Stabbed woman killed in Gorinchem was holding murder weapon in her hands, court hears

Lisa de Vries, 27, who was allegedly killed last January by her ex-boyfriend Shane L., 28, from Vlaardingen, was discovered by police holding the murder weapon herself. The knife had snapped in two, with the handle in one hand and the blade in the other. This detail emerged on Wednesday at the opening of L.’s trial in the Dordrecht courthouse, and by Friday, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) recommended a guilty verdict combined with a sentence of six years in prison, and mandatory treatment in a psychiatric facility.

Prosecutors believe the motive was jealousy, with De Vries having broken up with L., and beginning to date another man. On January 23, De Vries was found dead in her home on Busschieterstraat in Gorinchem, having suffered four stab wounds to her torso, including one which punctured her heart. She also had injuries consistent with defensive wounds to her arms.

But Shane L. was also found injured at the scene, lying next to her on the couch with injuries caused by a sharp object. Investigators shot down a theory that De Vries stabbed herself, even though the knife was found in her hand. Experts from the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) believe it is far more likely that the woman was murdered, and could not have caused her own injuries. Investigators also alleged L. stabbed himself in the chest.

"He was morbidly jealous," her mother said in court on Thursday, according to Rijnmond. "He couldn't stomach Lisa ending the relationship. All the red flags were there. It was a brutal, classic case of femicide."

Records from his public transport card indicate that he left Vlaardingen early that morning and arrived at his ex’s home around 8:30 a.m. He admitted that he was supposed to return her key. He has not explained what occurred inside. He claims he fell asleep on the couch. “When I woke up, I saw blood on my chest and saw Lisa lying there. I fell asleep again, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital.”

The victim and the suspect were discovered in the living room on the couch in the evening. DNA from the suspect was found on the latch securing the front door from the inside. The victim was found wearing her coat and shoes. When asked by the court if she may have tried to leave because L. refused to do so himself, L. denied it.

"This could have been a trigger for the violent outburst," the prosecutor stated. Employees at the Vlaardingen facility, where L. lived under supervision, had warned the victim a few days earlier that L. was experiencing psychosis and advised her to call the police if he came to her home.

L. was evaluated at the Pieter Baan Center, where he also suffered from psychotic episodes, a psychologist from the forensic observation clinic told the court. During the early part of his stay, he became increasingly disoriented, made animal sounds, and behaved unpredictably. This led the Pieter Baan Center to temporarily send him back to stabilize his condition.