Prosecutor has nothing in Dutch boy's 1998 murder case, suspect's lawyer says

The Public Prosecutor "has no case" against Jos B., the 55-year-old man from Simpelveld suspected of sexually assaulting and murdering 11-year-old Nicky Verstappen in Brunssummerheide in 1998, B.'s lawyer Gerald Roethof said to RTL Nieuws on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday Roethof told NU.nl that he still had to study additional documents the Prosecutor sent him.

B. was in restricted custody until Tuesday. This meant that he was only allowed to have contact with his lawyer. Now that the restrictions were lifted, the lawyer and authorities are free to say more about the case against him.

Nicky Verstappen disappeared while on summer camp in Brunssummerheide during the early hours of August 10th, 1998. His body was found the next day. B. was linked to the crime based on a DNA match after he was reported missing earlier this year. He was also in the area around the time of the boy's murder - officers stopped him to question him, and wrote down his name in the file.

He was arrested near Barcelona late last month and extradited to the Netherlands.