Prosecutors in Belgium are seeking to try a man for murder after accusing him of pushing his influencer wife to her death off a 100ft cliff, despite his claim that she fell while taking photos. Zoë Snoeks, 33, died during a trip with her husband, Joeri Janssen, who is now being questioned about her final moments.
Conflicting accounts of the fall
Janssen says Zoë fell while his back was turned. He claims the 33-year-old disappeared suddenly and he did not hear her scream as she dropped. However, prosecutors believe the influencer was deliberately pushed, and details of Janssen's account are being called into question. Zoë's parents repeatedly state that her death was no accident.
Witness testimony has been revealed by a walker at the rocky outcrop in Belgium during the tragic fall in 2021. They say they heard a woman's scream at the location, an account which directly contradicts Janssen's statement as he claims he heard nothing.
Investigation findings
When questioned, Janssen said: "When I turned back to Zoe, she was no longer there. She had just vanished. It must have happened in less than five seconds. I didn’t see or hear anything. No rustling, no screams or shouts. I looked up and saw only dust."
Following her fall, he did not immediately notify the emergency services, and investigators also questioned his route to reach Zoë after the fall. A new sound test has concluded that Zoë's scream would have been audible. Officials also claim that Janssen attempted to delete footage from his wife's phone after her death and contacted professionals about recovering it. A lie-detector test reportedly indicated he was lying when questioned about the circumstances, although such tests are not evidence of guilt.
Legal proceedings
The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office is seeking to send Janssen to the Assize Court to be tried for murder. Zoë’s father Luc Snoeks said the test had backed up the family’s theory, saying: "We have been proved right."
The fresh investigation has now been completed, and the case is due before the Turnhout council chamber on October 27. Janssen's lawyer Jan Swennen said the prosecution case is based on "one-sided assumptions" that are not supported by the criminal file. The final decision on whether Janssen will face an Assize Court trial has yet to be made.
The couple visited the rocky area in Nadrin, Belgium, on November 2, 2021. At the time, the accepted story was that Zoë was taking pictures when she fell around 100ft from the rock near the Ourthe River and died at the scene. Janssen has continually maintained his innocence.
