Man arrested for killing transgender sex worker in Ecuador in 2003

Police last week arrested a 42-year-old Amsterdam man on suspicion of his involvement in the 2003 murder of Jodi, a 34-year-old woman. Police said they tracked down the suspect after a new DNA test. announced on Monday. The man was taken before a prosecutor’s judge last Friday, who decided to keep him in custody for an additional 14 days in connection with the death of a transgender sex worker.

On June 23, 2003, Jody’s body was found in the bushes of the Sportspark Spieringhorn on the Zeineveg in Amsterdam Nieuw West. She was a transgender woman from Ecuador who was living in the Netherlands illegally. She had multiple injuries and was found dead by strangulation. No suspects had been arrested in her death at the time.

In 2014, the Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI) conducted a DNA study of trace evidence found at the crime scene, Jodi’s body, and nearby. A survey nine years ago yielded no results. Thanks to new technology and family-related DNA research, DNA recently found at a crime scene was found to be that of an arrested suspect. DNA testing compares DNA profiles to determine if people are related to each other.

Police called the DNA matching a “huge advance” but said they were still looking for anyone with more information about the case. Jodi was a sex worker, probably working near the football club FC Turkiemspor on the evening of Sunday 22nd June 2003. The club was on the playing field but went bankrupt six years after the murder.

“There may be visitors to the association who saw or heard at that time something that might be related to this incident,” police said.

Additionally, a Victorinox boning knife was found at the crime scene, which police claimed was more likely to be found in a butcher’s shop than in a kitchen, drawing attention. In addition to the victim’s blood residue, animal blood was also found on the knife. It concerns blood residues from cows and lambs, “but surprisingly not from pigs. Therefore, detectives take into account that the knife was used for halal slaughter. It may suggest something about the original owner.”

The police published a photo of the type of knife on its website.