Friends shocked by murder of Dutch men in Italy; Manhunt for victim’s son continues
Update 18 August 2023 at 11:17 a.m. - The suspect's surname was redacted after his arrest.
The two men stabbed to death in the Italian village of Montaldo di Mondovi on Wednesday are 60-year-old Lambertus ter Horst from Hardewijk and 65-year-old Chain from Amsterdam. They’re described as warm and friendly men. The suspected killer, Chain’s 21-year-old son Sacha C., is still at large.
Chain and Sacha C. were visiting Ter Horst at his home in the small village in northern Italy when Sacha allegedly attacked and killed them. Ter Horst managed to alert the authorities and was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Chain died at the scene. Sacha fled into the surrounding woods.
According to residents of Montaldo di Mondovi, Ter Horst, a doctor, was a friendly presence who loved the town and region. He bought the house in Montaldo in 2019 and has been renovating it, locals told Lunione Monregalese. He often participated in activities in the village.
“Lambertus was a good man. He integrated very well into the Montaldese community,” his friend Duco de Boer told the local newspaper. “He often returned to this house in the valleys. He had many friends here. It really is a huge tragedy.”
Chain was a teacher at Elout primary school in Amsterdam and a football coach, according to the Telegraaf. Friends describe him as warm and welcoming and always trying to help young people in trouble.
The authorities are still looking for 21-year-old Sacha. They believe he is in psychiatric distress and is dangerous. A helicopter circled above the small village while the surrounding area was combed by the Carabinieri, Italy’s military policing force. The police urged locals and residents of surrounding villages to be alert.
