Today, the defense presented their answer to the prosecution’s charges and evidence as presented in court related to the Nicky Verstappen trial. WARNING: this post contains graphic details! The loss of a child as young as Nicky, is horrifying. However, demanding a harsher sentence than the law from that time period allowed for, is unlawful. […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 5
Day 5 in the court room in the case of Nicky Verstappen. Defendant Jos Brech is present. WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS. Today, the prosecution presents its case in full. They will follow the case’s time line, presents all forensic evidence again, detail the steps that the police took in the investigation over the […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 4
Today is day 4 in the trial against Jos Brech in the case of Nicky Verstappen. We heard victim impact statements from Nicky’s direct family members: his mother Berthie Verstappen spoke also on behalve of father Peter, Nicky’s younger sister Femke, and Peter’s sister Jacqueline. Earlier today, the family had asked the court whether they […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 3
Day 3 in the Nicky Verstappen trial against Jos Brech brought forward some interesting details but not the breakthrough to solidify this case. We heard from a forensic expert, we got details about the psychiatric observations at the Pieter Baan Centrum where Brech has been for evaluation, and we got a more detailed look at […]
Missing: Amanda Lee Fravel
Amanda Lee Fravel went missing on Friday, June 13, 1986 from Las Vegas, Nevada. She was supposed to go home to see her mother in California. Her mother had even sent her an airplane ticket for the trip. She was to board June 14th. However, Amanda never boarded any plane and never arrived in California. […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 2
Day two covering the trial in the Netherlands in the 1998 unsolved case of Nicky Verstappen (11) who went missing from summer camp. Nicky was found dead 40 hours later. His body was a kilometer away from camp in an area where Christmas trees are grown for wholesale. All posts about Verstappen can be found […]
Nicky Verstappen, case on trial
Today the trial started in the Netherlands in the unsolved case of Nicky Verstappen. Appearing in court: Jos Brech. Brech is charged with abduction, possession of child pornography, and qualified manslaughter. Now, in court, Brech revealed that he didn’t kill Verstappen. When he found him, he was already dead. My translation from articles in the […]
Small Towns by Mitzi Szereto
‘Small Towns” is the next book in the series ‘The Best New True Crime Stories‘ which is of course, the anthology series edited by Mitzi Szereto. You have seen a review of the first book ‘Serial Killers’ here as well. Serial Killers was quite an opening act for a series and that raises the bar for […]
John William Pennington, an update
Thanks to a reader, we have a little more information in the 1985 unsolved case of John William Pennington. It comes from the insurance claims and appeals that John’s wife Peggy filed to seek recovery of reasonable costs as a results of John William Pennington‘s accidental and tragic death. The case is here. From the […]
Mary Emma Bisenthal Hammond: update
Thanks to one of my readers we get this update in the case of Mary Emma Bisenthal Hammond. Brantford Police is asking for your help. Can you identify and/or locate any of the four unknown persons in the pictures below? These are previously unreleased photographs. Investigators would like to speak with the unidentified persons regarding […]




