Prosecutors seek 9.5-year sentence for 74-year-old woman accused of killing husband
Prosecutors on Monday demanded a 9.5-year prison sentence against a 74-year-old woman accused of killing her 77-year-old husband in their home in Geuzenveld, in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, in January 2020.
The woman reported to police on Jan. 28, 2020, that her husband had died, claiming he suffered from multiple heart conditions and died of natural causes. However, according to Het Parool, a medical examiner found injuries to the man’s neck and face and refused to certify a natural death.
Police later found the man dead in bed with wounds to his face, neck and behind his ears. Prosecutors allege the woman killed him in his sleep. “Completely unexpected,” the public prosecutor said, adding: “The suspect provides no explanation whatsoever for the reasons, so this cannot be taken into account in her favor.”
The woman told police the couple had been wallpapering together earlier that day and began drinking jenever at 4 p.m., after which she fell asleep. She said she found her husband dead around 8 p.m. and ran outside to alert neighbors.
Prosecutors said her account is not credible. “Prior to the death, the suspect and the victim were alone together in the home the entire time,” the prosecutor said in a statement. “Medical examiners concluded that the man must have died much earlier than the suspect stated. It strongly appears that the suspect omits a night and a large part of the following day. Blood from the victim was also found under the suspect’s cuticles and fingernails.”
The case only came to court this month, more than six years later, because prosecutors initially sought to pursue charges of assault rather than homicide. Relatives of the victim initiated an Article 12 procedure, which allows a court to compel prosecution, leading to the current murder charge. The prosecutor said the woman had “seriously and irreparably affected the relatives and caused incomprehensible grief.”
The suspect was not present in court. Her lawyer described her as “frail, fragile and vulnerable” and said there is no apparent motive. “They were crazy about each other,” he said.
