Main suspect (46) Van Moord on Anja (53) died: « Investigative judge decided whether investigation will be continued » (Ostend)

No confession, no assisen process and therefore no punishment: the relatives of Anja Lievens are once again processing heavy news. The 53-year-old woman was buried on Wednesday morning, almost three weeks after she was murdered in an apartment complex in the Gulden Sporenlaan in Ostend. Just today, murderer William C. also died in the hospital after a suicide attempt. His lawyer Pieterjan Dens confirms that.

Read too. « That man had a lot of convictions to his name, but could still go his own way »: Neighborhood keeps Wake for murdered Anja (53)

Together with her 19-year-old son, Anja lived in an apartment on the second floor. Two hands on one belly. They ate that particular Wednesday evening 2 April together stew and then her son crawled under her wool. Anja would follow a little later, but first decided to take a walk. Lawyer Virginie Cottyn – who assists the relatives – said earlier that Anja did that more often.

Decline

Thursday morning, April 3, the lifeless body of the woman was found a few floors higher, namely on the eleventh floor. A murder investigation was opened and soon C. came into the sights of the investigators. And he perhaps largely owed that to himself: close to the crime scene, the forties wrote a few unmistakable texts. In that confused text, he first states « that he has had no opportunities » and seems to apologize for what he has done.

The text shows that the man wanted to leave life after the facts committed. « I am coming, » he writes, addressing a girlfriend who died last year. The man did not get out of life. He could be arrested three days later.

Shortly after his hospitalization, C. died on Wednesday afternoon. Just this morning Anja was also buried. Due to the death of the suspect, there is a decline in criminal proceedings. « The criminal proceedings against a suspect automatically expires with his/her death. This means that this person can no longer be prosecuted, » says the West-Flemish public prosecutor’s office. « It is up to the investigating judge to decide whether the investigation will be continued. An investigating judge is caught by the public prosecutor’s office for facts and not for people. »

Lawyer Virginie Cottyn hopes that the investigation can be continued. « Of course, a large part of the research is now falling away, » says Cottyn. « But that does not mean that the investigation is no longer possible at all. Including hearings can still continue, GSMs can be read or camera images are viewed. The family must now do it with the explanation that Anja was a coincidental victim. Our goal is still to bring clarity. »

Anyone who has questions about suicide can go to the suicide line on the free number 1813 and on the site www.zelfmoord1813.be.

Read too. Just when he went to the roof, he crossed her: Anja (53) was murdered without reason by William C.