Dutch police arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of murder after discovering incriminating photos on his phone during an investigation into the disappearance of 29-year-old Hajar in Amsterdam. The victim had sent a desperate text message reading “Help me. Now. He is killing me” on the day she vanished before being found dead in a suitcase twelve days later.
Text Message Sent on Day of Disappearance
Hajar vanished on the early evening of Sunday, Oct. 4, when she was reported missing. According to the article, her family noted she occasionally disappeared for extended periods but always returned, yet this instance triggered immediate alarm due to her final communication.
The Telegraaf reported that Hajar messaged an acquaintance on the day she went missing, stating, “Help me. Now. He is killing me.” Witnesses last saw her near the RAI exhibition center in Amsterdam, where she was cycling alongside a man toward the Buitenveldert district before all traces of her vanished.
Discovery of the Victim in an Amsterdam Waterway
Twelve days after she disappeared, search teams found Hajar dead inside a suitcase floating in the water near Amsteldijk, reported. Dutch media outlets refer to the homicide victim only by her first name and age.
Police initially questioned the man seen with her simply as a witness. That status shifted entirely when investigators searched his phone and uncovered specific images, according to information provided by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service to NOS.
Recovered Photos Shift Witness Status to Murder Suspect
The prosecution declined to detail what the recovered images show, but the discovery prompted authorities to reclassify the 23-year-old man from a witness to a primary murder suspect, reported. He now faces allegations of murder or premeditated murder, alongside accusations of disposing of the victim’s body.
According to NOS, the suspect is currently exercising his right to remain silent. Investigators have also linked him to an alleged attempted murder of another man, threats against a woman, and a violent assault on his foster father that initially triggered his apprehension.
Timeline of the Amsterdam Police Investigation
Police initially categorized the disappearance as non-acute in a public press release, withholding the rationale to protect the privacy of the family, reported. By the following evening, authorities upgraded the file to an urgent missing persons case and attempted to track the victim’s mobile device.
That digital tracking led officers to a building in Buitenveldert during the night of Oct. 6, though neither Hajar nor her phone was located there. Police published a photograph of the missing woman on Oct. 13, which was subsequently removed from social media channels after search teams recovered her body three days later.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Amsterdam Investigation
What specific charges does the 23-year-old suspect face?
The suspect faces allegations of murder or premeditated murder in connection with Hajar’s death, as well as charges for removing her corpse, according to NOS. He is also separately suspected of the attempted murder of a man and threatening a woman.
Where was the victim located after the search?
Search teams found Hajar dead inside a suitcase in the water near Amsteldijk in Amsterdam, twelve days after she was reported missing on Oct. 4.
How did police link the suspect to the homicide?
While the suspect was initially questioned strictly as a witness because he was last seen cycling with Hajar near the RAI exhibition center, investigators discovered incriminating photographs on his mobile phone that shifted him to a murder suspect.
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