Missing Dutchman found dead in Australia after 14 years

The remains of a Dutchman who disappeared in Australia in December 2001 have been identified close to Kalgoorlie in the heart of gold prospecting country.

Tom van Boheemen’s remains were found by a prospector in 2012 when he spotted a body in a sleeping bag under a tree, Dutch police said in a statement.

DNA tests and dental records have now identified the body as that of Van Boheemen after a cigarette lighter with Dutch words on it led Australian officials to investigate the Dutch angle. According to the Dutch police report, there is no evidence the man was the victim of a crime.

Van Boheemen, who was 41, left for Australia in 2001 and said he planned to live either there or in New Zealand. His family last heard from him in Sydney and reported him to the police as missing.

They have now been informed of their son’s death, the Telegraaf says.

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