From verdict to postponement, swimming pool murder case is delayed | Crime

It was reason for the suspects’ lawyers to submit a request for recusal. Publishing the ruling too early would indicate bias on the part of the court.

The court in Leeuwarden itself did not think so and so a recusal chamber had to be involved to make a decision on this. It met at 3:30 PM, but Johan L.’s lawyer, Bart Nooitgedagt, asked to postpone this session.

Nooitgedagt said he had not had time to consult with his client. He also wanted to prepare better to substantiate his request for recusal.

The recusal chamber decided that the stakes in this case are too great to start the recusal hearing without proper preparation. And that is why it was decided to keep it indefinitely.

This means that the suspects, Monique H., her brother Marcel H. and their mother Coby van der L., have to wait even longer for the verdict. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) holds them responsible for the murder of Jan Elzinga in 2012. Elzinga was Monique’s partner. The members of the in-laws have always denied their involvement. Johan L. is said to have supplied the murder weapon.

If the disqualification chamber ultimately decides that the request for disqualification is well-founded, the court counselors will be replaced. This means that the entire procedure has to be done again.

The postponement of the verdict is a major blow for the suspects, their friends and family and the surviving relatives. They have been waiting for this moment with great anticipation and now they have to wait longer again. They may even have to relive the entire process. That created quite a bit of emotion in the room.

Curious about the background of this story? Then listen to the first episode of the new NU.nl podcast about this case. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app, such as Spotify or Apple Podcasts.