Foul play: Homeless Spanish man found dead in river at Amsterdam's 5-star Amstel Hotel
Police in Amsterdam said there were indications of foul play in their investigation into a dead body found in the Amstel River last Friday. The victim was identified on Wednesday as a 55-year old man with Spanish citizenship.
A passer-by saw the body in the river between the five-star Amstel Hotel on the riverbank and the Hogesluis bridge, a historic monument that makes up part of Sarphatistraat. The individual contacted emergency services at about 9:45 a.m., who then sent police, firefighters, and paramedics to stage at the Prof. Tulpplein adjacent to the Amsterdam-Centrum hotel.
"The investigation has shown that the man died as a result of a crime," police said in an update. The victim had no fixed address and may have regularly stayed underneath the Torontobrug. The bridge is the next river crossing south of the initial crime scene, roughly 150 meters away from where the body was found. Police said he likely stayed near the Weesperzijde, which runs along the eastern side of the Amstel.
Dutch police were working with their counterparts in Spain to try to find his surviving relatives. The victim was described as a 1.70-meters tall man with a pale skin color and thin build. He had dark hair and a beard. When his body was found, he was wearing a black vest over a t-shirt with a crescent moon on it, and a pair of black pants.
The last time he was seen either by a witness or camera footage was on March 4. Police were looking for any witnesses who may have seen the man during that time, or who may have seen something suspicious on the Amstel River around the Torontobrug during that 18-day period.
Police also hoped to find a witness who either knew the man, where he spent time, or others with whom he spent time. "Naturally, any information that can help solve this crime is welcome."
