Break in 1998 Nicky Verstappen murder

August 22, 2018 By Alice

Nicky Verstappen Photography Dutch Police

On Aug 10, 1998 Nicky Verstappen (March 13, 1987 – Aug 10, 1998) disappeared from camp. The camp, organised by local youth groups, was located at De Heikop, Brunssummerheide, Limburg, the Netherlands.

The night before he went missing, all camp activities ended at 10pm. Then the kids went back to their tents and it was lights out. Nicky (11) was last seen around the tent he shared with other kids at 5am. Three hours later he was gone.

The camp leaders searched for Nicky. They searched with volunteers, distributed flyers, and they did call police. The next day, the authorities launched a search involving local police, military police, K9 units, and aircrafts. Around 9pm, they found Nicky’s remains near a parcel where evergreens grow used for sale during the Holidays. That place was about 3950 feet from camp.

This morning, Aug 22, Dutch Police announced a breakthrough in the case that was cold for so long. They managed to get DNA off Nicky’s clothes. With familial DNA searches they narrowed down the group of suspects and zoomed in on Jos Brech. He is officially named a suspect. A national and international APB were issued as Brech, a local from Simpelveld, might be missing. Police was told that last year around October, Brech went abroad. His family said he went hiking in the Vosges, France. They have not heard from him since.

Brech was “active in scouting and camping in the wild. He organized trips throughout Europe, and therefore regularly traveled by himself. The police think he may be hiding in a forest in the Vosges mountains. Searches were made in the mountains for Brech, but so far nothing has been found.”