Sister killer apparent suspect in politician's murder
update, 9 p.m., 26 Jan. 2015-- The prosecutor has confirmed that Bart van U. described below is indeed the suspect being investigated in Els Borst's murder. --ed. A suspect has emerged in the murder of former Health Minister Els Borst, and while it seems to be the same "disturbed” man held for killing his sister earlier this month, police are refusing to confirm this. Authorities have not released much information about the suspect, beyond saying that it concerns a 38-year-old man who was arrested on January 12 this year in connection with the murder of a 43-year-old woman in Rotterdam.
“In that investigation DNA material was collected from this man to produce his profile, which was then taken through the DNA databank. On Wednesday January 21 the National Forensic Institute (NFI) reported that there was a hit with the investigation into the murder of Mrs. Borst,” police said in a press release. Borst, 81, a retired D66 politician and former Minister of Health, was found dead in her Bilthoven home on February 10 by a friend who was concerned after she uncharacteristically missed some events without cancellation. Forensic detectives quickly ruled her death to have likely been the result of a crime, but the investigation stalled since and no suspect had been identified. Weeks after her death, word got out that a strange, possibly delusional man visited Borst's home unannounced. On January 29, the man rang her doorbell asking for the contact details of former Prime Minister Wim Kok. She brushed him off, according to her former hairdresser. She did not believe the man to be homeless, he said. The date and other details surrounding the new lead show much similarity with the January 10 murder of Lois van U. (43) at her house at Oudedijk in Rotterdam-Kralingen. Her brother, Bart van U. (38), surrendered at a police station in Amsterdam the next Monday. The two reportedly had a long-simmering feud, with the brother being described as having "psychological issues." Despite this, his sister provided him shelter above her apartment. Upon calls from NLTimes following the announcement or the breakthrough, a spokesperson at the Midden-Nederland police station neither confirmed nor denied that their suspect is indeed Bart van U. “I cannot confirm that,” the spokesperson said. Police said at a press conference Monday that they have already informed Borst’s family of the new lead in the case. Additional reporting by Zack Newmark.
