The 30-year-old man who died two weeks after the murder of Sjaak Groot committed suicide, might still have played a role in the fatal robbery of the Berkhouter. The West Frisian, who lived in a village just a few kilometers from Groot, would have made preliminary reconnaissance.
Sources who know the file say this to NH Nieuws. His possible involvement would appear, among other things, from telephone records of the man, who took his own life at home with a gun.
During the trace investigation into that suicide at the end of June 2021, the police came suspects of the fatal robbery on Sjaak on 14 June. NH Nieuws reported this three months ago. At that time it was not yet certain whether the dead man might also have had any involvement in the robbery of the seventy in Berkhout.
More suspects
In recent months, men from Rotterdam (37), Opmeer (29), Obdam (25), Noord-Scharwoude (28) and Alkmaar (28) have also been arrested in that case. Some would also be involved in other violent robberies in the region†
Die Alkmaarder, called DM, was the first to be pulled out of his house by a large arrest team on the evening of November 2 last year, just after a broadcast of Opsporing Verzocht, in which attention was drawn to the case†
Today he had to appear in court for the second time. Due to a mistake with the transport from the detention center in Rotterdam, he was not present in court in his home city: his lawyer Geertjan van Oosten was.
Alkmaarder wants to go home
He states that his client has been detained long enough and wants him to be released under certain conditions. DM says he was not in the house during the fatal shot. He states that he wanted to break in with his associates for a safe, but because they ‘broke open the door with a loud noise’, he would have run off before the murder.
In the meantime, information has also been received by the Criminal Intelligence Team about who fired the shot and is therefore actually responsible for the death of the beloved Berkhouter. According to Van Oosten, this is in any case not his client.
The public prosecutor has doubts about DM’s story, partly because, according to her, the Alkmaarder has stated doubts about, among other things, contact with the co-defendants and his alibi. She wants him to be examined by a psychologist and psychiatrist.
Deadly shot
Lawyer Van Oosten also has question marks in court this afternoon about the suicide of the West Frisian co-defendant. In the police file, the terms ‘probably’ or ‘probably’ are used in relation to the suicide. “What if something else happened?” said the lawyer.
According to the sources surrounding the investigation, the deceased West Frisian (30) was not present in Berkhout on the evening of Sjaak’s murder. He would have mainly played a role in the run-up to the robbery.
During the interim sessions in recent months, the court did speak of a ‘deceased suspect’, but the Public Prosecution Service stated, when asked, that in a general sense, ‘a person who has died is not a suspect in a criminal investigation’.
Because the case is still ongoing, the Public Prosecution Service cannot further answer questions about the possible involvement of the dead West Frisian in the fatal robbery of Sjaak Groot. The officer did report that one or two more arrests may be made. “But it is not the case that there is still a group active.”
The judge still decides whether Alkmaarder DM may await the investigation in freedom. You will find that news tomorrow at NH Nieuws. The substantive lawsuit about the robbery is expected halfway next year.