Serial killer Stephaan Du Lion found guilty of four murders

An Antwerp jury has found window cleaner Stephaan Du Lion from Deurne guilty of murdering four women in the 1990s, after 3.5 hours of deliberations. Du Lion was caught by a DNA match in 2018 and confessed to killing the four women with intent to kill and with premeditation.

The four acts showed striking similarities, the jury concluded: "Three of the murders happened in the victims' homes. No traces of forced entry, disorder or a skirmish were found in the process." None of the women had been able to call for help, which the jury said indicated that they were tricked and immediately overpowered, and proved his intent to kill.

Du Lion, 58, acted cold-bloodedly and purposefully, and carefully chose the location each time. According to the jury, the murders were premeditated: the plan to kill the victims existed before the execution and was done according to a set ritual. Du Lion did not act from a sudden emotional whim but from a sufficiently stable state of mind.

The sentence will be determined on Wednesday. Murder is punishable by life imprisonment.

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