Updated: June 2026
Case: Nicole van den Hurk murder case
Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands
Year of disappearance: 1995
Nicole van den Hurk was only 15 years old when she disappeared on her way to work in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Her case remained unsolved for years, until an unexpected and risky act by her stepbrother brought the investigation back into public attention.
In 2011, Andy van den Hurk falsely confessed to killing Nicole. It was not because he had committed the crime. According to later accounts, he wanted police to reopen the case, exhume Nicole’s body, and test it again for DNA. His confession put him in danger of being blamed for a murder he did not commit, but it also helped push the case toward the evidence that eventually identified the real offender.
This is the story of Nicole van den Hurk, the cold case that haunted the Netherlands, and the false confession that helped bring it back to life.
Who Was Nicole van den Hurk?
Nicole van den Hurk was born on July 4, 1980, in Erkelenz, Germany. She later moved to the Netherlands with her mother and grew up in the Eindhoven area.
Her childhood was not simple. Her mother and stepfather later separated, and Nicole eventually lived with her grandmother in Tongelre. By 1995, she was a teenager with a part-time job and a normal routine — the kind of routine that made her disappearance even more alarming.
On the morning she vanished, Nicole was supposed to go to work. She never arrived.
The Morning Nicole Disappeared
On October 6, 1995, Nicole left her grandmother’s home early in the morning and set off by bicycle toward her job at a supermarket in Eindhoven.
She did not reach work.
Later that day, police found her bicycle in the Dommel River. Days later, her bag was also discovered. Searches followed, and police received many tips, but none led to a quick arrest.
For weeks, Nicole’s family waited for answers. Then, on November 22, 1995, her body was found in a wooded area between Mierlo and Lierop. She had been violently killed.
The case immediately became one of the most painful murder investigations in the region. But despite the attention, the investigation did not produce a conviction for many years.
Years of Dead Ends
Police investigated hundreds of leads after Nicole’s death. At one point, an anonymous caller claimed he could identify the killer, but the call ended before police could trace it properly.
Nicole’s stepfather and stepbrother were also viewed with suspicion at different stages, but no solid case was built against them. As the years passed, the investigation grew colder.
For Nicole’s family, that meant living with grief and suspicion at the same time. The public knew Nicole’s name, but the truth about what happened to her remained out of reach.
Andy van den Hurk’s False Confession
Sixteen years after Nicole’s death, her stepbrother Andy van den Hurk did something shocking.
In March 2011, while living in England, Andy posted a confession on Facebook claiming that he had killed Nicole. British police arrested him, and he was extradited to the Netherlands.
But the confession quickly fell apart. Andy was released after several days because there was no evidence against him beyond the Facebook post.
Later, Andy said the confession was false. His real reason, according to later reporting, was to force attention back onto Nicole’s case. He wanted her body exhumed and tested for DNA, hoping new forensic work could finally point investigators toward the real killer.
It was a desperate act. It also worked in a way no one could have predicted.
The DNA Breakthrough
After Andy’s false confession, Nicole’s remains were exhumed for further testing. Investigators found DNA evidence that eventually led them away from Andy and toward another man.
In January 2014, police arrested Jos de G., a man from Helmond who had previous rape convictions. DNA evidence connected him to Nicole’s case.
This was the turning point. Nearly two decades after Nicole disappeared, the case finally had a suspect who could be taken to court.
Trial, Appeal, and Final Sentence
The legal outcome was more complicated than many readers might expect.
Jos de G. was not originally convicted of murder. The case involved Dutch legal distinctions and difficult forensic questions.
In 2016, the court convicted him of rape but did not find enough proof at that stage to convict him of causing Nicole’s death. He received a five-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors appealed.
In 2018, the appeal court reached a stronger conclusion. It found Jos de G. guilty of both raping and killing Nicole van den Hurk. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In 2020, the Dutch Supreme Court upheld the conviction. Because the legal process had taken so long, the final prison sentence was reduced slightly to 11 years and 8 months.
This detail matters because many older versions of the story simply say Nicole’s killer was convicted, without explaining that the final conviction was for rape and manslaughter, not a straightforward murder conviction.
What Happened to Andy van den Hurk?
Andy van den Hurk’s role in the case remains one of the most unusual parts of Nicole’s story.
He was not the killer. His false confession exposed him to arrest, suspicion, and public attention. But it also helped force the kind of forensic review that eventually led investigators toward Jos de G.
Andy continued to carry the weight of Nicole’s death for years. Dutch media later reported that he died in England in 2021.
That makes this case even more tragic. Andy’s false confession helped bring movement to a case that had been stuck for years, but he did not live a long, peaceful life after that chapter closed.
Why This Case Still Matters
Nicole van den Hurk’s case matters because it shows how cold cases can change when old evidence is tested with newer forensic methods.
It also shows how grief can push people into extreme decisions. Andy’s confession was not a normal investigative tip. It was a dangerous lie. He could have damaged his own life permanently. But he believed that without a dramatic act, Nicole’s case might never move again.
The case is also a reminder to be careful with language. Nicole’s case is often described online as a murder case, but the final legal conviction was for rape and manslaughter after appeal. For readers, that difference may seem small. In court, it matters.
Nicole was a 15-year-old girl who left for work one morning and never came home. Years later, the truth did not arrive through a simple confession or one easy clue. It came through persistence, DNA testing, and a stepbrother’s risky attempt to force the world to look again.
Nicole van den Hurk Case Timeline
July 4, 1980: Nicole van den Hurk was born in Germany.
October 6, 1995: Nicole left her grandmother’s home in Eindhoven to cycle to work but never arrived.
October 6, 1995: Her bicycle was found in the Dommel River.
November 22, 1995: Nicole’s body was found in a wooded area between Mierlo and Lierop.
2011: Andy van den Hurk falsely confessed on Facebook and was arrested. He was later released.
2011: Nicole’s remains were exhumed for further forensic testing.
January 2014: Jos de G. was arrested after DNA evidence connected him to the case.
2016: Jos de G. was convicted of rape but not of killing Nicole. He received a five-year sentence.
2018: On appeal, he was convicted of rape and manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years.
2020: The Dutch Supreme Court upheld the conviction. The final sentence became 11 years and 8 months because of the length of the proceedings.
2021: Andy van den Hurk died in England, according to Dutch media reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Nicole van den Hurk?
Nicole van den Hurk was a 15-year-old girl from the Eindhoven area in the Netherlands. She disappeared on October 6, 1995, while cycling to work. Her body was found weeks later.
Did Andy van den Hurk kill Nicole?
No. Andy van den Hurk falsely confessed in 2011, but he was released after police found no evidence against him. His confession later became known as an attempt to push investigators into reopening the case and testing Nicole’s remains for DNA.
Who was convicted in the Nicole van den Hurk case?
Jos de G. was convicted on appeal of raping and killing Nicole van den Hurk. The Dutch Supreme Court upheld the conviction in 2020.
Was Jos de G. convicted of murder?
The final legal conviction was for rape and manslaughter. Many articles call it a murder case in general language, but legally the charge and conviction should be described accurately.
What happened to Andy van den Hurk?
Andy van den Hurk died in England in 2021, according to Dutch media reporting.
Sources to Add at the End
Rechtspraak.nl
Hoge Raad der Nederlanden
NOS
Omroep Brabant
NL Times