LANAYE JANE DOE
On 31 May 2009, a walker found the body of a young woman in the Albert Canal, a canal in the Belgian province of Liège, west of the village of Lanaye. Her body was found about 400 metres from the Dutch-Belgian border.
The young woman was found naked; her legs were tied with a rope and her throat had been cut. She had multiple stab wounds and her body had been weighted down with a pair of Alex brand dumbbells. A more thorough investigation revealed that she had spent her childhood in Eastern Europe and had been living in the Benelux region for several years.
GELENA MALETINA
Gelena Maletina was born on 21 November 1984 in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan. In 2003, she stayed at the Klompjan asylum seekers' centre in Markelo and attended a course at the ROC in Almelo. She was described as a somewhat introverted and melancholic young woman.
She was 19 years old at the time, approximately 1.67 m tall, with blue eyes and dyed blonde hair. She had two surgical scars, from an appendectomy and an inguinal hernia. Before her disappearance, she was in a “confused state” and had just received her first rejection of her asylum application. She was studying at the ROC in Almelo.
There are also parallels in terms of physical characteristics. Both women had blonde or light brown hair, fair skin, and a well-groomed appearance. The unknown woman had pierced ears, and Gelena wore rings in both ears.
CONNECTIONS
The similarities between Gelena and the unknown woman from Visé are striking and deserve serious attention. The Dutch police report that a deceased woman was recently found in Belgium who could possibly be Gelena, but this cannot be confirmed. This “unknown woman” is most likely the Visé victim.
There are several similarities between the two women that justify considering a connection. Both Gelena and the woman from Visé had virtually identical physiques and heights, differing by only a few centimeters.
Their age profiles overlap completely: in 2009, the year the body was found in Visé, Gelena would have been between 14 and 24 years old, exactly within the estimated age range of the victim. Both had an Eastern European background, had lived in the Benelux for several years, and presumably led isolated lives without close family ties in Western Europe.
GEOGRAPHICAL
The body was found in a canal near the Dutch-Belgian border, leading many to believe that she might have been Dutch, which may have hampered the initial investigation. Gelena Maletina was an asylum seeker in the Netherlands. Her case received little attention in the Dutch media and the investigation was carried out by the French-speaking Walloon police. As Gelena had had no contact since 2003, there was no circle of acquaintances in Belgium who recognised her as a missing person and no one in the Netherlands who recognised the victim.
ISOTOPE RESEARCH
According to isotope research on the teeth of the unknown woman from Visé, she spent her childhood in Eastern Europe and lived in the Benelux countries in recent years, exactly the same route that Gelena followed. Gelena is originally from Kyrgyzstan. This country is located in Central Asia, but based on her full name, it is clear that “Gelena Vladimirovna Maletina” is not a Kyrgyz name. Gelena is probably an ethnic Russian whose family lived in Kyrgyzstan, which was very common during the Soviet era.
Another important detail that may be relevant when searching for DNA relatives: in Russian naming conventions, “Vladimirovna” is a patronymic, which means that her father's name is Vladimir. This means that her father's name could be Vladimir Maletin. Like many other Russian families, they probably migrated to western Russia or Eastern Europe during or after the fall of the Soviet Union (1991). The fact that she was born in Kyrgyzstan does not necessarily mean that she also spent her childhood there.
This theory could perfectly explain the results of the isotope analysis: a childhood in Eastern Europe, followed by a longer period in the Benelux.
SOURCES
Onbekende vrouw - Visé. (2023, October 5). Opsporingen. https://www.politie.be/opsporingen/...ichamen-of-lichaamsdelen/onbekende-vrouw-vise
Identify Me: BE06 - The woman with the artificial nails. (n.d.). Identify Me: BE06 - The woman with the artificial nails
1947UFBEL. (n.d.). https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=1947UFBEL
De Morgen. (2009, May 31). Lijk naakte jonge vrouw ontdekt in Lanaye. De Morgen. Lijk naakte jonge vrouw ontdekt in Lanaye
UF-0004. (2020, March 13). MISSING DOE EUROPE. UF-0004
Visé - Belgie. (n.d.). politie.nl. Visé - Belgie
Gelena Vladimirovna Maletina. (2003, December 11). politie.nl. Gelena Vladimirovna Maletina
DPG Media. (2016, September 27). Politie: 4 mensen uit Twente officieel vermist. tubantia.nl. Politie: 4 mensen uit Twente officieel vermist
On 31 May 2009, a walker found the body of a young woman in the Albert Canal, a canal in the Belgian province of Liège, west of the village of Lanaye. Her body was found about 400 metres from the Dutch-Belgian border.
The young woman was found naked; her legs were tied with a rope and her throat had been cut. She had multiple stab wounds and her body had been weighted down with a pair of Alex brand dumbbells. A more thorough investigation revealed that she had spent her childhood in Eastern Europe and had been living in the Benelux region for several years.
GELENA MALETINA
Gelena Maletina was born on 21 November 1984 in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan. In 2003, she stayed at the Klompjan asylum seekers' centre in Markelo and attended a course at the ROC in Almelo. She was described as a somewhat introverted and melancholic young woman.
She was 19 years old at the time, approximately 1.67 m tall, with blue eyes and dyed blonde hair. She had two surgical scars, from an appendectomy and an inguinal hernia. Before her disappearance, she was in a “confused state” and had just received her first rejection of her asylum application. She was studying at the ROC in Almelo.
There are also parallels in terms of physical characteristics. Both women had blonde or light brown hair, fair skin, and a well-groomed appearance. The unknown woman had pierced ears, and Gelena wore rings in both ears.
CONNECTIONS
The similarities between Gelena and the unknown woman from Visé are striking and deserve serious attention. The Dutch police report that a deceased woman was recently found in Belgium who could possibly be Gelena, but this cannot be confirmed. This “unknown woman” is most likely the Visé victim.
There are several similarities between the two women that justify considering a connection. Both Gelena and the woman from Visé had virtually identical physiques and heights, differing by only a few centimeters.
Their age profiles overlap completely: in 2009, the year the body was found in Visé, Gelena would have been between 14 and 24 years old, exactly within the estimated age range of the victim. Both had an Eastern European background, had lived in the Benelux for several years, and presumably led isolated lives without close family ties in Western Europe.
GEOGRAPHICAL
The body was found in a canal near the Dutch-Belgian border, leading many to believe that she might have been Dutch, which may have hampered the initial investigation. Gelena Maletina was an asylum seeker in the Netherlands. Her case received little attention in the Dutch media and the investigation was carried out by the French-speaking Walloon police. As Gelena had had no contact since 2003, there was no circle of acquaintances in Belgium who recognised her as a missing person and no one in the Netherlands who recognised the victim.
ISOTOPE RESEARCH
According to isotope research on the teeth of the unknown woman from Visé, she spent her childhood in Eastern Europe and lived in the Benelux countries in recent years, exactly the same route that Gelena followed. Gelena is originally from Kyrgyzstan. This country is located in Central Asia, but based on her full name, it is clear that “Gelena Vladimirovna Maletina” is not a Kyrgyz name. Gelena is probably an ethnic Russian whose family lived in Kyrgyzstan, which was very common during the Soviet era.
Another important detail that may be relevant when searching for DNA relatives: in Russian naming conventions, “Vladimirovna” is a patronymic, which means that her father's name is Vladimir. This means that her father's name could be Vladimir Maletin. Like many other Russian families, they probably migrated to western Russia or Eastern Europe during or after the fall of the Soviet Union (1991). The fact that she was born in Kyrgyzstan does not necessarily mean that she also spent her childhood there.
This theory could perfectly explain the results of the isotope analysis: a childhood in Eastern Europe, followed by a longer period in the Benelux.
SOURCES
JANE DOE
Coldcasezaken.nl. (z.d.). Onbekende dode vrouw bij Visé (BE) | Stichting Coldcasezaken. Onbekende dode vrouw bij Visé (BE) | Stichting ColdcasezakenOnbekende vrouw - Visé. (2023, October 5). Opsporingen. https://www.politie.be/opsporingen/...ichamen-of-lichaamsdelen/onbekende-vrouw-vise
Identify Me: BE06 - The woman with the artificial nails. (n.d.). Identify Me: BE06 - The woman with the artificial nails
1947UFBEL. (n.d.). https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=1947UFBEL
De Morgen. (2009, May 31). Lijk naakte jonge vrouw ontdekt in Lanaye. De Morgen. Lijk naakte jonge vrouw ontdekt in Lanaye
UF-0004. (2020, March 13). MISSING DOE EUROPE. UF-0004
Visé - Belgie. (n.d.). politie.nl. Visé - Belgie
GELENA MALETINA
Oost. (2025, 2 mei). Gelena uit Markelo al 22 jaar spoorloos, politie hoopt op herinneringen. Oost. Gelena uit Markelo al 22 jaar spoorloos, politie hoopt op herinneringenGelena Vladimirovna Maletina. (2003, December 11). politie.nl. Gelena Vladimirovna Maletina
DPG Media. (2016, September 27). Politie: 4 mensen uit Twente officieel vermist. tubantia.nl. Politie: 4 mensen uit Twente officieel vermist
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