The Bargerweg in the Drenthe village of Weiteveen is a long road with detached houses that overlook a nature reserve. A street where nothing normally happens, say residents. Where only they, their visitors or people walking the dog come. But on Tuesday, a 44-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were shot dead at their home at the end of the street.
The murder has a huge impact on the small village. In front of the house where the deceased couple lived, there are bunches of flowers, cards and candles. “You notice the consternation and disbelief in the village. We as a church should do something about this, I immediately thought,” says Pastor Bernard Buit of the Catholic Church in Weiteveen.
On Wednesday he opened the doors of his church so that residents could gather there. “People from very young to old came to church to light a candle, share their story and talk to each other. There was clearly a need for that. Sharing feelings is very important now,” says Buit.
Shortly after the double murder, a 50-year-old man from Klazienaveen, a village a little further away, was arrested. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced details on Friday about what allegedly happened. The woman was shot dead at close range in her car, the man was shot, stabbed and beaten. The couple’s son witnessed the violence. The suspect was in possession of a firearms permit. According to the Public Prosecution Service, he committed ‘excessive violence’ on Tuesday. He will be admitted to the Pieter Baan Center for observation.
Sell house
The suspect sold his parental home to the couple in 2022. Then the buyers and seller had a disagreement about defects in the house. The conflict was known to the municipality of Emmen, a spokesperson said. According to the Public Prosecution Service, both the deceased couple and the suspect have made several reports and several reports of nuisance or criminal behavior by the other in the past year.
The police are investigating what exactly happened and what preceded it. The municipality of Emmen, which includes Weiteveen, is also investigating the incident and the preceding conflict between the perpetrator and the victims. “We knew there was a conflict, but the extent to which there was a conflict is part of the investigation. We are now going to investigate what the course of the conflict was, how it could have arisen and how it could ultimately lead to this catastrophe.” says Mayor Eric van Oosterhout van Emmen against the NOS.
Online videos
The double murder quickly attracted a lot of attention on Tuesday due to a video that the suspect posted on Facebook. He says that “something bad has happened” after, according to him, years of harassment. “They finally got it done. The police can’t do anything, the rule of law won’t help you,” says the man while filming himself. He also addresses his children. He doesn’t mind going to jail for the rest of his life, as long as his children are safe. “I love you, I love you.”
His partner later also posted a video in which she cried and said that her husband “has gone crazy.” Those videos spread rapidly online the same day. The police were forced to respond to the rumors and emphasized that there are two sides to the story. “Images and stories are frequently shared, but this only reflects part of the background.”
The videos are causing a stir in the village, which has about 1,700 inhabitants. “We were immediately forwarded the video on Tuesday morning,” says a man who is chatting with a fellow villager in front of his house on Bargerweg. “I found it very intense to see. I have known the suspect for a long time. You can clearly see in the video that he is not doing well.”
The reactions to the videos online, in which some show understanding for the suspect’s actions, are difficult for the two villagers to read. They would prefer to respond online to the people who take a stand to say that they should “act normal”. But they hold back, says the man who lives on Bargerweg. “This is a very small village where people are quick to judge. Everyone knows each other here. I don’t know exactly how it works. One says this and the other says that. You have to be careful that the village doesn’t split as well. There are two sides to this story, but the worst part is that two children are now orphans and two children have to live with what their father did.”
Victim support
Normally he walks almost every day and passes the house where the deceased couple lived with their children. He hasn’t done that since Tuesday. “I haven’t felt the need to go there yet. It all still needs to sink in what happened.”
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He took Friday off work to do a bit of work in the garden to “clear his head.” I’ve had a few bad days. It has a big impact on our children. The idea that you could lose your parents like this means a lot to them. It is very serious that this happens in the street where you live. It’s like being in a really bad movie.”
Many residents of the village have that feeling of disbelief, says Rik Tuin of Victim Support North Netherlands. The organization supports residents. “People cannot believe that something so horrible happened in the village where they live. That does a lot to people. They sleep poorly and suffer from stress. Many residents were born and raised here and know everyone. This takes a toll on such a small and close-knit community.”
On Wednesday the organization was present at the school in Emmen where the eldest child of the deceased couple receives lessons and on Thursday at the primary school in Weiteveen where the youngest child attends. “We mainly do this to give teachers tips on how to deal with the children. It is best for children to discuss such intense events with their parents in their own familiar environment,” says Tuin.
There will not be another meeting in the village for the time being. After a consultation with the Association of Village Interests Weiteveen on Wednesday, the municipality decided not to organize anything. “We notice that there is no such need,” says a spokesperson.
This weekend, the carnival association in Weiteveen would use a carnival float with music to place signs at various places in the village with Dördouwersstad, the carnival name of Weiteveen. The village is one of the five places in Drenthe where carnival is celebrated. The association has decided not to allow this to continue. “We do not think that is appropriate at this time,” the chairman of the association told RTV Drenthe.
The Roman Catholic Church will reflect again on Sunday on what happened in the village on Tuesday, says Pastor Buit. “We light a candle during the service for all those involved. It has a huge impact on the community.”