Police arrest 35-year-old man after youth soccer leader found dead in Herpen ditch

A 47-year-old man from Berghem was found dead in a ditch in Herpen on Friday afternoon, and a 35-year-old man from Oss was arrested overnight on suspicion of involvement in his death, police said. A separate 33-year-old man detained earlier in Berghem was later found to have no connection to the case, Brabants Dagblad reports. The victim worked as a youth leader at the Berghem Sport soccer club.

Police said the circumstances in which the victim was found suggest he “probably died as a result of a crime,” though the exact cause remains under investigation.

The discovery was made in the afternoon in Herpen, where officers found the man in a ditch. He was later identified as a 47-year-old resident of Berghem. The area around the scene was cordoned off as forensic investigators carried out an examination and secured evidence, including material gathered from camera footage at the location.

Later on Friday, police in Berghem detained a 33-year-old man, but investigators concluded he had no involvement in the case and released him from suspicion. In the early hours of Saturday, police arrested a 35-year-old man from Oss in connection with the death.

The victim's club said it was “deeply affected” by the incident and expressed condolences to his family, relatives and others close to him. All home matches scheduled for Saturday were canceled.