Two of those arrested by the Civil Guard and the Federal Police in Belgium in connection with the murder of Laura Trappeniers and Marc Olbrechts are a father, Paul Michael A., aged 44, and his son, Lucas A., aged 23. One curious fact discovered by the investigators from the Armed Crimes Team is that both individuals, of Belgian nationality, left for their country the day after the mutilated body of the said woman was found. This was explained by sources consulted by EL DÍA.
It is worth mentioning that Trappeniers’ body was found on the afternoon of Saturday, April 27, in waters near the neighbourhoods of La Jaca and La Listada, in the municipality of Arico. She was found without legs, missing a hand, and with a yellow plastic bag around her head.
And on Sunday, Paul Michael and Lucas A. travelled to their country. Both come from the Mons area. As reported by Belgian media at the time, a lawyer for the accused attributed their return to their place of origin to “pure coincidence”, as they periodically travel to Belgium to deal with various matters.
In statements made to the authorities in their country, both suspects have vehemently denied their involvement in the double murder of their compatriots, or any conflicts over financial reasons or debts. However, they admitted to knowing Laura and Marc.
In fact, they were neighbours in the town of Callao Salvaje, in the municipality of Adeje. They all lived in the Sueño Azul residential area. The operation initiated by the Civil Guard in Tenerife was named Bluedream, in reference to that chalet enclave.
People who knew the victims from the leisure activities they participated in explained to EL DÍA that both Laura Trappeniers and Marc Olbrechts were very worried days before their disappearance on April 22. The reason being that they had allegedly received death threats supposedly related to a real estate property.
As reported by a Belgian media outlet days after the arrests of the three alleged perpetrators, a court in Tenerife ordered Paul Michael A. to vacate a rental property owned by the murdered Belgian couple.
Currently, the professionals from the Armed Crimes Team of the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police (UOPJ) of the Civil Guard continue their investigation to determine certain aspects of this case. In any case, the magistrate of the Instruction Court number 1 in Arona has already lifted the confidentiality of the proceedings.
As for the third person involved in this double murder, it is Massimo N., middle-aged, who was arrested in Tenerife on June 20, specifically when he was driving a small construction truck in the roundabout leading to the Palm-mar development, in the municipality of Arona. Members of the Security and Reserve Group (GRS-8) of the Civil Guard intercepted him and subdued him.
Supposedly, this Belgian citizen, from the Tertre area, about 10 kilometres from Mons, did not have a known stable job in southern Tenerife. Apparently, he engaged in occasional work and small renovations. And sometimes, he was employed by Paul Michael A. and his son Lucas.
During countless hours of viewing security camera footage, the Civil Guard investigators detected Massimo entering the house of the murdered couple one early morning and leaving with two garbage bags. Then, he got into a white Renault Clío and there is evidence he drove through the Armeñime neighbourhood, along the TF-47 island road.
Location of the victims’ car
The vehicle owned by Laura Trappeniers and Marc Olbrechts, the Belgian citizens murdered in southern Tenerife, was located at the end of last month in the tourist area of Costa Adeje.
As reported by Belgian media, the said vehicle, a blue Opel Mokka, was found in the parking lot of a development in Torviscas Alto, known as Roque del Conde. The car was discovered on June 28; more than a week after the alleged perpetrators of the murder were apprehended in Belgium and Tenerife.
Naturally, the Forensic Laboratory agents of the Civil Guard conducted extensive work to try to find fingerprints and other biological traces of the individuals who used the vehicle, both inside and outside, especially on the steering wheel, door handles, or rear tailgate, for example.
The disappearance and violent death of these individuals have had a significant impact on their fellow countrymen in Tenerife, as well as on many residents in the Callao Salvaje area.
Initially, the two men arrested by the Federal Police of the Kingdom of Belgium, through their lawyers, expressed their opposition to being extradited to Spain, following a European Arrest Warrant (EAW).
However, as the days passed and documentation sent by the judicial authority of Arona, Paul Michael and Lucas A. eventually accepted that they had no choice but to be imprisoned in Spanish territory and tried in Tenerife.
Both arrived in Madrid on the morning of Thursday, July 18, almost a month after their arrest.
