WILLEMSTAD – Nearly a year and a half after the Joint Court of Justice ordered a reconstruction in the case of Vernond Rombley, the court is still awaiting the results of a forensic investigation by the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), findings that could prove crucial in determining whether one of Curaçao’s most controversial murder convictions will be reopened.
Rombley was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his alleged role in the fatal armed robbery of the Wah Mei minimarket on Mirla Plateweg on December 20, 2014, during which a Chinese shopkeeper was shot and killed. Since his arrest and conviction, Rombley has consistently maintained that he is innocent.
The review proceedings focus largely on the identity of the gunman seen on security camera footage recorded during the robbery. As part of the investigation, the Court of Appeals instructed the NFI to conduct additional forensic analysis, including a reassessment of the suspect's height and a review of previous forensic measurements used during the original prosecution.
A reconstruction was carried out on Curaçao to recreate the circumstances inside the minimarket and provide forensic experts with additional data. However, despite the passage of more than 18 months, the final conclusions from the NFI have not yet been presented to the court.
According to Rombley’s legal team, led by Dutch attorney Geert-Jan Knoops and his Innocence Project, several characteristics visible on the surveillance footage do not match Rombley's physical appearance at the time of the crime. The defense argues that the shooter appeared significantly shorter than Rombley and that the individual shown on the footage does not appear to have dreadlocks protruding from his cap. Rombley reportedly had shoulder-length dreadlocks when the robbery occurred.
The case gained international attention after being adopted by the Knoops Innocence Project, an initiative that investigates possible wrongful convictions. The organization has successfully participated in several review cases in the Dutch Kingdom and argues that new evidence and forensic analysis can sometimes reveal serious errors in criminal convictions.
In 2024, the Court of Appeals ordered further forensic investigation after determining that the new information warranted additional examination. NFI experts subsequently traveled to Curaçao to conduct measurements and gather evidence related to the review request. Among the issues examined were the height, posture, and physical characteristics of the individual visible on the surveillance footage.
Meanwhile, Rombley has already served the vast majority of his prison sentence. In December 2024, he was granted conditional release after spending approximately ten years in detention. His release did not affect the ongoing review proceedings, which continue independently of his parole status.
The case is expected to return before the Joint Court of Justice in October. At that hearing, forensic specialists from the Netherlands Forensic Institute are expected to present their findings and answer questions regarding their analysis.
The outcome could prove decisive. If the NFI concludes that the physical characteristics of the gunman are inconsistent with Rombley, the court could decide that sufficient new facts exist to justify reopening the conviction. If not, the original verdict may remain in place.
For now, one of Curaçao’s most debated criminal cases remains unresolved, with both Rombley and the victim’s relatives still awaiting definitive answers more than eleven years after the fatal robbery that shocked the island.