Despite being convicted of two murders, he is regarded as a potential serial killer who may have committed additional crimes. This is the tale of Belgian Dave Verbist, whose connection to Tenerife has captivated the audience of a well-known television series now streaming on Netflix.
Verbist is currently serving a 41-year prison sentence for the murders of two women in 2013 and 2014 in Madrid and Girona, having previously resided in Tenerife before committing his offences on the mainland.
Netflix’s Exposure
The series Crimes (Crims in the original Catalan title), aired by Catalan regional television and available on Netflix, reveals in two episodes of its fourth season that he did not merely spend a few months living in the southern part of the island, working in the tourism sector.
This series, co-produced by the Catalan Audiovisual Media Corporation and Goroka and hosted by Carles Porta, narrates how this man, regarded as one of the most dreadful psychopaths in Spanish criminal history, boasted of having committed other crimes for which he was never convicted, including one on Tenerife.
In fact, this mention in Crimes was not the first instance where Dave Verbist claimed to have killed someone on the island. A friend of his, who testified during one of the trials against Verbist, testified in court in 2015 that Verbist claimed to have murdered another individual in Tenerife.
Scene from the series Crimes, in which Verbist claimed to have killed someone in Tenerife. / Ed
In the documentary series, the Mossos admitted they received this testimony during their inquiry, conducted the relevant checks in cooperation with the Canary authorities, and did not receive any information to substantiate it.
This lead character of Crimes, in two episodes of the fourth season of this true crime series, Dave Verbist, is expected to spend many more years behind bars. He has been accused of two murders, one in Girona, where he killed and dismembered Montse Mèndez, and another in Madrid, where he killed Anna Strande, drowning and incinerating her on her bed.
Gruesome Murder
The murder of Anna Strande was particularly gruesome, and Verbist became fixated on her. The man, employed as a caretaker in tourist accommodation, showed the young woman the flat where she was supposed to stay in Madrid.
From that moment on, he developed an obsession with Anna, culminating in the night he ended her life and set her on fire. After a night of partying, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, he broke into the young woman’s home and drowned her. Following the murder, he doused her with oil, wrapped her in paper, and ignited her. Firefighters discovered her body on the bed, completely charred.
Dave Verbist was raised in Belgium in a chaotic family environment and spent part of his childhood in brothels. He fled to Spain when he became connected to police investigations regarding sexual assaults.
Investigative journalist Manu Marlasca discusses in the series Crimes that Verbist lived in Tenerife for a while. / Ed
It is believed that he worked in Tenerife at the beginning of the last decade but it remains uncertain if he truly murdered someone on the island, as he disclosed to certain acquaintances. He also confessed to several friends that he had killed Montse and Anna, which has been conclusively proven. The alleged crime in Tenerife remains unsolved.
Some reports indicate that this man also resided in Las Palmas province. The National Police investigated whether Dave Verbist had committed any sexual assaults in Gran Canaria, where he is believed to have stayed for several months. The Superior Police Headquarters of Madrid confirmed that officers were seeking other possible victims of this individual, who admitted to two murders, yet, thus far, he has not been charged with any additional murders or sexual offences.
Another True Crime Series Revolving Around Tenerife
Other true crime series have also highlighted Tenerife. However, there is one series that focuses almost entirely on the island. “The astonishing tale of a collective suicide attempt in Spain and the police operation that aimed to save lives… or turned out to be a trap.” This succinctly summarizes Max (previously HBO) and their latest three-part miniseries, which recounts one of the most macabre and memorable events in Tenerife’s recent history.
Under the title of El Last Day, this production centres on a sect led by Heide Fittkau-Garthe, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of around 30 individuals in Santa Cruz de Tenerife during the late 1990s.
The production includes testimonies from the investigation into this incident, which concluded with a dramatic police operation in the Salud district of the Tenerife capital, capturing significant media attention for years, both within the Canary Islands and further afield in Spain and Germany, where the cult was based.
