The family of an airport worker murdered during a solo trip to Tunisia say they are still living in the dark six months after his death.
According to HLN, Wilfried Jacobs, 62, from Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels, was found dead in a rented apartment in the El Aouina district of Tunis in early August last year.
On Monday, 4 August, neighbours spotted blood seeping from under the door of the Airbnb flat he had rented. When police forced entry, they discovered his body inside. He is believed to have died the previous evening, on Sunday, August 3.
Local authorities launched a murder investigation, which is being led by the El Gorjani criminal court in Tunis. According to their reports, Jacobs had visible injuries to several parts of his body and is thought to have been attacked with a knife. According to HLN, the apartment was said to be covered in blood.
Three suspects were identified and arrested within days of the killing. They were brought before an investigating judge and placed in pre-trial detention. Tunisian media have reported that the suspects are three young men.
In Belgium, the Federal Prosecutor's Office has appointed an investigating judge to monitor the case closely alongside the Tunisian authorities.
Talking to HLN, Jacob's family say they have received little information about what happened or who the suspects are.
"We're just waiting," his brother John said. "Hardly any information is coming back to Belgium. We have to be patient, but it's a heavy burden. Especially for our parents, who are now quite elderly."
'Tunis felt like a second home to him'
Jacobs, who was born in Herentals, raised in Lichtaart and had lived for years in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, had travelled alone to Tunisia on Saturday, 2 August. According to HLN, he flew from Zaventem to Monastir before continuing to Tunis, a city he visited several times a year.
Friends say Tunis felt like a second home to him. He had acquaintances there and regularly spent short breaks in the country.
Tunis skyline. Credit: Belga
At the time of his death, Jacobs worked as a load control officer, often referred to as a "red cap", on the tarmac for Brussels Airlines. Colleagues described him as energetic and full of life, despite being just a few years away from retirement, HLN reported.
"He was 62 but had the energy of a forty-year-old," one former colleague told HLN. "He loved to travel and made full use of staff discounts to explore the world. Brazil was still on his list. He rarely missed Tomorrowland."
A week after his death, his body was repatriated to Belgium. He was cremated in Lichtaart.
The family told HLN that they are trying to avoid speculation and are waiting for the investigation to run its course.
"We won't get Wilfried back," his brother said. "But we want to know what happened."
