Over the years, countless leads have been pursued, but always to no avail. The famous Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries also got involved: after his death, the foundation run by his children continued the effort and even offered a million euros for the golden tip. That, too, yielded no results. Excavations in 2020 and 2021 at a cemetery in the Heugem neighborhood of Maastricht and on the heath near Eindhoven, following tips that her remains might be found there, proved fruitless.
Newspaper De Limburger now reports that a convicted man in a Belgian prison has named the person who allegedly kidnapped Tanja at the time and subsequently abused, murdered, and buried her. The burial is said to have taken place in Maastricht. The cold-case team working on the case under the supervision of the Public Prosecutor’s Office does not wish to make any further statements, De Limburger reports. The alleged perpetrator is believed to still be alive.