The key witness in the case known as the swimming pool murder was arrested this weekend. Willem P. reported himself to the police. P. should have testified in the court in Groningen two weeks ago, but had not shown up.
P. was sentenced to twenty years in prison because he had ordered the murder of Jan Elzinga, but was released earlier. Elzinga was shot dead in 2012 by Pascal E. from Zwolle at the entrance of the swimming pool in Marum.
Shooter Pascal E. said years ago that Elzinga’s friend Monique H. from Hollandscheveld, together with her brother Marcel, was behind the murder assignment. Evidence for this was not found at the time and the family went free. Willem P. always kept his mouth shut during those years.
The case took a new turn in the summer of 2021. Brother and sister H. and their mother Cobie van der L. from Roden were arrested in July last year on suspicion of ordering the assassination. Johan L. from Kampen was arrested because he would have arranged the weapon. All four deny.
The four were arrested after statements by Willem P., who was designated as a key witness by the Public Prosecution Service. P. supported his claims with text messaging with Marcel H. Those text messages appear to be forged.
Two weeks ago P. had to testify in court, but he called in sick. Since then, he was unreachable for the Public Prosecution Service, until he reported to the police last weekend.
P. was arrested because a so-called arrest warrant had been issued against him. That means he will be taken to court tomorrow by the police to testify.