Pawel Morawski (42) found dead on wasteland at Distelweg, Noord

In September 2021, Pawel Morawski, a 42-year-old Polish man living in Amsterdam, was found dead on a site in Amsterdam-Noord, near the Distelweg. His body had been set on fire. The case showed that there had already been tensions between Morawski and the suspects, possibly connected to the sale of copper. Morawski lived on a sailing boat, and a few days before his death the suspects allegedly threw paving stones at his boat and later assaulted him. During the night of 17 to 18 September 2021, the conflict escalated again. According to the Public Prosecution Service, Morawski was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver, after which the suspects later returned, poured petrol over his body and set it on fire. Prosecutors saw this as an attempt to destroy evidence and initially demanded a heavy sentence, including 10 years in prison for the main suspect. The court, however, ruled that there was not enough evidence to prove murder or manslaughter. The main suspect claimed that during a struggle, Morawski accidentally landed on the screwdriver. The court considered that explanation unlikely, but not impossible enough to convict him of murder or manslaughter. He was therefore convicted of assault resulting in death and of involvement in burning the body. He ultimately received 30 months in prison, or 2.5 years. The co-defendant was not held responsible for Morawski’s death, but was convicted for the earlier violence and for helping burn the body. He received 15 months in prison, 6 months of which were suspended. In short, Pawel Morawski died after a violent confrontation and his body was later set on fire, but the court found there was insufficient evidence to convict the suspects of murder or manslaughter.