The court in Maastricht on Wednesday acquitted father Hub (59) and his daughter Rachelle (20) of the Sittard family L. of the murder of Mouhammed al Jader. The Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) had demanded 18 years in prison against Hub and 8 years against Rachelle.
According to the court, there is insufficient evidence to convict father and daughter in the so-called hydrochloric acid murders case. The prosecution is appealing the acquittals.
Mother Els (58) did receive a conviction for the murder of Al Jader. She confessed to firing the shots on Aug. 6, 2011, in the German border town of Tüddern, near Sittard. Al Jader's body was later dissolved in hydrochloric acid. The court imposed a 15-year prison sentence on her, in accordance with the prosecution's demand.
The officer had based his claims against Hub and Rachelle on the testimony of Ron van K. He helped make the corpse disappear by dissolving it in hydrochloric acid and received 30 months in prison for doing so. Van K. testified that Hub fired the final shot to kill Al Jader and that Rachelle allegedly used a stun gun. However, the court called his testimony "implausible.
The L. family's daughter was only arrested last week; she had been a fugitive for 1.5 years.
The Iraqi Al Jader was killed because of a business conflict, according to the justice department. He demanded 10,000 euros from Hub because he had to clear a cannabis plantation of the Sittard family. The harvest had failed, he wanted to see money, otherwise he would inform the police about Hub's hemp plantations.
Son Maurice (22) faces 13 years in prison for killing Alan Gergeri (24), 5 years less than the prosecution's demand. He confessed to killing the Iraqi in 2009 by slitting his throat and working him with a pickaxe.
Maurice says Gergeri abused him between the ages of 14 and 17. He could no longer live with that thought. According to the prosecution, the impaired Maurice acted with premeditation. However, the court assumes a whim. Gergeri's body was also dissolved in acid and flushed down the drain.
