Two women working for ABN Amro found dead in Amsterdam area; Murder suspect in custody
Police are probing a potential link between the suspicious deaths of two different women employed by ABN Amro whose bodies were found in or near Amsterdam, where the bank is headquartered. The body of the first victim was found in an Amsterdam home last week, and the second was discovered Monday evening in a parking lot in Nieuw-Vennep. A 36-year-old man with no fixed address is suspected of murdering the second woman, and was taken into custody on Tuesday, police confirmed.
So far, only the woman found dead on Monday was confirmed as being the victim of a violent crime, though the woman found dead last week may have also died under suspicious circumstances. Although a bank spokesperson confirmed to several media outlets that the two women were colleagues, police emphasized that the two deaths were being investigated as separate incidents.
A bystander found the 59-year-old Haarlemmermeer woman dead on the ground in a parking lot off Venneperweg. It is adjacent to the bus and train station in the village, which is part of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, Noord-Holland. "Shortly before the report, a witness saw a man cycling in conspicuous circles in the parking lot on Venneperweg," police confirmed.
"Following an intensive investigation, the police arrested a suspect in Nieuw-Vennep on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect is being held for questioning."
Dispatchers sent paramedics and police to the parking lot after the bystander called police around 7:35 p.m. on Monday. A medical trauma team was dispatched soon after. Police spent a considerable amount of time at the scene, with investigators still in the area on Tuesday morning.
A little over an hour after her body was found, authorities issued a bulletin appealing for information about a potentially-dangerous man seen in the area. He was described as a tall man between the ages of 40 and 50, standing at about two-meters in height, with a lighter skin complexion, black hair, and a scar on his left cheek. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket, and riding a silver men's bicycle. "The man possibly speaks broken English," police stated.
"Do not approach the man yourself!" the bulletin stated. Authorities advised those who recognize the individual to call emergency services right away by dialing 1-1-2.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether a crime was involved in the case from last week. The deceased woman was found on Thursday in a residence on Koninginneweg in Amsterdam Oud-Zuid. It was not clear who made the discovery.
Police officers also spent hours studying the suspected unnatural death that evening, with forensic investigators also at the scene, according to AT5. It has not been disclosed if the woman was already dead before police arrived.
“This is shocking and very sad. Our thoughts are with the families,” an ABN Amro spokesperson told ANP.
Counseling from victim support center Slachtofferhulp was made available to witnesses, and those affected by the loss of life. "The police are aware that this incident is causing unrest and creating a sense of insecurity," authorities said in a statement regarding the Nieuw-Vennep murder.
“These were two highly valued colleagues. Support has been offered right away to their coworkers," a bank spokesperson told AD.
