Gerrit Jan Heijn
Encyclopedia
Gerrit Jan Heijn was a Dutch
businessman, who was a top manager of Ahold
until his death in 1987. His grandfather was Albert Heijn, who originally founded the family business, and his older brother was also named Albert Heijn
, who was the founder of Ahold. His son Ronald Jan Heijn played for the Dutch national field hockey
team.
On September 9, 1987, he was kidnapped near his villa
in Bloemendaal
, the Netherlands by Ferdi Elsas. Although Elsas murdered him only a few hours after the kidnapping, he pretended that Heijn was still alive for a long time and asked for ransom. He sent the Heijn family Gerrit Jan's glasses
and severed little finger
. Elsas was caught when he started spending banknotes of the ransom he received, of which the numbers had been recorded. He served a prison sentence and was freed in 2001.
Elsas gave directions to Heijn's body, which was buried in the woods near Renkum
. Gerrit Jan Heijn was cremated
on April 9, 1988 in Driehuis
.
His kidnapper, Ferdi Elsas, was killed on August 3, 2009 in an accident when he got struck by an excavator
while riding his bicycle near the town of Vorden
, Gelderland.
The 2004 movie The Clearing
is loosely based on the kidnapping and murder of Gerrit Jan Heijn.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
businessman, who was a top manager of Ahold
Ahold
Ahold is a major international supermarket operator based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ahold is listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.-History:...
until his death in 1987. His grandfather was Albert Heijn, who originally founded the family business, and his older brother was also named Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn (born 1927)
Albert Heijn was a Dutch entrepreneur, major stock holder and founder and chairman of the board of Ahold....
, who was the founder of Ahold. His son Ronald Jan Heijn played for the Dutch national field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
team.
On September 9, 1987, he was kidnapped near his villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
in Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. According to the Dutch Central Statistical Bureau, Bloemendaal is the wealthiest place in the Netherlands.-Population centres :...
, the Netherlands by Ferdi Elsas. Although Elsas murdered him only a few hours after the kidnapping, he pretended that Heijn was still alive for a long time and asked for ransom. He sent the Heijn family Gerrit Jan's glasses
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
and severed little finger
Little finger
The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English , or small finger in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.-Muscles:There are four muscles that...
. Elsas was caught when he started spending banknotes of the ransom he received, of which the numbers had been recorded. He served a prison sentence and was freed in 2001.
Elsas gave directions to Heijn's body, which was buried in the woods near Renkum
Renkum
Renkum is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.The municipality has 31.801 inhabitants and has a land area of 47,12 km². Renkum is situated along the river Rhine The municipality Renkum is part of the Stadsregio Arnhem-Nijmegen.The surrounding of the municipality are mainly...
. Gerrit Jan Heijn was cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
on April 9, 1988 in Driehuis
Driehuis
Driehuis is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Velsen, and lies about 8 km north of Haarlem....
.
His kidnapper, Ferdi Elsas, was killed on August 3, 2009 in an accident when he got struck by an excavator
Excavator
Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, stick, bucket and cab on a rotating platform . The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. A cable-operated excavator uses winches and steel ropes to accomplish the movements. They are a natural progression from the...
while riding his bicycle near the town of Vorden
Vorden
Vorden is a former municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands, about 10 kilometres south-east of Zutphen. On 1 January 2005 the municipality merged with Hummelo en Keppel, Steenderen, Hengelo en Zelhem, to form the new municipality Bronckhorst....
, Gelderland.
The 2004 movie The Clearing
The Clearing
The Clearing is a 2004 American drama film and the directorial debut of Pieter Jan Brugge, who has worked as a film producer. The film is loosely based on the real-life kidnapping of Gerrit Jan Heijn that took place in the Netherlands in 1987...
is loosely based on the kidnapping and murder of Gerrit Jan Heijn.