Police receive dozens of tips on Dutch boy's 1998 murder

The police received dozens of new tips about the murder of 11-year-old Nicky Verstappen in 1998 after a large-scale DNA investigation was announced on Tuesday. So far a total of 35 people came forward with tips and information, NOS reports.

All information will be carefully investigated, the police said.

On Tuesday the Public Prosecutor and police announced a DNA kinship investigation for this case. The authorities plan to call 15 thousand men for DNA samples later this year. Their DNA will be compared with traces found on Nicky's body and clothing. A kinship investigation doesn't only look for exact matches, but also near matches. In this way the perpetrator may be tracked down through a relative.

According to 1Limburg, the men in the region are very willing to cooperate.

Nicky Verstappen from Heilbloem disappeared from a summer camp at Brunssummerheide in August 1998. His body was found one day later, just over a kilometer away from the campsite. The 11-year-old boy was murdered and may have been sexually assaulted.

Over the past years, the police had several suspects in sight, but never had enough evidence to convict anyone.