2023-11-10 16:10:00
According to the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office, EDC (65 years old) is not the murderer of lawyer Claudia Van der Stichelen. He had made himself suspect by insulting her on social media, but was allowed to return home on Friday as a free and innocent man. “My client is relieved to finally be able to sleep normally once more,” his lawyer said.
Who shot lawyer Claudia Van der Stichelen at point-blank range on October 28? It’s been a mystery for two weeks. After the murder, the unknown perpetrator, a man in his sixties dressed in gray overalls, fled.
L’avocate Claudia Van Der Stichelen ©Het Nieuwsblad
It emerged on Wednesday that the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office in Vlierzele had a suspect in its sights. The 65-year-old EDC appeared to know Van der Stichelen well. The lawyer had been his administrator for two years and he didn’t like it. He has expressed his frustrations on social media in recent months.
On Wednesday followingnoon he was questioned. In the evening and also on Thursday, Ghent investigators subjected him to hours of interrogation. EDC has denied any involvement in the murder.
Assassination of lawyer Claudia Van Der Stichelen: a 65-year-old man arrested, his neighbors testify
At the same time, the Missing Persons Unit headed by Alain Remue was looking for the murder weapon near his home. It didn’t do anything.
The Missing Persons Unit led by Alain Remue was looking for the murder weapon near his home. It didn’t do anything. ©Photo News
On Friday, however, his lawyers Ercan Tok and Sven Mary indicated that EDC should not appear before the investigating judge, but that he might return home a free man. There is no indication that he was behind the murder of his former administrator, it is claimed.
The East Flanders Public Prosecutor’s Office confirms that the second suspect, the brother-in-law of the first suspect, can also return home. He was also arrested for a time by investigators on Thursday.
EDC and LVB were released in the morning. “There are too few indications of guilt,” declared the spokesperson for the prosecution. Both are not charged.
“All avenues are considered, all means deployed”
The high-voltage investigation is now continuing, prosecutor Annelies Verstraete said on Friday. “It is of course frustrating that we have not yet managed to stop the attacker, but all avenues are being explored and all resources are being deployed. The investigating judge went through the entire file. The interrogations have been analyzed and the results of the searches have been examined, but at present the evidence of guilt is insufficient.”
The assassin is still running. However, we know what he looks like, a robot portrait was able to be created. The shooter fled on foot and was wearing “blue-green overalls or dust jacket,” describes the wanted poster. He also had a gray or dark colored backpack. The suspect is aged between 60 and 65 years old, is 1m80 tall, of normal build and has short gray hair. He has baldness. The sixty-year-old speaks in Dutch.
The murderer of Maître Claudia Van Der Stichelen is still at large: “we must protect lawyers more in the exercise of their functions”
Ercan Tok, the lawyer for the suspect detained by Van Der Stichelen, praises the work of the Oudenaarde investigating judge. “I can understand why my client was arrested. These are very serious facts and he actually expressed his frustration with the victim on Facebook, but committing horrific acts is of another nature. There weren’t enough other clues to suspect him. I congratulate the investigating judge for this release. She made a courageous and correct decision in a matter where the pressure is very strong,” he told our colleagues at Nieuwsblad.
The truth must come out now, says Ercan Tok. “All avenues must be considered. It is now up to the police to find the real perpetrator. The entire legal profession hopes this will happen soon.”
His client is doing well, Tok said. “He is relieved to be back home, to be able to sleep normally once more, to rest normally. Far from the hustle and bustle, far from the hustle and bustle. He now has time to recover. He won’t be doing any interviews at the moment, but will relax first. His family is now with him because it was a huge shock. The two days he was detained were very stressful. Not sleeping, not eating, not drinking much… Being accused of murder brings a lot of stress. Especially if you had nothing to do with it and have to endure everything anyway. I always told him to stay strong.”
Lawyers in shock following the murder of Maître Claudia Van Der Stichelen: “Do not confuse the attacker and the lawyer”
1699662451
#suspect #murder #lawyer #Claudia #Van #Der #Stichelen #cleared #frustrating #managed #arrest
