Tuesday, 4 October 2016 - 10:41
Romanian confesses to murder of Dutch volleyball star, partner
A Romanian man confessed to the murder of Dutch volley ball star Ingrid Visser and her partner Loui Severein. He is one of three main suspects in the case. "It was an accident", 62-year-old Valentin Ion said in court in the Spanish city of Murcia, AD reports.
On May 13th, 2013 Ion first knocked Louis Severein to the ground. Then he hit Ingrid Visser with a crystal ashtray and then a vase. "When Severein tried to get to his feet again, I hit him several times with the ashtray. At that stage Visser wasn't breathing anymore." Ion said in court on Monday.
According to Ion, this followed Severein threatening co-suspect Juan Cuenca with a gun. "When I hit the gun out of his hands, Visser - who was on her knees - made an unexpected move. I didn't know if she tried to grab the weapon. Cuenca threw himself on her, then I hit her in the face with the ashtray."
Earlier Cuenca stated that the paid Ion and final main suspect Constantin Stan to get rid of the Dutch couple. He claims he paid them 1,200 euros as an advance of the total amount of between 10 thousand and 15 thousand euros.
Ion initially denied this, claiming the money was for rent of the house. But this week he admitted the money was to kill Visser and Severein. He stated that third suspect Stan was not present at the time of the murder.
After the murders, Ion cut the bodies into pieces with a ax Cuenca gave him. "Juan helped me put the bodies into bags." The remains were buried in the lemon grove of a home about 20 km away. According to Ion, owner of that house Serafin de Alba knew about this.
Earlier on Monday Cuenca stated that the VAC volleyball club owed Visser 240 thousand euros. Visser played for the club between 2009 and 2011. Then president of the club, Evedsto Linfante, did not want to pay the debt. The club went under in 2011, leaving huge debts behind.