Woman found murdered in Middelburg home was a teacher; No arrests yet

Police confirmed on Thursday that a woman found dead in her home in Middelburg a day earlier died as the result of a crime. She was found Wednesday afternoon during a well-being check at the home on De Granaat after she did not show up for work.

Details were not released, but a police spokesperson told Omroep Zeeland that something was definitely not as it should have been in the home. "It was different there than usual. I can't say yet what these circumstances were," he said. "We're examining the house, but also asking people in the neighborhood."

She taught at Scalda, a higher vocational education institution in the Zeeland city. Staff at the school were devastated on Thursday. "We met with immediate colleagues this morning. We are incredibly defeated, shocked and sad," said Arold Versluijs, the school director, to the regional broadcaster. "We are now focusing on guiding our students and colleagues as well as possible, which is important now."

Police have not released information about a suspect, and no alerts about the case were sent out on citizen notification platform Burgernet. Police told the broadcaster that they were notified the victim did not show up for work at about 2:30 p.m.

"Because a crime was immediately taken into account after her discovery, an investigation team was called up," police said in a statement. Those sent to the scene included forensic detectives and a mobile crime laboratory. The area was also cordoned off for some time.

The city of Middelburg will hold a public meeting about the murder on Friday evening for local residents and others affected by the woman's death. Additionally, the vocational school where she worked will organize a memorial in her honor after the spring break holiday. The school's last day of classes is on Friday, with students set to return on May 8.