The killer of a 27-year-old mother who stabbed her more than 70 times in a frenzied attack and then left her bloodstained body lying on the floor in front of her children has been found dead in his prison cell.
Babur Yoldash, 25, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in February for the murder of Eleanor De Strijcker in the city of Herentals in the northern Belgian province of Antwerp on 13th March 2018.
During the hearing the court was also able to view for recorded video messages in which at one point Yoldash can be heard sharpening a knife, and goes into detail about the reasons he plans to murder the mother of two Eleanore after she allegedly left him for her new lover who aged 60.
He shot the video sitting in the car outside her house in March 2018, while she was asleep inside. He was playing Afghan music loudly and talking about how much he had done for her and her children before she dumped him.
He said he could not take the fact that she was in love with someone else and added: “If you find this cell phone, it means I’m dead and my girlfriend is dead, and so is the arsehole old man she is with. I can’t kill myself without her. I can’t control myself, I’m sorry. This is not me, this is someone else. I wish everyone who hears this a good life, we will see each other in a different world. Three people are going to die in an hour and a half and that is not my fault.”
He then lists the people he wants to forgive him including her dad and again wishes them all a good life afterwards.
The alleged older boyfriend of Eleanore, aged 60, was not with her when he carried out his plan, and indeed the older man told the court that there was no relationship, merely that they had a “great friendship” – but that the end of the day he was too old for her.
It is unclear if she was expecting him for someone else but when the doorbell rang, she opened it, and let in her killer.
The two girls were asleep in bed at the time, the youngest was four years old. She told police that “daddy still wanted mummy” and asked why her mother was covered with ketchup.
The older daughter, aged six, was more aware of what happened and gave detailed descriptions including a drawing of the carnage she had witnessed.
She said she woke up because she heard her mum scream, and then had spotted Babur in the hallway who told her to wait in a room for mum to call her.
The court heard the heartbreaking story of how the little girl had been led into the interview room before the court and had held onto the carers arm and asked: “Do you want to become my mother”.
Yoldash was found guilty of murder on 11th February and sentenced to 30 years in prison the following day.
After the conviction, Yoldash appealed the decision, which was upheld by the Court of Cassation, according to the news site HLN.
His lawyer Johan Platteau announced his client’s death on social media. Yoldash was reportedly alone in his cell on the night he was found dead.
The victim’s family has also been notified of his death.
The victim’s father Wilfried De Strijcker is quoted as saying: “There are only losers in this whole story. If possible, my wife and I would like to attend the farewell ceremony for Babur, especially to be able to get closure for all this as humans.”
In an earlier report revealed that both children were living with Wilfried who said that looking after girls kept in strong and added: “Every day that we can give them love and security is great. My only wish is that I live another 20 years to see that they turn out well.”
The cause of the young convict’s death remains under investigation.
