Fourth man sought in Hells Angels murder case

18 February 2004

AMSTERDAM — On the eve of a Hells Angels funeral, police have revealed that a fourth man was seen with the three motorcycle club members who were found shot dead in the southern city of Echt last week.

Witnesses claim the three victims got into a car at the clubhouse Angels Place in Oirsbeek with the fourth man on 11 February. But the missing man was not found in or around the stream where the other bodies were found on 13 February.

The victims were not seen again alive after they left Oirsbeek, but the same applies to the fourth man. Police are investigating the witness statements and in total, 15 to 20 tips have been lodged with authorities.

An expanded search in the city of Echt and by a diver in the stream where the men were found did not yield any further clues on Tuesday. The search has therefore been abandoned and police have started the tactical investigation.

The 54-year-old Paul de Vries, of Geleen; the 34-year-old Serge Waargenoer, of Nieuwstadt and the 33-year-old Cor Pijnenburg, of Geldrop, were found dead with several gun shot wounds.

They were members of the De Nomads, a Hells Angels motorcycle club, but police have ruled out concerns of a gang war.

Two of the men will be buried in Sittard on Wednesday afternoon and about 500 Hells Angels gang members are expected to attend. The third victim, Pijnenburg, will be buried in his home town of Geldrop on Thursday.

Mourners will gather for a ceremony on Wednesday at the Oirsbeek clubhouse and a procession will depart for Sittard at about 2pm. The burial ceremony is expected to start at 2.45pm.

Police will keep a low profile throughout the funeral and said after meeting with the club on Tuesday that they did not expect any trouble. Club members are expected to steward the procession themselves.

Nine intersections will be sealed off and police have requested that journalists act sensibly when reporting about the funeral.

A camera crew was attacked by club members when they tried to film outside the club house shortly after the bodies were discovered.

Subject: Dutch news