American Jane Johnsen (65) found dead in a crate in apartment on Jonge Roelensteeg

In September 2022, 65-year-old American Jane Johnsen, who had lived and worked in Amsterdam for decades, became the victim of a fatal crime in her own home on the Jonge Roelensteeg after having been reported missing for nearly a month. The case came to light when concerned neighbors and employers reported her absence, after which police discovered the woman's body during a search of her apartment inside a sealed metal trunk surrounded by incense and flowers to mask the odor of decomposition. Her then-partner and housemate, 53-year-old Sebastiaan (Bas) M., was immediately arrested after he had previously lied to police and acquaintances, claiming Jane had left for the United States to settle an inheritance. Although the suspect continued to deny killing Jane during the trial, claiming he found her dead after a fall down the stairs, the Amsterdam District Court ruled in April 2024 that he had strangled her to death during an escalated argument influenced by alcohol and drugs. The court ultimately sentenced Bas M. to twelve years in prison for manslaughter and hiding a corpse, with the judge emphasizing that he had stripped the victim of her dignity by keeping her hidden in a trunk for weeks while continuing to live in the apartment