2023-11-01 19:45:00
Four days following the death of lawyer Claudia Van Der Stichelen, shot dead on Saturday around 1:00 p.m. in front of her villa in Sint-Lievens-Houtem (East Flanders), the hunt to find her assassin has still not led to a breakthrough.
The man in his sixties who shot her is still running. The composite portrait, drawn up on the basis of the statements of the victim’s son, has not yet made it possible to identify him. The son, aged 22, tried to intervene. He was shot in the shoulder.
Four days later, flowers left on the sidewalk in front of the villa, blood splashes on the door and police tape on the same door still testify that a crime was committed in this quiet neighborhood.
Who might blame this 58-year-old lawyer? Investigators are going through the files she handled to try to trace the killer. Claudia Van Der Stichelen was a lawyer specializing in family law, particularly divorce. She was also a deputy justice of the peace. These are files which often have a significant emotional charge.
“All avenues are being examined,” the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office is told. We add that, even if we favor a link with a file by the lawyer, there is still no certainty.
Murder of a lawyer in Flanders: searches carried out near the victim’s home
”A madman in my house”
Claudia Van Der Stichelen did not receive clients at her home. It seems that she did not deviate from this rule on Saturday. Neighbors said they saw Claudia Van Der Stichelen, visibly panicked, leaving her house barefoot on Saturday. She shouted that there was a madman in her house.
Witnesses saw the lawyer leave her house barefoot in panic.
Her murderer was following her. He shot her and her son. Still according to his witnesses, the shooter was calm and appeared to show great composure. It appears that he fled in a car that he had parked nearby. The fact that he did not take his car in front of his victim’s villa suggests that he had prepared his attack.
Searches were carried out in the surrounding area, particularly in a small stream, to try to find the murder weapon. They gave nothing. The police reiterated their call for testimony. She is particularly interested in images from surveillance cameras which would be in the possession of local residents.
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