Woman (29) found dead in the water on the Amsteldijk

29-year-old Hajar from De Pijp was last seen alive on Sunday 4 October 2026, near the RAI in Amsterdam-Zuid. According to police she left there by bicycle with an unknown man, heading towards Buitenveldert. That evening at around 8.15 pm her family reported her missing, worried because she had sent disturbing messages to an acquaintance that morning. According to De Telegraaf she asked for help at 11.15 am and wrote that he was killing her; police cannot confirm their content. According to police, Hajar had often been away for long periods but had always come back. Based on what was known at the time, they assessed the disappearance as not urgent; they do not give their reasons, out of respect for the family's privacy. A family member told De Telegraaf they had been told to wait 24 hours. On the evening of Monday 5 October the case was upgraded to urgent. That night, locating her phone led to a search of a building in Buitenveldert, where neither Hajar nor her phone was found. On 13 October police, in consultation with the family, released her photo. On the morning of Friday 16 October the body of a woman was found in the water on the Amsteldijk, by the dog-walking field at the Martin Luther Kingpark; that evening police confirmed it was Hajar. A major investigation team took on the case. On 19 October police confirmed that her body had been found in a suitcase in the Amstel. On Tuesday 20 October the mayor, police and public prosecutor announced that a 23-year-old suspect had been arrested: Abdi A., who came to the Netherlands from Somalia in 2009 at the age of six, holds a residence permit, grew up with a foster family in the municipality of Koggenland and had no fixed address. He had been seen with Hajar on camera footage near the RAI on 4 October and was questioned as a witness on 19 October. After further investigation he was named a suspect the next morning. That same morning, according to Het Parool, he turned up at his foster father's home in Spierdijk; when he was refused entry he smashed windows and injured the man, who had to go to hospital. Officers called to the scene found that he was wanted in Hajar's case. According to the chief public prosecutor there is no indication that Hajar and the suspect knew each other. He is being held under restrictions. On 21 October detectives began an extensive search of a former school building on De Klencke, by De Boelelaan in Buitenveldert, which houses small businesses under anti-squat arrangements; a day later police confirmed that Hajar had been killed there. According to Het Parool, A. did not rent space in the building himself, police believe she was killed soon after she disappeared, and the public prosecutor has no indication of sexual abuse. How she died has not been made public. Mayor Halsema spoke of the “darkest scenario”. Through the victim support organisation Namens de Familie, the family said they were relieved at the arrest and asked for peace and privacy. The women's organisations Rode Hakken and Saaam plan a memorial walk from De Pijp to the RAI.