Brothers get life in prison for fatal robberies

The court in Leeuwarden sentenced brothers 33-year-old Admilson and 32-year-old Marcos R. to life in prison for two robberies that turned fatal for three victims, RTL Nieuws reports.

The two brothers from Hoogeveen were convicted of shooting and killing 55-year-old Berend Smit from Dwingeloo in November 2012, and strangling Jan and Greet Veenendaal, both 77 years old, from Exloo to death in July 2013. In both cases money was stolen after the murders. 

In 2015 the court in Assen sentenced the brothers to 30 years in prison, with institutionalized psychiatric treatment added for Admilson R. The Public Prosecutor had demanded life in prison, and appealed against the ruling.

The appeal trial against the brothers was postponed twice, once in November 2016 when the court ordered additional investigation to be done, and once in October last year when Admilson R. had an outburst in court.