suspect Vivica Spong murder acquitted

Mark van D. (42), suspected of killing his partner, Vivica Spong, and their unborn child, was acquitted Wednesday, by the court in Utrecht, because the prosecution could not prove beyond a doubt that Spong was murdered. The body of the heavily pregnant Vivica Spong, who was a niece of the lawyer Gerard Spong, was found at the bottom of the stairs in a pool of blood, in the home where the couple lived.

The couple had had an argument that morning. Van D. claimed he found his partner like that in the afternoon and she must've made an unfortunate fall. The Prosecution thinks Van D. strangled Vivica and demanded 20 years jail time for a double murder. The court was able to determine that Van D. lied about what time he left for work, and what time he showed up at work. He changed his statements several times after new evidence surfaced. A search on Van D.'s computer turned up search terms like 'breaking a neck without leaving traces.' However, experts could not proof the cause of death beyond a doubt. They found evidence of suffocation, but that could also have been caused by an unfortunate fall down the stairs. The prosecution could also not proof Van D. was in the home at the time of death. For lack of a motive, the court ruled the evidence insufficient and acquitted D. of the charges, releasing him immediately.