His savings, a VCR and jewelry were taken. The perpetrators smashed a window at the back of the house and made off with, among other things, the gold watch belonging to his wife, who died two years ago.

Five days after the burglary, his returned to the residence and again looted a pile of items. The defenseless invalid tried to resist, but appears to have been mercilessly bludgeoned to death by the boys, prosecutors suspect. The crime is called the "slipper murder" by police because the victim had only one slipper on when the murder was discovered. The other blue-brown slipper appeared to have disappeared without a trace.

According to suspect Ali B.'s lawyer, Mr. A. Weenink, his client denies any involvement. Counsel mr. Sjourd van Berge-Henegouwen also says his client denies. "Z. was undressed at the police station. He had to put on a kind of moon suit and was not allowed to see a lawyer right away. That boy is just before his fucking final exams."

The brutal murder led to great unrest in the Volkswijk Eggen neighborhood in Brunssum. The Large Scale Investigations team immediately started an extensive neighborhood investigation. Earlier this week, the chief public prosecutor had offered a reward of 20,000 euros for the golden tip leading to the perpetrators.

An anonymous tip after the TV program The Golden Tip of the Limburg TV channel L1 appears to have led to the arrests.