Zutphen Entrepreneur Acquitted in 36-Year-Old Duncan Zwakke Murder Case

A 64‑year‑old entrepreneur from Zutphen was again acquitted of the murder of Duncan Zwakke, whose disappearance in 1989 has remained unresolved for 36 years. The prosecution alleged that a former friend shot Zwakke in the basement of a Zutphen restaurant and disposed of the body using a meat grinder, seeking a twelve‑year sentence.

The appellate court found no forensic evidence—no blood traces, no eyewitness testimony, and a key British witness deemed unreliable. Earlier arrests and 42 police interrogations produced insufficient proof, leading the court to overturn the conviction and release the suspect.

The ruling leaves Zwakke’s family without answers after decades of uncertainty, while the case highlights the challenges of relying on circumstantial testimony in cold‑case prosecutions.