Man arrested in 2003 murder of transgender sex worker from Ecuador

The police arrested a 42-year-old Amsterdam man last week on suspicion of involvement in the death of Jody, a 34-year-old woman who was killed in 2003. The police tracked down the suspect after a new DNA test, the police announced on Monday. The man was brought before the examining magistrate last Friday, who decided to remand the suspect into custody for another 14 days in connection with the death of the transgender sex worker.

On June 23, 2003, Jody's body was found in the bushes of the Sportpark Spieringhorn on the Seineweg in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. She was a transgender woman from Ecuador who resided illegally in the Netherlands. She had multiple injuries and was found to have died of strangulation. At the time, no suspect was apprehended for her death.

In 2014, Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI) conducted a DNA study on the trace evidence found at the crime scene, on Jody's body, and near it. The investigation nine years ago did not yield any results. Thanks to new techniques and a DNA study of familial relations, it was determined recently that DNA found at the scene belongs to the arrested suspect. The DNA testing involves comparing DNA profiles to determine whether persons may be related to each other.

The police called the DNA match "a huge breakthrough", but said they were still looking for people who have more information about the case. Jody was a sex worker and was probably working near the grounds of football club FC Turkiyemspor on the evening of Sunday, June 22, 2003. The club was located at the sports grounds, but went bankrupt six years after the murder.

"There may be visitors to that association who saw or heard something around that time that may have to do with this," police said in a public appeal.

Furthermore, a Victorinox boning knife was found at the crime scene, which was striking to police as they say it is more likely to be found at a butcher than a kitchen. In addition to blood residue from the victim, blood from animals was also found on the knife. It concerns blood residue from a cow and a lamb, "but remarkably enough not from a pig. The detectives are therefore is taking into account that the knife was used for halal slaughter. This may say something about the original owner of this knife."

The police have shared a photo of the type of knife on its website.