Woman accused of luring father to his death; Prosecutors demand 22-year sentence
Dutch prosecutors have demanded a 22-year prison sentence for a woman from Bergen op Zoom who allegedly orchestrated the murder of her father, Gradus Haisch, in March 2023. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) claims she planned the killing together with a close friend and co-worker, Jeroen L., using WhatsApp and Snapchat to discuss detailed scenarios, Omroep Brabant reports.
Haisch was killed with extreme violence near an abandoned farmhouse on Julianaweg in Wouwse Plantage, Noord-Brabant. Prosecutors argue the daughter lured him there under false pretenses to facilitate the murder.
During Monday’s court hearing in Breda, the prosecutor posed a question: “How much must you hate your father to do this to him?” The daughter, who denies involvement in her father’s death, claimed she never intended for him to be killed. “I didn’t know Jeroen was capable of doing something like this. He just did it—this wasn’t me,” she said. However, prosecutors do not believe her and insist she acted as an equal accomplice.
The prosecution presented 1,290 WhatsApp messages and 326 Snapchat conversations between the two suspects, calling them concrete evidence of premeditated murder. “Your own flesh and blood,” the prosecutor said. “She led him to the slaughter.”
In one message, the friend wrote, “Look, if it gets out of hand and you stab him at home or something, you’ll definitely be in trouble.” Another message read, “Unless your dad dies, you won’t be free of your problems.”
Just before her father’s death, the woman searched online for condolence cards, prosecutors revealed. She viewed 38 images with texts like “your father... even when he’s gone” and “dear dad, I want you to know I still miss you.” When questioned in court, she offered no clear explanation for the search. Nor could she explain why fellow inmates found her behavior unusual during pre-trial detention. According to statements, she appeared emotionless and showed no signs of mourning.
In court, she said her relationship with her father was toxic and controlling. “I had to be home at a certain time, keep my phone location on, and send him messages. I wasn’t allowed to eat dinner at a friend’s house. I always had to eat at home,” she said.
She added that she was constantly belittled and threatened. On Valentine’s Day, when her boyfriend gave her flowers, her father reportedly warned him, “We don’t do that anymore, okay?” She also claimed her father once urinated on her boyfriend’s coat during carnaval.
“I was really hysterical. At that moment, I was so angry I thought it would be better if he disappeared,” she told the court. She reportedly remained mostly emotionless during the proceedings but broke down once, sobbing as she recalled, “There was a stabbing incident between my mother and father. I have said before: I wish he were dead. He’s always nagging.”
She described Jeroen as “so sweet to me” and claimed that he wanted to confront her father that night. According to prosecutors, Jeroen lured Haisch to the Wouwse Plantage location by pretending to be someone named Daan who was selling a washing machine motor. The meeting was a trap.
Although Jeroen L. denied any involvement throughout the investigation, he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The court considered both him and the daughter as co-perpetrators in the murder.
The prosecutor believes the daughter erased key evidence before her arrest, which came much later than Jeroen’s. While technical evidence such as bloodstains and a garbage bag full of Jeroen’s belongings linked him to the crime scene, investigators say the daughter had more time to cover her tracks.
It remains unclear who physically assaulted and stabbed Gradus Haisch, but prosecutors argue that both suspects were equally responsible. “She is trying to shift the blame onto Jeroen,” the prosecutor said, insisting that the crime could not have been committed without her planning and participation.
