Police find bike belonging to murdered Esmee after television tip off

Photo: DutchNews.nl
Photo: DutchNews.nl

The bike belonging to a 14-year-old girl who was murdered just before New Year has been found in Leiden, police said on Thursday evening.

The black Cortina electric bike was discovered following a television crime show appeal on Tuesday which generated a hundred tips, police said on Twitter.

Exactly where the bike was found is unclear. According to the police comment, it was found ‘on the street’, but the Telegraaf said it was found in front of a block of flats, some 3.6 kilometres away from where the girl’s body was found.

Esmee’s body was discovered near Leiden’s Lammenschans railway station by joggers on Friday morning about a kilometre from where she was last seen. She was reported missing around midnight on Thursday evening.

Later on Friday, police arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with her death. He has since been revealed to be a gymnastics teacher who taught at the club Esmee attended. He faces charges of murder or manslaughter and sexual assault and was remanded in custody for 14 days earlier this week.

The girl’s funeral will take place on Saturday.

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