The then husband of Annie De Poortere, the 48-year-old woman from Sint-Martens-Latem who disappeared without a trace in 1994, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Hans D. (78) has now made partial confessions: “Yes, I buried Annie in the garden,” it sounds.
Last Saturday, the remains of a body were accidentally found during excavation work behind the garage of a family home in Sint-Martens-Latem. Based on “several strong indications”, the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office already assumed that these were the remains of Annie De Poortere. The then 48-year-old woman lived in the house next door, but disappeared without a trace on November 12, 1994. “Further scientific research by experts will take place to confirm this identification,” it said.
After the discovery of the body, an investigating judge was ordered to investigate the circumstances of the death. “This investigation has now led to the arrest of a 78-year-old man, the then partner of the victim,” the public prosecutor’s office said. “After thorough interrogation by the police services, the investigating judge decided to bring the man to trial and subsequently arrest him under electronic surveillance for acts that are provisionally qualified as murder.”
“Yes, I buried my wife there”
The man was arrested on Monday morning at his home in Sint-Niklaas, where he now lives. He was interrogated for a whole day. At the end of the day he was arrested by the investigating judge after he confessed that he had buried her body there.
“Yes, I buried my wife Annie there in that spot in the garden 30 years ago,” Hans D. (78) reportedly confessed to investigators on Monday afternoon, according to our information. However, the man did not confess that he killed his wife. It is not yet clear how Annie died in 1994.
D. was the last person who would have seen her alive. He stated in 1999 in the TV program Oproep 2020 that he left home that Saturday to do some shopping and then went to a football match. When he came home that evening, his wife was gone. He then suggested that his wife had left voluntarily.
The DNA research that was supposed to confirm whether this is the body of Annie De Poortere has not yet been completed. But thanks to Hans D.’s confession, there is now great certainty about this. The body will be examined by a medical examiner later this week in the hope that the cause of death can be determined.
The East Flanders public prosecutor’s office does not want to confirm the confession and does not want to provide any explanation for Hans D’s statements. The man from Sint-Niklaas has been arrested for acts that have been provisionally qualified as murder. In a press release, the public prosecutor’s office said earlier in the day that “further investigation will have to reveal what his actual role was in the death of the victim.”
Sister: “I want to know what his exact role in my sister’s death is”
Karina De Poortere, Annie’s sister, has not yet been contacted by the police or justice, but is surprised at the arrest of her former brother-in-law. On Sunday she already had mixed feelings when the news broke that her sister had possibly been found: she was sad because she is now certain that her older sister has died, but above all she had many questions about the investigation.
“I am happy because things are finally moving forward,” she now said in response to the arrest of her then brother-in-law. “I am excited that answers will finally come. Why wasn’t this possible 30 years ago? But now I want to know what exact role Hans D. played in the disappearance and death of my sister.”
© carlo coppejans
Tags: buried garden husband Annie Poortere partial confessions body SintMartensLatem
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