Three men were found guilty of the murder of Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries and sentenced to lengthy prison terms of up to 28 years. Almost three years after the murder in Amsterdam, the judges on Wednesday also sentenced four other suspects to prison terms of up to fourteen years for complicity. Two defendants were acquitted.
Before the judges, the guilt of the three main defendants was proven beyond any doubt. The judges of the heavily guarded high-security court in Amsterdam said they had no respect for human life. The Public Prosecution Service had demanded life imprisonment.
Shot in the middle of Amsterdam
The prominent TV reporter was shot in the summer of 2021 at the age of 64 in the middle of Amsterdam. He later died from his serious injuries. The act shocked the country. Two main suspects were arrested immediately after the crime. These were the shooter, Delano G. (24), and the driver of the getaway car, Kamil E. (38). Both have now been sentenced to 28 years in prison.
The third main perpetrator, Krystian M. (29), is considered a ‘murder broker’ and was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Only M. admitted complicity and apologized to the victim’s relatives.
The defendants had also invoked their right to remain silent and refused to testify. You can appeal the verdicts, just like the prosecutor.
Connection to infamous drug gang
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the drug gang of the notorious criminal Ridouan Taghi was responsible for the murder. De Vries was a confidant of the key witness who testified against Taghi and his accomplices in a major criminal trial. The brother and lawyer of the key witness had been murdered earlier. But there is no evidence of the Taghi gang’s responsibility. Taghi was sentenced to life in prison in February, but for other murders.
Source: Krone
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