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In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
We are gathered here in memory of...
Jacqueline Jeantina Eugenia Gerarda Wittenberg-Willemen.
Widow of Willem Cornelis Wittenberg.
A memory of an intensely involved and caring person...
and to an almost incomprehensible event.
A murder.
Mr Louwes, what do you expect from today?
Sure.
- What do you expect from the verdict? - Do you still believe in it?
Mr Louwes, are you nervous?
Mr Louwes.
- What will you hear today? - Eh, acquittal of course.
I still can't believe it. - No.
She was such a sweet person. -Yes.
- Michael must be having a hard time. - Yes, she was like a mother to him.
Ladies and gentlemen, the court.
Then you ask yourself: are the police doing anything? I live opposite her.
No one has been at the door. - The family also doesn't know anything.
She was killed on Thursday and they didn't find her until Saturday.
In the living room.
The court finds proven...
that the accused intentionally and premeditatedly assaulted the victim...
No, I haven't, ma'am. - Let me finish.
...deprived of life.
Sorry for your loss.
- My condolences to you too... - We are friends of the family.
Who was that?
Jaqueline's financial advisor, Louwes.
The verdict therefore reads: the court maintains, with improvement of grounds..
the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Arnhem of 22 December 2000.
The court orders the arrest of the accused.
You just continue with all the falsified arguments of the police.
Mister Louwes...
You wipe everything away.
I understand your emotion, but I haven't finished speaking yet.
You have two weeks to appeal to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.
- You know you are wrong. - Are you coming with me?
No, I'm not coming. No, I'm going...
I'm not going. Damn.
The photos and the cameras are now stopped.
The Judgement
2 years earlier
Yes, but could you please put me through?
How so? I didn't come up with it.
I'm just stating the facts. The facts, yes.
Haan, could it be a little quieter?
How do I get that information? I'm not going to tell you that
Never heard of source protection?
Hello?
Dicknose
- Did you catch that guy yet? - No, the same all the time.
I ask for comments, they tell me how I got that information.
I can't say that and so on. They don't even put me through.
- And your source has nothing on paper? - No.
Do you like soup? -No thanks.
Bas, do you like soup? -Delicious.
Maybe a colleague can confirm? -Hey.
Do you really think he will be Prime Minister?
I'd be surprised if he doesn't.
But with whom can he form a coalition?
Melkert and Dijkstal can drink his blood.
Rosenmöller and De Graaf cannot sell it to their supporters.
- Balkenende? - Yes, the CDA would be an option.
And what do you think, Bas?
Bizarre.
What?
Do you have something nice for me?
Who are those people, that Waisvisz couple?
Involved citizens.
That attorney will file a review request based on their investigation.
They are handwriting experts.
They work a lot for the judiciary, but they do this themselves.
Yes. And now you want...
Find out if it's correct. If it is true...
If that knife cannot be the murder weapon
then L. is innocently imprisoned.
Yes, but that story is already in Trouw.
Do you hear anything?
Have you read anything else about it?
Apparently it wasn't picked up.
Because everyone is busy with those polls.
If true, someone innocent is incarcerated.
- You already said that. - Yes, but...
It is well. It's okay.
You may.
According to Maurice de Hond, the LPF will be the largest...
in the parliamentary elections.
Our question today: is Pim Fortuyn a good prime minister? Good afternoon...
- Good day. - Hello, Ed Waisvisz.
- I'm Wanda. - Bas Haan.
See what you can do with it. Our report is on top.
This is from the criminal file. How did you get that?
Van Louwes' lawyer. We are working with him now.
Do you also have this digitally? - Uh-uh.
We are not into modern frills.
Can I copy it and show it to someone else?
Okay.
And...
There was also another suspect.
Michaël de Jong, the widow's handyman. He lied about his alibi.
And he had knowledge about the perpetrator.
He knew the body was in the living room and told people that...
at her own funeral.
He's building a case against the suspect...
which he eventually brings to court.
Yet the public prosecutor is not a crime fighter, as in American films.
In the Dutch legal system, the Public Prosecution Service is…
unlike in most neighboring countries...
both truth finder and crook catcher.
Ladies and gentlemen, in the back someone has just joined us.
Network Editor, Bas Haan. Specialized in our rule of law.
And not so very long ago student, as yourself.
- Hey, Bas. - Peter.
What did you bring again?
I'm not saying anything, you have to look at it cleanly.
It's a box, that's as far as I dare go.
That's why I always ask you.
You don't believe that, do you?
Look here.
Short time after the robbery and at a short distance from the house.
In fact, three days later and a mile away.
The knife is not properly secured, has been in the rain for days...
and is linked to Louwes via a very dubious odor test.
In addition, the blade does not match the depth of the stab wounds.
In nine sentences they explained in Arnhem why Louwes is the perpetrator.
And everything is linked to that knife.
And that telephone tower.
- I'm going after that too. - And the other suspect?
- The handyman? - Yes, are you going after that?
No
But that's a suspect, right?
We shouldn't play judge
let alone make some handyman a suspect.
Louwes has been convicted. There is a verdict. I can test that.
If that doesn't work, we can say something
about the way the justice system works.
Hmm, okay. How long do you need?
Come on, broadcast schedule, budget... How long?
Fortuyn was shot.
He's laying back here, neatly dressed.
He's been shot in the head and he's laying with his feet crossed...
He dropped to his knees and fell backwards.
- Where is it? - That's here.
A parking space at 3FM. No idea who...
I meet upset employees of Ruud de Wild.. They are shaken...
- Bas Haan. - Ernest Louwes.
- Thank you for welcoming me. - Wanda said you can be trusted.
Hopefully Wanda is too.
The third house from the right.
I live there.
- Your house is opposite? - With that green door.
Bizarre.
Among the items I received from Mrs. Waisvisz was this.
That's my diary. Yes, I typed everything out.
- Could I read it? - Yes of course.
You have to if you believe in my cause.
Everything is in there. I wrote everything down, from the beginning.
Good.
I want to start with the court's assessment of the facts.
The most important evidence piece: the knife
has already been disproved by the Waisvisz family.
- That leaves... - The telephone tower.
Yes. Can you tell me more about that?
Louwes says he was at Het Harde when he called Mrs Wittenberg.
Thirty kilometers from Deventer.
He was with her that morning.
She asked how much she could donate to the church tax-free.
He reported that from the car at 8:36 pm that evening.
In 16 seconds?
With Ernest. You wanted to know how much you could donate. 1750 guilders.
Yes, 1750. Sorry, I'm in the car, so I'll be brief.
Yes. See you soon.
14 seconds.
- No. - Come on, Rein. It's possible right?
No one believes that the knife is the weapon.
It is possible, but it doesn't have to.
That telephone mast is almost in that woman's backyard.
How do you explain that?
Increased radio propagation.
- Increased what? - Radio propagation.
Sometimes a signal drifts. I spoke to an expert...
It's okay, Bas.
- Coffee? - Please.
You have never seen this?
Nee.
Here it is.
The police in Deventer questioned me about
the smell identification test of the knife.
They asked me for a kind of second opinion.
And I then indicated by letter what was unclear about the test execution.
Don't look into the camera
and try to incorporate the questions into your answers.
First the smell test and then point by point.
But in court you stated that you found the smell test strong evidence.
Yes, because the reports I saw then were in order.
- Ready? - Er, yes.
It looks like they used that letter...
to improve the original reports.
- Did they cheat? - Yes.
Mister van Koppen, as an expert in the field of miscarriages of justice
how do you view the conviction of Ernest L.?
If you put the reports side by side, the numbers don't match.
There are weird dates. Subsequent reports were drawn up.
It is unclear where the knife was kept and stored.
And then you are not allowed to do a sorting test.
Dog handlers are expected to check this. That didn't happen.
Nice.
Just a voice-over and the presentation text for Aart and we're good to go.
Good job, Haan. This is going to cause quite a stir.
Ernest L. was sentenced to 12 years in prison for murder in Deventer.
It now appears with very questionable evidence.
After his conviction on appeal
an independent agency conducted an investigation...
and came with damning conclusions about…
If the bookkeeper didn't do it, then who did?
Didn't that widow have a butler?
Ah, there he is. Louwes?
Louwes? Mister Louwes?
Are you happy that your case is being reviewed?
Come on. Watch your head. Watch out guys. Watch out, watch out.
Watch your fingers.
Bas, what are you doing man?
Goddamn.
Here it is.
Papa.
Hey honey.
- I missed you so much. - Oh, baby.
Oh, honey, how glad I am to see you.
Oh, honey. You're out, honey.
- Honey. We won. - Ernest.
- I'll see you later. - Yes, I'll see you later.
Bye, honey.
Sorry.
A deal is a deal. You have every right to the scoop.
I wouldn't be here without you.
How did you pass the time, those three years?
It was fine at first, but I haven't done anything in the last few months.
Also unable to do anything.
- One, close. - Attention, title Louwes.
I wrote a little, I read a lot.
But at some point that doesn't work anymore.
Interesting, I would expect it the other way around
At first you think: I'm innocent, I'll never get out of here, but...
Well, I've always believed it would turn out alright.
That might sound strange considering it took that long
but I've always believed that.
Perhaps a strange thought, because it isn't my fault, but someone else's.
And that I happen to be sitting here today.
- Enjoy your meal. - Thank you.
Thank you.
Proud?
Don't act like you don't understand me, asshole.
First day of review
Good luck.
Ladies and gentlemen, the court.
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen.
You can sit down.
Mr. Louwes, we are here to review your case.
A case that is now known in the media as the Deventer murder case.
After the knife evidence fell apart, supporting evidence also lost its power.
Like the telephone conversation via the mobile phone mast in Deventer...
that made probable that the suspect was in Deventer around the murder.
The court in Arnhem could therefore not have come to proven statement...
on the present evidence.
Also not if the evidence is considered in conjunction with other clues.
However, another NFI report came to my attention this morning.
And it concerns the result of a DNA test.
This research shows...
that Mr. Louwes' DNA was found on the victim's clothing.
Namely on the blouse Mrs. Wittenberg was wearing when she was murdered.
I can't say exactly what the situation is with the DNA. I just received it.
And I still have to dig into its consequences.
New DNA Evidence?
The details will come the next session day.
In a month and a half.
That interview with Louwes at home is tonight.
Louwes visited the widow on the morning of the murder
the OM knows that.
If he put a hand on her shoulder, there's already DNA.
- So just broadcast? - Sure.
The interview is only about Louwes' experience
what it is like to be free again.
- Really very touching. - I'll get the tissues ready.
Today the revision case against Ernest Louwes started in Den Bosch.
Before the trial started, we spoke with Louwes about this special case...
and his bizarre years in prison. Bas Haan reports.
You are free, of course
But your life has basically become miserable.
And that often feels very awful.
Mich?
And that is sometimes difficult.
Mich, come. Louwes is on TV.
It would be best if the perpetrator is quickly arrested.
So everyone knows I have nothing to do with it.
Of course that would be the... the most, most beautiful thing.
That man gives me the creeps.
I would very much like to have that, yes.
Okay, then we'll talk about that.
- Yes. - Peter R. de Vries.
Um, oh no, sorry. I'll call you back in a minute.
- What's that? - A fax from Peter R. de Vries.
He also watched last night. And how annoyed he got...
that I didn't mention
the pretty spectacular news...
that Louwes' DNA was found on the blouse of the widow.
Yes, he's right, isn't he? You didn't report it, did you?
Vanity, Bas.
Fuck.
We found DNA from Mr. Louwes...
in places that correspond with how the victim was killed.
Mrs. Wittenberg was not only stabbed, but also strangled.
It involves material near the broken ribs. The killer used force.
And these red-pink spots
eventually turned out to be facial foundation.
Which was reasonably spread by the killer during the strangling.
Apart from these contact traces
we also found this stain in the collar...
with the DNA of Mr. Louwes. And this is blood.
Except that it takes liquid blood...
we cannot determine with 100% certainty how that blood got there.
But all these traces support the hypothesis that
the DNA was transferred during the crime.
And again: all this DNA comes from Mr. Louwes.
Mr. Louwes. Are you nervous for today?
Mr Louwes, are you nervous? What do you expect from the verdict?
Mr Louwes,
what are you going to hear today?
Er, acquittal of course.
Are you sure?
Yes. Yeah, I've always assumed that, so uh... that's for sure, yes.
Yet last week the judiciary made many people doubt.
You would be a top actor who makes everything up.
Yes, but well, the only top actor is the OM itself.
They did get me convicted once, so...
What if the verdict today reads: guilty?
But it's not like that.
I have to go. Will I see you later?
This means that the court finds proven..
that the accused intentionally and premeditatedly assaulted the victim...
- I haven't, ma'am. - Let me finish.
...deprived of life. The court orders the arrest of the accused.
- No no no. - The ruling...
- I'm not getting picked up again. - The court rules...
The court maintains, under improvement of grounds...
the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Arnhem of 22 December 2000.
The court orders imprisonment.
You just continue with all the falsified arguments of the police.
You just wipe everything away.
You are wiping everything away.
I understand your emotion, but I haven't finished speaking yet.
If you disagree with the ruling
you have two weeks to appeal to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.
- You know you are wrong. - Are you coming with me?
No, I'm not coming. No, I'm going...
I'm not... Damn it.
The cameras are now…
The photos and the cameras are now stopped.
You can't just act that. Right, Bas?
Oh come on, man. You have eyes in your head, right?
He didn't do it, can't you feel it?
His blood was in the collar, but we feel he didn't do it.
This was the news, good evening.
Come on.
So, folks. You know there's a broadcast tonight, right?
See you later.
So...
No acquittal.
That's too bad.
- Better luck next time. - What do you mean?
- Well, it's done. - Finished?
I think someone just said that the blood in the collar can't be ignored.
Rein only said that a feeling isn't news.
Well, we can't go on feeling.
Whoa, wait. There are still plenty of questions, aren't there?
- Real questions. - Bas...
One: they tampered with the evidence before
with the reporting on the knife earlier
And that blouse was administratively lost for a while.
Two: there is no DNA from Louwes under the nails of the widow.
While Knoops rightly argued that this would be the case in a struggle.
Three: new facts have come to light.
But nobody knows enough about DNA to judge them.
- Bas... - It's our job as journalists...
It's my job to make a whole program every night.
I can't allow more time and budget with those facts and the conviction.
I can't justify it!
Management won't have it.
Until new developments come around, Deventer is on the back burner.
- There is also other news. - You mean that stranded sperm whale.
Bas... Take off the afternoon. Cool down.
But after that it's over.
Finished.
Boy oh boy.
Evelien?
Bas.
Glad you wanted to come.
Yeah, I didn't know it was so public here.
Top criminals also meet in roadside restaurants.
Don't worry, I'm not going to ask any difficult questions.
I just wanted to know more about that
DNA course you followed at the Justice Department.
They don't invite me.
If I tell everything I heard, I'll violate my duty of confidentiality.
But isn't it a general course, the use of DNA in criminal cases?
- Would you like to order something? - A regular coffee, please.
A cappuccino.
- I want absolute anonymity. - I guarantee it.
No one will ever find out that you talked to me
no matter what you say.
The Public Prosecution Service and the NFI have withheld DNA evidence.
As a result, an innocent man is now incarcerated.
Ernest Louwes?
Kees B.
Schiedam park murder.
Succes.
Five, four, three...
Four past eight. This is Network.
Incriminating evidence was withheld in the Schiedam park murder
How the judiciary wanted to keep an innocent prisoner locked up for life.
A report by Bas Haan.
Hey, man, good day.
A package for you.
Thank you.
Hey
Bad conscience?
Make some room.
Guys what...
Congratulations on your first scoop as a reporter.
Thank you.
Guys...
Well, blow, Haan.
Speech.
Cake?
Well, please.
I was at a meeting of Maurice de Hond this morning.
- More seats for Wilders? - No.
He had polled the effect of Schiedam on our confidence in the rule of law.
- I'm guessing it had dropped. - Dramatic.
But the OM is working on improvement.
Yes
Schiedam was only the start, he is know looking at Deventer.
- Maurice? - Hmhm.
- At Deventer? - Yes.
He claims to have a lot of new evidence that exonerates Louwes.
Seriously?
Did he mention what he found?
Do you know who his source is?
- Does he have a new witness? - I didn't ask.
Tonight he will sit at Matthijs.
Maurice de Hond, welcome.
Polls are your business.
- Yes. - You started another campaign today.
You would like to review and reopen the Deventer murder case of 1999.
Why?
Well, I'm just a civilian too.
And as a citizen, I am interested in the rule of law.
And in 2003 or 2004, Ernest Louwes was convicted in the third instance...
after he was first released by the Supreme Court
and when I saw that on TV, my stomach turned.
After that I received all sorts of information from people close to Louwes.
I couldn't believe what I read. This couldn't happen in this country.
The Netherlands has a constitution. I couldn't believe it.
Only until the Schiedam park murder came on TV earlier this year
First on Netwerk, but more importantly later in the report of OM.
Kees B. was unjustly imprisoned for murder.
It's kind of a mix between "Keystone Cops"...
with Inspector Clouseau from "The Pink Panther" and Mr Bean.
Isn't that part of the excitement?
With the Schiedam case you see how many mistakes...
He just keeps linking those cases.
Also on his site.
Here.
Schiedam, Deventer.
And here. But that in itself isn't so illogical, is it?
Because they messed up in Schiedam, they also screwed up Deventer?
That is no argument, that's bullshit.
Besides, in Schiedam the withheld DNA proved Kees B.'s innocence...
while in Deventer the found DNA proves Louwes' guilt.
But many people doubt whether Louwes did it.
With all due respect, Gerda, those people don't know fuck all, don't they?
Well, Maurice is not just anyone.
This isn't a poll, it's a murder case.
What?
Second chances are rare in our business.
Not so long ago you also had doubts about Louwes.
That's right.
Schiedam was a crash course in DNA. Conclusion: DNA, no way around it.
That blood in that collar is a fact, and that blood belongs to Louwes.
Unless the blood is fraudulent.
According to Louwes the evidence has been faked.
But Maurice has no hard proof of that.
I took a good look.
So?
- No news? - Gerda.
Maurice is just a celebrity with an opinion.
Okay.
On principle, you shouldn't prune in winter.
The plant needs to lose moisture.
If you prune too much, you will get fungus.
Good afternoon.
- Hello? - Are you Meike Wittermans?
- The handyman's girlfriend? - Handyman?
Yes, from Widow Wittenberg.
Did you see this, man? They are calling you the handyman.
What is this all about?
- I don't quite understand... - We just want to ask some questions.
Things that are unclear.
At the time, you and your husband were questioned by the police
And made contradictory statements about the time at which Michael came home.
- Right? - Yes, that was a mistake, yes.
A mistake?
Yes, a mistake, yes.
Can you precisely remember where you wife was last Tuesday at 20:30?
There was no murder that night.
No, exactly.
And we had nothing to do with that murder, so why would I remember?
I've already explained all this.
You do not have to be scared. We can take you to a safe place.
Who are you?
Can you identify yourself?
Be honest.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could throw that burden off your shoulders?
- Come clean - You can't just show up at my work.
That was the whole plan.
If he's not here, you can talk freely.
Ma'am, come with us.
We can protect you.
- He can't touch you. - What do you think?
We have nothing to do with this case. Can you get out of here now?
I'm calling the police. The real police.
Okay.
Who do you actually work for?
Maurice has been invited by the President of the Board of Attorneys...
to personally explain his actions and doubts in the Deventer murder case.
What?
How did he manage that?
I also don't understand.
Do you think I can talk to Brouwer about my parking tickets?
Then you first have to appear on 'De Wereld Draait Door'
It's all PR. Restore the trust in the law; citizens speak up.
But preferably a citizen who works in media, please.
Thanks to us, huh. Thanks to us.
It's news... by now.
And the news just came out.
Good morning, mister De Hond.
You have just come from a meeting with the boss of the judiciary. About what?
Yes, about the Deventer murder case...
and the fact that the wrong perpetrator is incarcerated.
And that we now know, at least we do, who the real perpetrator is.
You know it. Does he know it too?
Well, he knows what I know.
Of course it isn't easy to immediately come out and say: it is so.
The fact that the research is reopened indicates...
that they have sufficient doubts...
about whether they have done the right thing in the past.
- He is quite confident in himself. - Quite?
He already has the fucking culprit.
What now?
On to casa 'De Hond'.
Mr. De Hond. What do you expect law enforcement to do
with the incriminating information you unearthed about the handyman?
I only ask for a proper investigation. I'm not condemning that man yet.
I think for 99.99% if not a 100% that he did it...
but I'm not a judge.
My only responsibility with the information is to say:
Anyone who reads this information...
thinks more research should be done.
Because if only two of my fifteen hypotheses are true, he's the culprit.
Is it him?
Yes, 100% sure.
- That's tunnel vision. - No.
He has not yet been convicted.
But I'm not a judge.
You are also not a detective. And can't read the pieces as a detective.
Your are convinced. Are you allowed to determine that it is him?
No, I can't say to him: You get twelve years.
I may say, That's my... I mean, why not? He's it, 100% sure.
100%.
100%?
- That's what he said? - Yes.
- And we have that exclusively? - Yes but...
Yes, but under embargo?
As soon as the OM comes up with something, we can go.
So we have agreed with Maurice... But...
But?
It's quite an accusation.
Er, press release from the OM.
At the request of the Board of Attorneys...
an exploratory investigation has started into the Deventer murder case.
What?
An exploratory investigation? There is no such thing.
Well, yes, now there is.
And it's the OM, so we're allowed.
Yes, but without that quote about the handyman.
Sorry?
Someone is accused of murder
without any hard evidence.
You elicited that statement from him yourself.
That's why I'm going to block it.
Bas, this is news.
You can't just accuse someone of murder on TV. Maurice...
Maurice is just a celebrity with an opinion, yes.
But if the judicial system takes him seriously...
and even starts an exploratory investigation...
Something which, according to you, has never happened yet.
...then that's news.
I'm only asking for a proper investigation.
I'm not judging that man today.
I think 99.99% if not 100% that he did it...
but I'm not a judge.
My only job with the information is to say:
Anyone who reads the information...
thinks more research should be done.
Because if only two of my fifteen hypotheses are true, he's the culprit.
Is it him?
Yes, 100% sure.
That's tunnel vision.
Come here. Hey, come here.
Hello, this is Michaël and Meike's answering machine.
We aren't in at the moment, but leave a message after the beep. Thank you.
Hey, Michael, pick up then, you filthy retard.
I hope they also strangle you...
like you strangled that old woman.
You cowardly bastard.
You too, Meike, you dirty whore.
Hello, this is the answering machine...
Bas.
Did you read it?
De Telegraaf, Volkskrant, AD, all on the front page.
Congratulations man.
Goddamnit.
He says Michael van J. probably did it.
That man has a letter in which the judiciary says: You are not a suspect.
Can a citizen actually do that?
Shouldn't you be happy that the judiciary investigates
and just leave it them?
No, the point is: why did the judiciary start to investigate?
Why have they never investigated it in Schiedam?
Apparently the judiciary only moves under hard pressure.
- But they are moving now. - The point is why...
because the piece on my website has been sent to the OM.
We said: This is our proof, go do something.
But they are busy now. Why don't you keep a low profile for now?
It is of course not in the interest of the judges, the OM, the judiciary...
to say now: Louwes is not it and the other one might be.
Because then it will be a bigger scandal than Schiedam.
Mich... Maybe we should consider what that lawyer said: give an interview.
No.
I'm not going to do that.
Really.
But there's also the 1% chance, which you mention yourself...
that Michael didn't do it. Then you caused quite something.
- Then I will bear the consequences. - They can go very far.
We'll see.
What's the matter with that guy?
Maurice is on campaign. It's not about the content.
It's about the PR.
Not to be right, but to get his right.
Last month Brouwer was his best friend, now he is part of the plot.
Brouwer actually hoisted him on the shield.
Not just Brouwer, right?
If I remember correctly, Maurice also got a lot...
of airtime on a certain current affairs program.
"It's the handyman."
'100% sure.'
Okay. Second chance, very good, one more time then.
This time all the way. Everything and everyone.
Not just what Maurice does. Every fart from that man is covered.
I was just looking for you. Press release OM, just came in.
Interim conclusion exploratory investigation:
five additional contact traces...
and a trail of blood, all from Louwes.
- Do you have to go? - No, I'm going to smoke.
- Outside? - Some bore has complained.
That bloody smoking ban...
So it says nothing about Michael de Jong.
I can already hear Maurice calling it: cover up.
Can I conclude from this that you are now...
investigating the handyman, and not just Louwes?
That's what I said. The whole story, everything.
And how long do you need for that?
The whole story, checking everything from Maurice about the handyman...
Louwes one more time...
- Two, three... - ...weeks.
...months.
But what if Maurice turns out to be right?
If he has the facts on his side, I'll carry him around on a silver shield.
100% sure.
I'll ignore the cynicism for now. But we don't have broadcast.
Of course. You must also dare to broadcast your faults.
Bas, it is not a question of daring.
It is journalistic suicide.
So it's open road for circus De Hond then? I believe it's our job...
Oh my gosh, not again.
Saint Bas.
Do you think that the handyman did it?
Don't know. I don't think so.
Two months.
Drug addict.
Benefit fraudster.
Hit rock bottom.
Debts as a result of very high spending patterns.
Perpetrator knowledge.
He and his girlfriend would have lied about their alibis.
And then this one.
Michael was a patient of psychiatrist Wittenberg, the husband of the widow.
Because of tantrums.
- How did he get all this information? - From witnesses.
Because of the publicity, everyone approaches him.
People who suddenly remember everything after seven years, often anonymously.
Lots of facts, but no sources. It cannot be checked directly.
It's a lot. There must be some truth to it, right?
Yes but what?
There's nothing in it that makes him a murderer.
But okay.
The handyman did have a motive, according to Maurice.
Louwes not according to the judges. Here.
"The handyman was in the widow's original will...
with a tax-free legacy of 50,000 guilders...
which was lowered in the new will ten days before the murder...
to 25,000 guilders.
That's why, and because of debts...
he would have killed her in a drunken brawl.'
According to Maurice.
Not known to you? In no registry?
No theft, benefit fraud, drunk driving, whatever?
Can I quote you on that? Super.
- Here. - Ah, thank you.
What is that?
- You know that, right? - Ah, that adoption thingy.
Yes.
Can you picture it?
And can I get that woman too, hm?
If I get that man too.
Come here.
- Are you OK? - Yes.
- Shall I go to the girls? - No, I'm coming.
Hey, come here. Well done.
There's nothing wrong. Yes, good, good.
Well done.
Very good, very good.
Hey, hey, sst.
- Mich? - Yes, what?
- We have to do something. - Yes, what then?
I think we need to talk to that journalist.
But then I have to go on TV to defend myself.
That man sends private investigators to my work.
Then I have to tell on TV how I got that perpetrator knowledge.
- Jan Vlug. - Good afternoon, Mr Vlug.
- Who am I speaking to? - With Bas Haan.
Bas Haan.
I would like to speak with a client of you, Michael de Jong.
I can not reach him.
Oh, so you thought, let me call his lawyer?
- I assume you can reach him. - He doesn't want to speak to you.
Hello.
Did anything happen today?
Mr Haan, let me be clear.
According to me and my client, you are part of the Mr. De Hond group.
You have made more than ten broadcasts about this case.
And in the last one, Mr. De Hond got to call my client a murderer...
in front of the whole nation.
'100% sure.'
I understand your reaction, but I only care about the facts.
I can't investigate a lot, without his explanation.
You wanted to speak to me?
Sit down.
I'm not judging anyone, but given all the media attention...
it may be in your client's interest to highlight his side of the story.
First you make his life hell and now he has to tell his story...
so that you have your next broadcast.
It must be weird, huh, all that stuff in the media.
Pf. It's a nightmare.
And especially for Meike.
Maurice's accusations about you are not nothing...
No, but that man is insane you know.
I would like to point out that Michael and his girlfriend...
are very fond of their privacy.
These are people who don't need or want to be in the picture.
Unlike some others.
Those people exist, Mr. Haan.
Personally, I understand them very well. Better than you probably think.
But as long as they don't defend themselves, Maurice can shoot freely.
For the last time...
My clients don't want to answer for something they have no part in.
And for Mr. De Hond, he will soon have to answer for himself...
when I sue him for libel.
Bye Mr. Haan.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
There are customers of ours who would rather...
not have you come to them anymore.
Who?
Customers.
Have I lost my job?
Who are you?
Leave us alone.
Leave me alone.
How is it going?
It has been a long time.
Long time, indeed.
Good to have you here.
A lot of people are sticking up for me now...
but you were one of the first to believe and stand up for me.
I've dived into the matter again.
I've put everything back together.
You were with Mrs. Wittenberg the morning of the murder.
In your diary you write that she was wearing something red.
"I can't remember whether it was a dress or a suit, but the color was red."
But the blouse she wore when she was killed, was white.
Yes...
You always said the DNA got on her blouse during your visit that morning.
What I don't understand, is how it got on that white blouse.
Wasn't she wearing something red?
And speaking of that white blouse...
That blood in the collar, how did they get it?
Um, I donated blood in 1999.
- In my cell, for a DNA profile. - Where is that written down?
I must have read over it.
I could hardly have written everything down.
123 typed pages...
of literally every detail since your arrest.
And then they come into your cell, take your blood,
and you don't write that down?
In '99 they put my DNA profile in the database.
That profile required blood. Then they must have taken it, right?
It wasn't until 2003 that a DNA profile was made of you, for your review.
- With a cotton swab, in your cheek. - You're not listening.
I am listening. You say that blood was drawn in 1999...
to commit fraud with in 2003.
Do they always hold back some blood in case someone's first conviction fails?
How can you be sure that no blood has been drawn?
Everything in my case is counterfeit. Bas!
Everything.
Bas, everything!
Bas!
- Hi. - I do not have that much time.
It's lunch break and my boss is strict.
I just have a few questions.
You're not recording it, are you?
This is as off the record as it gets.
Really?
Yes, okay. Shall we just stand there for a while?
Yes.
Actually, I already know a lot.
I'm mainly looking for confirmation of two things.
A new will was drawn up ten days before the murder...
in which Louwes becomes executor of the widow...
and president of a foundation that manages her millions after her death.
Sorry, I really can't do this.
I thought it would be more about what I thought of Louwes.
Don't worry, no one will ever find out about this, I guarantee it.
My word is everything, otherwise no one will ever talk to me again.
Everything is so specific. It can only come from me.
It can come from a variety of sources. No one knows if you work for justice...
or with an involved lawyer, notary, insurer or Louwes' office.
- Or that you know someone there. - When you have so much choice...
Listen.
You agreed to this meeting because things don't sit well with you, right?
Sorry, I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have come.
You don't necessarily have to talk. There are also other ways to…
Maybe you know someone who would like to talk.
This is the knife with which Michael de Jong stabbed the widow.
With a blade of ten centimeters.
I'll show it here. Ten centimeters.
Michael de Jong killed the widow with five stabs.
According to expert research...
I uh... found this one.
Get rid of it.
Mr. Vlug, Bas Haan.
Again, yes.
No, I understand that, but you can propose it to them, can't you?
In a place they choose, without a camera, in your presence.
I understand.
Yes.
Okay.
Thank you, Maurice.
Michael?
This is Bas Haan.
I know you know my name and you don't want to talk to me.
And I understand that.
Michael?
Give me a chance.
You get to tell your whole story, primetime.
Michael.
I'll leave my card here for you.
No sender.
You know whose it is?
I can't say that.
Only that it left me with a proper cold.
Holy shit.
- Are we shooting? - Just a moment.
Professor Van Mourik.
As an inheritance law specialist...
what do you think about Louwes' letter to the notary...
two months prior to the murder?
Louwes asks the notary to put in the draft will...
that he becomes the sole director of a foundation...
which manages all assets after her death.
And that he does not have to appoint fellow directors.
In short: that he is the sole ruler of the wealth...
and can do with it whatever he pleases.
And he was already working on that two months before the murder.
Apparently, yes.
But that is not how it turned out in the final will.
That notary probably smelled a fuse and thought: we're not going to do that.
That is why Louwes is ultimately forced
to appoint two fellow directors?
It strongly resembles that.
But he then chose two colleagues from his office...
whom he made excited with money and goods from the foundation...
at least this is what they declared to the police.
What do you think of that?
The combination of facts...
also that he was trying to transfer money to a private account...
that leads very clearly in the direction of Louwes.
You targeted the widow's money, but you handled it stupidly.
Hey, Meike.
- You better leave that curtain closed. - It's still there, though.
- I'm going to call the police. - And then?
You already know what they're going to say, right?
Well, ma'am, what does he do?
Yes, if he doesn't do anything, then uh... then we can't do anything either.
Because you can just stand there.
Yeah, no, it's uh...
We can maybe drive by later...
But we are not a private police, we have to guard the whole city.
Pickpockets, terrorists...
car thefts...
squatters.
Come here.
Jesus.
Oh no.
No, No. Stop, stop, stop, stop.
Out.
- No no no. - I'm going to get the car.
Come on, come on. It's okay, it's okay.
Hey baby.
We're going to take good care of you, poopie, aren't we?
It's okay, it's okay.
- Mich, let's talk to that reporter. - Ah, Mei... Meike, that...
Mich.
No.
Um...
We had to cut open her neck to remove the skewers, but...
But it looks like she will survive.
- Can we... - You can see her later.
Hey girl.
And yes, the only conclusion is... Or the strong suspicion then arises...
He wanted the money for himself.
Press release OM.
- New DNA research. - What now?
Y-chromosomal DNA research.
It's a new technique.
Performed on the nails of the widow.
Gerda.
It is a match with Louwes.
This technique does not produce a unique profile.
3 to 4% of men have the profile found on the nails.
But Louwes has it.
Wow.
- There go Knoops' fingernails. - Yes, plus Louwes' motive.
- And he lied about drawing blood. - It looks like it.
Check that nail news, also from an expert.
If it's right, than it's going to be broadcast.
And now they come with nails.
They were also investigated in 2004 and then there was nothing on it.
But Maurice, there is now a technique that can now find something...
Yes, but that's the misunderstanding.
And that is also neat PR trick from the OM...
I thought of something last night. Those nails.
What if the handyman has the same profile as those 3 to 4% of men?
If not, then the broadcast becomes difficult.
Everyone will start speculating.
That man never does.
Even if he didn't, there may be a match.
But if there is no match, he is 100% innocent.
Yes.
Just make sure you get to talk to that handyman at all.
Hey.
That's mommy.
Hey.
Eggs. Aaah.
How was your day?
Yes, fantastic.
What?
That he wants to help me get rid of you. They're ready for me.
What bullshit.
So now they know where we live.
There's no stamp on it, someone just delivers this.
I can't do this anymore.
I can't take this anymore.
I can't.
You destroy everything. You destroy everything. Goddamnit.
Hey.
Hey, hey, hey.
I'm going to talk to that journalist. I'm going to talk to him.
Yes?
Mr. Vlug?
Yes>
No, of course.
Tuesday is fine.
Yes.
Yes!
Mr Haan.
Meet Michael and Meike.
Bas.
Hallo.
Let's sit down.
Go ahead, Mr Haan.
My clients are ready.
First of all thank you very much for being willing to meet me.
I understand...
I understand that you would rather not be here.
But if you don't respond to what Maurice writes...
then I fear that in the eyes of the general public...
the handyman is the killer.
I'd like to check some things from Maurice's website one by one.
- Is that okay? - Yes.
Have you ever been a patient of Dr. Wittenberg?
No.
No, I knew the doctor from the antique store where I worked.
Mrs Wittenberg too.
But I had nothing to do with the doctor's profession.
I am not a psychiatric patient.
Not from him and not from anyone else.
You would have hit rock bottom...
and lack of money because you didn't have a job.
Michaël worked from 1993 to 2002 through and for a job placement company.
As a supervisor, manager, quality controller and security officer...
for about 36 hours a week. Here.
'Michaël de Jong
is a very reliable, extremely knowledgeable employee.'
And here:
'Welcome to provide references about Mr. MC de Jong.'
The murder was in 1999...
so Michael was working at that company from long before until long after.
So no unemployment and no decline.
And I'm not a handyman at all. I did odd jobs at her house sometimes, but...
nothing more.
The bookkeeper is not a bookkeeper.
and the handyman is not a handyman.
And drugs?
Yes, that's quite a nice one. I can't even do drugs.
I have an allergy, uh...
- Quincke's edema. - Doctor's statement.
I can drop dead if I do drugs.
Luckily I don't have an alcohol allergy. I can drink beer in peace.
And I've been drunk sometimes.
I've never ran somebody over as well.
- Well... No, sorry. - Do not.
No, sorry, sorry.
What about that alibi?
It doesn't matter what we say about it, right?
Yes, we said different things. You can't change that
When we say we are mistaken, De Hond calls us pathological liars.
Then everyone runs after it. But if Louwes and his wife are mistaken...
That's true.
Louwes and his wife also contradicted each other on this same point.
I know.
...Louwes and mister De Hond. But when we say something, we are the liars
But then there is the point of knowing the perpetrator.
Yes but...
I don't want to say anything about that.
At that time the police questioned Michael about it
and decided not to prosecute him.
It doesn't make my story any more credible, but...
But a DNA test will.
I presume you know about the nail dirt?
Mr. Haan, my client is not crazy.
I understand the risk, but it could end all discussion.
Oh, just when I was beginning to believe that your opportunism had limits.
It's definitely not that, but...
Look, if you do it and you don't like the results
you can keep sweep it under the rug.
Says the journalist.
You don't have to tell me anything.
Such a test can probably be done anonymously.
Independently and with a notary...
No, we'll do it.
- Michael. - No, and I want Mr. Haan to film that.
So everyone can see, huh, that there's...
- that it is clear. - Michael.
One in 25 men has that profile.
And then I got it, so what?
Then everyone will think I did it. What's the difference with now?
We're already dead anyway.
Don't make it too late...
The final report of Brouwer's exploratory investigation
has been leaked.
Of course.
And? Any news?
No.
Then the motive and knowledge of the perpetrator remain.
What did Michael himself say about it?
He doesn't want to say anything about that.
I didn't ask about the motive.
- That wouldn't prove anything. - What was it again?
Mrs Wittenberg would have cut his bequest in half...
and he allegedly killed her in a drunken brawl.
Well, that remains a point for Maurice then.
If we assume that.
If Maurice and the judiciary have determined that halving of the bequest..
then you have to explain me how.
This is the old one.
'To Mr. MC de Jong, free of duties and costs...
an amount in cash of 25,000 guilders.'
This is the new one.
'To Mr. MC de Jong, free of duties and costs...
an amount in cash of 25,000 guilders.'
- No. - Yes.
- And no one has ever checked this? - No one. Yes, me now.
One more to go.
Yes.
But he doesn't want to say anything about that. Anyway.
If the DNA test shows it isn't him, then it isn't him.
Maybe he doesn't dare.
It's kind of like Russian roulette, right?
Do you already have that one?
- With the door? - Yes.
No, that's not going to work. It's too dark.
Shit.
Sorry, we weren't ready yet. Would you like to step out again?
- How is it going? - Yes...
What are you doing, man?
Yeah, uh, I had to report myself.
For what?
Mr De Jong, come on in.
Hello.
Michael de Jong.
- Frans. - Hi.
Several people stated that you had said at Mrs Wittenberg's funeral...
that her body was found in the living room and the time of the finding.
That's right?
Yes, everyone had questions.
And you had answers?
So unreal. Last Wednesday I was still with her.
That's bizarre.
No one says or knows anything.
But how? That information was only known to the police.
Oh that uh...
I did not know that.
Do you know what that means?
This means that you have perpetrator knowledge.
Do you understand what I just said?
Yes, but it sounds so absurd. Perpetrator knowledge.
How did you know she was laying there?
- I had heard that. - From whom?
From someone.
Someone?
Come on, it's coming out anyway.
It must have been a real massacre.
I overheard a detective talking about it.
Five stabs to her chest.
So you protect the perpetrator?
I don't want to get anyone in trouble.
If you continue like this, you will be in trouble.
She didn't show up for a hairdressing appointment on Saturday.
Her regular hairdresser called the police.
The card said Thursday.
Then she was murdered. They didn't find her until Saturday.
In the living room.
Well, hey.
Sst. Yes.
Well, has it been recorded?
Otherwise we'll do it again.
Then we are just as happy.
It's golden, Bas. How many minutes do you need?
The exclusion of Michael on the basis of the DNA test...
the new DNA evidence against Louwes, his possible motive...
the interview with Professor Van Mourik about this, the De Hond method...
The whole broadcast.
Well, you're in luck.
Rein needs more time for that special on campaign finance,
so Wednesday.
- In two days? - Yes.
I can't make it. There are hours of material.
No, I understand.
Let's see. Well, then... yes, then Tuesday. Next week. Can you manage that?
Yes.
It is absolutely impossible that the...
handyman left the DNA on the nails.
Eh, title of Eikelenboom. Then I would do the microscope shot now.
Oh no, wait. uh...
Just put the quote from Vlug here, that's better.
This is rock solid technical proof...
that Michael de Jong cannot be linked to the murder in any way.
Yes.
Mireille, do you have those recordings of Van Koppen?
- What is this? - Maurice's weblog.
"Murder weapon in Deventer murder case may be under the widow's tombstone."
"A metal object has been found that strongly resembles a knife."
"I call on the judiciary to open the grave."
- How does he get this? - From the manager of the cemetery.
And he comes with this after seven years?
He says the police didn't write everything down at the time.
Bas, it's Vlug.
- Hello? - Have you seen Maurice's website yet?
- Yes, I just saw it. - When do you think you can broadcast?
- Next Tuesday. - Only then?
Yes.
Then De Hond can shoot for a week.
Yes.
This evening, Plasman is sitting at 'Pauw & Witteman'.
How do I explain this to Michael and Meike?
Yes, I know, but it can't be sooner.
Why didn't the cemetery manager raise alarm sooner?
Eh, he did, he says. He was then questioned by the police at the time.
Eh, there is also a mutation to be found in the journal of the research.
Only he says: What I said then does not correspond to what it says now.
He had given very specific information.
What then?
That he spoke to the widow on the morning of the murder.
And that she said, I'm going to tell the handyman today...
that he is going out of my will.
She couldn't do that at all, asshole.
Maurice de Hond has put together a German team.
They specialize in detecting metal objects underground.
With Bas.
Yes.
Yes I know.
I've seen it.
I'm going as fast as I can.
If everyone didn't disturb me all day... Yes.
Okay. Yes.
I cannot tell you what kind of metal, but there is something.
What now?
Oh sorry, it's you.
- The broadcast is moved to Monday. - What?
A week later. Yes, sorry, extra party leader debate...
and Wilders will also come.
Damn it Gerda, you can't do that.
Do you know how many times Vlug called?
Then you say that if we don't broadcast that debate, RTL will.
At the same time. And then no one will watch your report.
Sorry, Bas.
I thought you could use a shot.
Thank you.
Is the grave now guarded?
- Of course. - By who?
- By people. - Yes, but is that police?
So not police, it could be police now.
Where does he pay it all from?
What do you mean?
How much do you think such a Plasman costs?
- He's just there for the publicity. - Even still.
Private detectives, a team of German tomb investigators, 24/7 surveillance..
- I don't think that Gerda... - Ah, Gerda. Just a few phone calls.
- Follow the money. - Yes, indeed.
It's 10 past 1. Good afternoon and welcome to Stand.nl.
Our position: Maurice de Hond must stop insinuating. Call 0800-1101.
- Good afternoon, this is Truus. - Hello, Truus.
- I absolutely disagree. That gentleman is absolutely innocent.
As he reacted on TV to the statement...
Well, go on. Maurice de Hond, go on.
Thank you. Good afternoon.
Michael de J., that handyman, is obviously not right in his head.
And the Deventer police force is blackmailable as I'm concerned.
That handyman is completely stuck. What do you think of that?
Let's stay away from that lawsuit.
He's accusing an unconvicted.
Lady Justice has long since lost her blindfold a long time ago.
He knows what he is doing.
6 a clock. The NOS Radio 1 Journal with Karin van den Boogaert.
Because of growing social unrest, the judge has decided...
to open the grave of the widow Wittenberg.
Unbelievable, what a circus!
At 3:00 PM the grave has been lifted.
The stone is from the tomb and is being examined for traces.
And much more importantly: the knife can finally be searched for.
Each layer of sand is sieved. Not an inch is looked over.
You always leave behind DNA...
It was just announced that no knife was found in the grave.
The grave was opened after Maurice de Hond...
suggested the murder weapon might lay in the grave.
I'm so glad we're airing on Monday.
- I made some more phone calls. - What?
Don't you remember: who pays for all this?
Holy fuck.
- Who is De Lange? - What is De Lange is a better question.
OK, what?
He's rich. It's an entrepreneur with parking garages, call centers...
And what does he have to do with Maurice De Hond?
It's in this contract.
'...that the collaboration aside from the Deventer murder case...
will consist of the establishment of a socio-political organization...
with the provisional name Wij 21.'
So Deventer as the starting shot of a political movement?
It says 'Maurice de Hond will take on the role of eye-catcher.'
Handy, then he can poll himself.
This is really sick.
And then point three: De Lange also wants his money back.
Maurice must then conduct a damage procedure against the OM or the state.
In other words: Maurice has to litigate all the way. No choice.
This should be on the air.
Do we have this exclusive?
Joep Dohmen beat me. It is in the NRC this afternoon.
- Will you manage before tonight? - No, impossible.
Okay, then Thursday.
That broadcast is almost done.
Then I'll ask Ellen to start and we turn it around
No, sorry, no more delay. I can't do that, not again.
Yes that's OK. Yes.
Get out, Haan.
- Good luck, huh. - Come on, let's start.
Live in five, four, three...
Exculpatory DNA evidence in the Deventer murder case. This is Network.
Oh, Meike, it's starting.
Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening.
New facts in the controversial Deventer murder case.
A case that has grown into a battle with supporters and opponents.
One is convinced that Ernest Louwes has been rightly convicted.
The other thinks the murdered widow's handyman must have done it.
What is the truth in this murder case?
Reporter Bas Haan investigated the case and uncovered new facts...
about exculpatory DNA evidence and a possible motive.
Seven years ago, the widow was murdered.
The Deventer murder case is now one of the most sensational...
criminal cases, thanks to the actions of Maurice de Hond.
Last week the widow's grave was opened...
in search of the handyman's murder weapon.
In vain. The handyman's lawyer is now demanding a gag order against De Hond.
Just try defend yourself against De Hond and such press offensive.
That's almost impossible.
I've done everything...
to update the Dutch people via my website.
De Hond is convinced that the DNA evidence is worthless.
But this story is not about conspiracy theories, but about facts.
The DNA in this case is crucial. And now comes another revelation.
Additional DNA testing relieves the handyman.
It is absolutely impossible that the handyman left the DNA on the nails.
This is rock solid technical proof...
that Michael de Jong cannot be linked to the murder in any way.
Well.
Yes.
Basje.
Gerda.
- Well done. - Thank you.
- Hey, hoppakee. - Nice man.
- Top. - Thanks to you, huh.
- Let's go have a drink somewhere. - Good plan.
Well done.
Come on.
Good? -Ja.
All right.
Sorry, are you perhaps Bas Haan?
Certainly.
Do you have Richard Eikelenboom's number?
What do you need that for?
'Reporter' is going to make an hour and a half special about the Deventer case.
Is there any news then?
An American DNA expert declares that the evidence against Louwes is nothing.
So what does the expert say about the combination...
of saliva, touch marks, blood and nail dirt?
Which nail dirt?
Have you seen my report?
Or are you going to say: Which report?
Do you still have that number for me?
What do you think?
Better look at my report first, fool!
Thank God it's Friday.
Tonight, Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen..
Arthur Japin, Javier Guzman...
Bastiaan Geleijnse, Don Diego Powder...
Pieter Jan Hagens, Maurice de Hond...
and Claudia de Breij.
They didn't take anything away from my broadcast.
They didn't even see it.
Like it never fucking aired.
- Here is Maurice the Hond. - What the fuck.
Maurice, yesterday sentenced to two months conditional
Does his mean you can never say again: the handyman did it?
If I don't comply with the ruling, I will be jailed for two months.
Are you never going to say again: Michael de Jong did it?
I am prepared to do a lot for this program...
but not prison for two months.
No, but I was wondering because you...
I admire your fanaticism in this case. And your sense of justice.
If you can't say it, can you sing it?
- I think only Jan Smit. - Only Jan Smit.
Because I was thinking about…
about...
thinking about 'the Deventer murder case: the musical'.
Fucking circus.
If more than 200,000 people have watched that crap, I'll write a book.
- A book? - A book.
No broadcast schedule, budget, so few minutes to cram it all into.
Just a book. With all the facts about the case. All the facts.
Do you think people are waiting for that?
Yes, people want to know what's really going on.
I firmly believe that.
But it is made them incredibly difficult by people who throw sand in their eyes.
I want to be able to say: Do you want the facts? There they are, in that book.
Researched, checked and checked again. And if you want to ignore them...
they are still there. Those facts exist...
are real, and are not going away.
What?
Do you know how many books are published per year?
I'll make sure people know it's there.
If necessary, I will enter the circus myself.
The circus?
January 2009
It is one of the most talked about lawsuits of all time.
Who killed the wealthy widow Wittenberg in 1999?
Ernest Louwes was convicted, acquitted and then through DNA testing...
sentenced to 12 years. 29 judges were involved in the case.
But in the press, a campaign led by Maurice de Hond
questioned the course of justice.
The grave has even been opened.
Journalist Bas Haan wrote 'De Deventer murder case: the conspiracy unraveled'
Welcome
You have been on this case for a long time.
Tonight I will ask you the question you surely get asked all the time:
Who did it? The handyman, or Ernest Louwes?
Maurice de Hond was sentenced for libel,
and ordered to pay 35.000 Euro in compensation
to Michael de Jong and his girlfriend Meike.
A, for Dutch standards, exceptionally high figure.
He never retracted any of his accusations against Michael de Jong.
Michael de Jong could never find a job again.
Michael has an autoimmune disease.
Medical research has shown that the chance of getting this disease
is greatly increased by chronical stress.
The financial compensation of 35.000 Euro was entirely spend on legal costs.
Ernest Louwes served his sentence and is currently an employed citizen again.
He still fights for his acquittal through his lawyer Knoops.
In 2014 the Supreme court started researching a possible re-opening of the case.
In consultation with Knoops,
an English DNA expert has been appointed for a third opinion".
In 2019, the expert also confirmed
the most important conclusions of the NFI about the DNA evidence,
the basis for the conviction of Louwes.
Bas Haan is currently a research journalist for Nieuwsuur.
His reporting has received numerous awards
Among them "De Tegel" three times, the most important Dutch journalistic prize.
In 2015 he was chosen as journalist of the year.
Nothing has been heard anymore from the political movement "Wij 21",
which was founded by de Hond en de Lange.