The month-long trial was marked on several occasions by the emotional reactions of members of the families of the victims to statements made under questioning by Janssen, who confessed to the murder of 18-year-old Annick Van Uytsel in 2007 and to the shooting deaths of his neighbour Shana Appeltans, 18, and her 22-yearold boyfriend Kevin Paulus just after midnight in the first hours of 2 January, 2011.

Janssen denied premeditation, although he took loaded guns to speak to Paulus, and he claimed that Van Uytsel had gone home with him willingly. The jury believed none of his protest and returned the verdict in a short time. The next day, deliberations on the sentence were similarly rapid.

Police said they were opening up a series of unsolved murder cases to see if there might be a connection to Janssen. Jef Vermassen, the lawyer for the Van Uytsel family, said during the trial that Janssen’s methods, preparation and skill in covering up Annick’s murder suggested it may not have been the first time he had killed.