Search for the body of murdered Heidi De Schepper going in Balen (Balen)
In Balen, the search for the body of the murdered Heidi de Schepper was going on on Friday afternoon. The woman disappeared 15 years ago. On Thursday, the police picked up three suspects, including her partner and father of her children, and two friends of his, which broke through in the case.
The 26-year-old De Schepper suddenly disappeared in 2010, but no one ever reported her disappearance. Only at the end of January an investigation message was distributed after the school of one of her children had informed the police that they could not reach her.
Her partner at the time, Nick M., told the police that he had never seen Heidi again. He only raised the three children. On Thursday, the police picked him up, together with two others, on suspicion of the murder of Heidi de Schepper.
On Friday a search was started in Balen for the body of the Creator. The Poeierstraat is completely closed to traffic. A crane carries out excavation works, among other things. The Poeierstraat is a relatively new business park on the Kanaal to Beverlo in Balen. When Heidi became missing in 2010, the majority of the street was still vacant, in 2025 there were several companies. Friday's search seems to focus on the end of the street, near the nature reserve next to the canal.
Residents respond shocked
« When I arrived this morning around 8:30 am, the street was already completely closed off by the police, » says Ines Mols, an employee at a company in Poeierstraat. “A colleague who started at 8 o'clock said the street was already closed at that time. It feels strange. Certainly because bales is always very quiet. Girlfriends have already sent me messages to find out more. We are not used to this here. ”
Carin Segers lives in the Poeierstraat above the STC Europe company. “We were having breakfast this morning and suddenly saw police combi's driving at high speed towards the place where they are now digging. That was a shock. The first thing we thought was: « This can't be true? » I followed that case. One of the people who is interrogated, we know via via. It is really very close. «
