Raymand Vannieuwenhoven (84), was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for 1976 murders of a married couple, a report said.
A jury previously convicted Vannieuwenhoven of two counts of murder for the deaths of Ellen Matheys and David Schuldes at McClintock County Park.
Several relatives of the victims demanded life sentences before the sentence was handed down. Vannieuwenhoven’s daughter testified that she believed the only thing that was proven was her father’s affair.
Vannieuwenhoven, a defiant, addressed the court and made a sometimes rambling statement that included criticisms of the prosecutor.
Judge James Morrison ruled that Vannieuwenhoven was right to be sentenced back-to-back because of the “depraved and unspeakable” natures of the crimes.
Morrison stated, “From all the evidence I have seen and heard in this case, I don’t believe there was any reason for me to believe Mr. Vannieuwenhoven knew these young people.” “From what I see and can tell, they were chosen randomly.”
For more than 40 years, the murders of Schuldes & Matheys remained unsolved. A DNA sample taken from the crime scene proved to be from a specific family in 2019. After samples tested from Vannieuwenhoven’s brothers weren’t a match, a sample from him — obtained from a licked envelope for a survey on police performance filled out by Raymand — was a match, according to the complaint.
Vannieuwenhoven allegedly also sexually assaulted Matheys. The crime scene was finally tied to Vannieuwenhoven’s DNA using evidence from the assault. The statute of limitations had expired, so the sexual assault case was dropped. Homicide charges are not subject to a statute of limitations.
The case is expected to be appealed. The defense tried to get evidence introduced before the trial to show that there are two other possible suspects. These motions were denied, but they could be renewed upon appeal, the report stated.
