along the IJzerdijk in the Stuivekenskerke area, where they found Sumaj, of Kosovar origin, lying dead next to his red motorcycle. Twelve bullet casings were discovered at the scene. One of the bullets had pierced his heart.
Several witnesses who were fishing nearby noticed Vanelslander’s van. He was arrested the following morning in his hometown of Nieuwpoort. Initially, he denied any involvement in the shooting, but after gunpowder residue analyses and a polygraph test, he confessed in February 2023.
Vanelslander claimed his family had been terrorised for years by Sumaj. He also alleged that the victim had threatened him along the IJzer that evening and had thrown a bag of bullets into his van. However, the jury determined there was no provocation.
Discussions on the sentencing were set to begin immediately, with Vanelslander facing a possible life sentence.
