October 20, 2025 • 11 mins
On February 19th, 2009, 19-year-old Hungarian sex worker Betty Szabó was found brutally murdered in her workroom in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Just three months after giving birth to her son, Betty’s life was cut short in a killing marked by shocking violence.
Despite an extensive investigation, countless witness interviews, and modern forensic techniques, no one has ever been convicted of her murder. Over the years, police have reopened the case, even using groundbreaking campaigns like a 3D hologram of Betty to appeal for new witnesses. Yet the question remains: who killed Betty Szabó?
In this episode of The Lowest Crime, we retrace Betty’s story, the investigation that followed, and the haunting questions that continue to surround one of the most disturbing unsolved murders in the Netherlands.
⚠️ Listener discretion is advised: this episode contains descriptions of extreme physical violence.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi and welcome to The Lowest Crime, the podcast where we
explore some of the most devastating and shocking
criminal cases in the Netherlands.
I'm Elina, and today we're looking at a brutal murder that
shook Amsterdam's red light district and has remained
unsolved for more than 15 years.This is the story of Betty Zabo,
(00:21):
a 19 year old Hungarian sex worker who was found dead in her
room on February 19th, 2009. Her killing was marked by
extreme violence and despite extensive investigation, no one
has ever been convicted. Over the years, police have
reopened the case several times using modern forensic techniques
(00:42):
and even a ground breaking hologram campaign to try and
reach new witnesses. Yet the question remains, who
killed Betty Zabo? Before we begin, Please note
that we'll be describing extremephysical violence and the murder
of a young woman, so listener discretion is advised.
Without further ado, let's get into the story of Bernadette or
(01:04):
Betty Zabo. Betty Zabo was born in the city
of nearest Gaza, in the poorer northeastern part of Hungary.
She and her family lived in poverty, and although
opportunities were limited, Betty did well in school.
In her free time, she loved gardening and playing the
(01:25):
violin, an instrument that she mastered so well that she won
several prizes. As she grew older, the
differences between herself and her classmates became more
apparent. She couldn't afford the same
things others had, and she beganto feel increasingly out of
place. Determined to change her life,
she abruptly decided a new path.She lost 25 kilos in a short
(01:47):
period of time and at just 18 years old, left Hungary behind
in search of a better future. Her destination was Amsterdam.
Here an entirely different life waited for her.
In January 2008, Betty started working as a sex worker in the
Red Light district in Amsterdam.Life there was anything but
easy. Betty worked incredibly hard,
(02:10):
sometimes 14 hours a day, seven days a week, seeing up to 20
clients in a single day. She often rented 2 consecutive
time blocks just to keep going. She stood out on the streets of
the Amsterdam Red Light Districtnot only because of the large
tattoo across her stomach, but also because she continued
working while pregnant right up until a week before she gave
(02:32):
birth. Colleagues gave her the nickname
Penguin because she started to waddle slightly due to her
pregnancy. Eventually, she gave birth to a
healthy baby boy, but for someone working around the clock
just to survive, raising a baby was nearly impossible.
Just eight days after giving birth, Betty returned to work
and much to her grief, her son was placed with a foster family.
(02:55):
For Betty, this was only temporary.
Her dream was to save enough money to return to Hungary with
her son every year. Oh, she could she put aside for
her family's future. On February 19th, 2009, Betty
was last seen on CCTV footage at4:32 PM, returning from a break.
(03:16):
She was smiling and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Later that evening, around 8:45 PM, her colleagues began their
shifts. By 1:00 AM, they realized that
they hadn't seen Betty all night.
There was another detail that stood out.
Normally you could hear loud music blasting from her ghetto
blaster, but that night it had been silent.
(03:37):
Concerned, they went to check her room.
Inside they found a horrific scene.
Betty lay on the floor in a poolof blood.
Nearby, 1/2 empty bottle of Coca-Cola still stood, something
Betty might have drunk just minutes earlier.
The violence was so extreme thatyou could even still see blood
(03:57):
splatters on the streets. The brutality suggested immense
aggression. Police arrived at the scene
quickly, and it was soon determined that Betty had been
stabbed numerous times. Police hoped for leads from a
surveillance camera mounted outside her room, but they were
devastated to find out that it hadn't been switched on.
(04:19):
That meant no suspect footage, no description, no clear lead.
Given the amount of violence, investigators suspected that
Betty may have known her killer,that the attack was personal,
but they also couldn't rule out a robbery.
When police searched Betty's home, they found only a very
small amount of money, far less than what she should have earned
(04:40):
through her work. Forensic investigators carried
out trace analysis, but it quickly became clear that this
would not be a reliable method in Betty's case.
In the days before her murder, she had been visited by an
average of 20 men a day, all of whom had left DNA behind.
Witness testimony also provided no useful leads, likely because
(05:02):
many clients were too ashamed tocome forward to the police.
Despite this, a 46 year old suspect was arrested in the days
following the murder, but due tolack of evidence he was released
shortly after the investigation continued.
A reward of €30,000 was offered for the golden tip.
Police even send out an SMS alert to 12 1/2 thousand people
(05:26):
who had been near the red light district that night, hoping
someone had seen or remembered anything.
It's even possible that the killer himself received the
message. Detectives were especially eager
to speak with the men who had been with Betty.
Between 6:00 PM and 1:00 AM thatnight, at least five men were
known to have visited her room. Police found 5 used condoms in
(05:47):
the trash, each containing a unique DNA profile, but when
checked against the database, there were no matches.
To this day, they don't know whothose men were or whether they
have anything to do with Betty'sdeath.
It's also possible that there were more visitors, some who may
not have used condoms or perhapswho didn't have sex at all.
(06:08):
The motive remains a mystery. No money was found in Betty's
room, not her earnings from the day and not the savings that
colleagues knew she had been carefully putting aside.
And when police searched her home, her savings were nowhere
to be found either. From there, the case stalled and
eventually drifted into a cold case status.
(06:28):
When Betty was murdered, her baby boy was only three months
old. Her murder shocked the red light
district. Flowers were laid and dozens of
people joined a silent March in her memory.
The March ended at the statue ofBelle, a tribute to sex workers
worldwide. For 15 years, no new leads
(06:48):
occurred. But then, 15 years later,
Amsterdam police launched an ambitious new attempt to solve
the case. Using both technology and a
massive publicity campaign, theytransformed a house on the
corner of the Quarter Storm's Day and out asides after
Bergbaugh into a space dedicatedentirely to Betty.
Large stickers covered the windows and TV screens showed
(07:12):
the crime scene, a documentary and the very last images of her
alive. But the most striking part of
the campaign was unlike anythingthe police had ever tried
before. A life-size hologram of Betty
herself. For a full week it sat on a
stool in the red light district window, confronting passersby
and asking directly for their help.
(07:33):
Created with 3D visualization technology, it even showed
Betty's distinctive Dragon Tattoo across her stomach and
chest, a tattoo that made her unforgettable.
Benjamin von Hoch, coordinator of Amsterdam's Wanted and
Missing Persons team, explained.This is the first time we've
done something like this, and tobe honest, we're all a bit
nervous. We want to do justice by Betty
(07:55):
to her family and friends and tothe case.
That's why, before deciding to use this hologram, we
brainstormed with many differentpeople both inside and outside
the police, about whether we should do this at all, and if
so, how. He stressed that the project had
been undertaken in consultation with Betty's family.
We're committed to doing this with dignity and the clear
(08:18):
purpose of achieving justice forBetty by finding her killer or
killers. Alongside the hologram,
detectives once again highlighted the reward of
€30,000, hoping to encourage witnesses to finally come
forward, even those who might not be locals.
Anna Dreyer Heimsgerg of the Cold Case Team emphasized Betty
(08:39):
was murdered in one of the busiest areas in Amsterdam,
maybe even in the Netherlands. It's almost impossible that
nobody saw or heard something unusual.
And remember, the red light district attracts people from
all over the world. Someone may have heard or spoken
about this case far from Amsterdam, reflecting on the
many years that have passed, sheadded.
(09:01):
We hope that witnesses who may have been afraid before or
stayed silent for other reasons now have the courage to come
forward. The campaign reached millions
worldwide and generated dozens of new tips.
One of those tips came from Kabadi, a man serving a life
sentence in Hungary. He had been convicted of
(09:22):
multiple contract killings, including the 2018 murder of 62
year old Ivan Sardaruzique, who was shot dead in an Italian
restaurant on Amsterdam's Beethoven Strat.
In his statement, D pointed directly to Sir Darusiq as the
man responsible for Betty Sabo'smurder.
Detectives from the cold case team took the tip very seriously
(09:44):
and carried out extensive followup investigations.
They reviewed forensic evidence,including DNA and fingerprints,
and re examined the camera footage that had been secured
around the time of Betty's death.
Specialist also tried to establish whether Sadaruziq had
been in the red light district on the night of the murder, but
none of these efforts produced evidence to support the claim.
(10:06):
Even additional details from Dee, such as where the possible
murder weapon might have been obtained, LED nowhere.
In the end, police concluded that Sadaruziq's involvement was
highly unlikely. The search for Betty's killer,
they believe, must focus closer to home.
But as of now, the brutal murderof Betty Zabo remains still
(10:26):
unsolved. If you or anybody you know has
any information, please contact the Dutch Police tip line
AT-086070 or report anonymously through Melt Mistat Anonim
AT-08007000. Those who wish to speak
confidentially can call the Criminal Intelligence Team at
(10:48):
0886617734. The reward of 30,000 heroes is
still being offered for the golden tip.
And that brings us to the end oftoday's episode.
Betty Zabo was only 19 years oldwhen her life was brutally taken
and we can only hope that one day her killer gets caught and
(11:09):
Betty gets the justice she deserves.
Thank you all so much for listening.
If you appreciated this episode,feel free to give it a like,
leave a comment or subscribe. You can find any images related
to the case on the lowest crime Instagram account.
Thank you all so much for listening and I look forward to
seeing you in the next one.
Hi and welcome to The Lowest Crime, the podcast where we
explore some of the most devastating and shocking
criminal cases in the Netherlands.
I'm Elina, and today we're looking at a brutal murder that
shook Amsterdam's red light district and has remained
unsolved for more than 15 years.This is the story of Betty Zabo,
(00:21):
a 19 year old Hungarian sex worker who was found dead in her
room on February 19th, 2009. Her killing was marked by
extreme violence and despite extensive investigation, no one
has ever been convicted. Over the years, police have
reopened the case several times using modern forensic techniques
(00:42):
and even a ground breaking hologram campaign to try and
reach new witnesses. Yet the question remains, who
killed Betty Zabo? Before we begin, Please note
that we'll be describing extremephysical violence and the murder
of a young woman, so listener discretion is advised.
Without further ado, let's get into the story of Bernadette or
(01:04):
Betty Zabo. Betty Zabo was born in the city
of nearest Gaza, in the poorer northeastern part of Hungary.
She and her family lived in poverty, and although
opportunities were limited, Betty did well in school.
In her free time, she loved gardening and playing the
(01:25):
violin, an instrument that she mastered so well that she won
several prizes. As she grew older, the
differences between herself and her classmates became more
apparent. She couldn't afford the same
things others had, and she beganto feel increasingly out of
place. Determined to change her life,
she abruptly decided a new path.She lost 25 kilos in a short
(01:47):
period of time and at just 18 years old, left Hungary behind
in search of a better future. Her destination was Amsterdam.
Here an entirely different life waited for her.
In January 2008, Betty started working as a sex worker in the
Red Light district in Amsterdam.Life there was anything but
easy. Betty worked incredibly hard,
(02:10):
sometimes 14 hours a day, seven days a week, seeing up to 20
clients in a single day. She often rented 2 consecutive
time blocks just to keep going. She stood out on the streets of
the Amsterdam Red Light Districtnot only because of the large
tattoo across her stomach, but also because she continued
working while pregnant right up until a week before she gave
(02:32):
birth. Colleagues gave her the nickname
Penguin because she started to waddle slightly due to her
pregnancy. Eventually, she gave birth to a
healthy baby boy, but for someone working around the clock
just to survive, raising a baby was nearly impossible.
Just eight days after giving birth, Betty returned to work
and much to her grief, her son was placed with a foster family.
(02:55):
For Betty, this was only temporary.
Her dream was to save enough money to return to Hungary with
her son every year. Oh, she could she put aside for
her family's future. On February 19th, 2009, Betty
was last seen on CCTV footage at4:32 PM, returning from a break.
(03:16):
She was smiling and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Later that evening, around 8:45 PM, her colleagues began their
shifts. By 1:00 AM, they realized that
they hadn't seen Betty all night.
There was another detail that stood out.
Normally you could hear loud music blasting from her ghetto
blaster, but that night it had been silent.
(03:37):
Concerned, they went to check her room.
Inside they found a horrific scene.
Betty lay on the floor in a poolof blood.
Nearby, 1/2 empty bottle of Coca-Cola still stood, something
Betty might have drunk just minutes earlier.
The violence was so extreme thatyou could even still see blood
(03:57):
splatters on the streets. The brutality suggested immense
aggression. Police arrived at the scene
quickly, and it was soon determined that Betty had been
stabbed numerous times. Police hoped for leads from a
surveillance camera mounted outside her room, but they were
devastated to find out that it hadn't been switched on.
(04:19):
That meant no suspect footage, no description, no clear lead.
Given the amount of violence, investigators suspected that
Betty may have known her killer,that the attack was personal,
but they also couldn't rule out a robbery.
When police searched Betty's home, they found only a very
small amount of money, far less than what she should have earned
(04:40):
through her work. Forensic investigators carried
out trace analysis, but it quickly became clear that this
would not be a reliable method in Betty's case.
In the days before her murder, she had been visited by an
average of 20 men a day, all of whom had left DNA behind.
Witness testimony also provided no useful leads, likely because
(05:02):
many clients were too ashamed tocome forward to the police.
Despite this, a 46 year old suspect was arrested in the days
following the murder, but due tolack of evidence he was released
shortly after the investigation continued.
A reward of €30,000 was offered for the golden tip.
Police even send out an SMS alert to 12 1/2 thousand people
(05:26):
who had been near the red light district that night, hoping
someone had seen or remembered anything.
It's even possible that the killer himself received the
message. Detectives were especially eager
to speak with the men who had been with Betty.
Between 6:00 PM and 1:00 AM thatnight, at least five men were
known to have visited her room. Police found 5 used condoms in
(05:47):
the trash, each containing a unique DNA profile, but when
checked against the database, there were no matches.
To this day, they don't know whothose men were or whether they
have anything to do with Betty'sdeath.
It's also possible that there were more visitors, some who may
not have used condoms or perhapswho didn't have sex at all.
(06:08):
The motive remains a mystery. No money was found in Betty's
room, not her earnings from the day and not the savings that
colleagues knew she had been carefully putting aside.
And when police searched her home, her savings were nowhere
to be found either. From there, the case stalled and
eventually drifted into a cold case status.
(06:28):
When Betty was murdered, her baby boy was only three months
old. Her murder shocked the red light
district. Flowers were laid and dozens of
people joined a silent March in her memory.
The March ended at the statue ofBelle, a tribute to sex workers
worldwide. For 15 years, no new leads
(06:48):
occurred. But then, 15 years later,
Amsterdam police launched an ambitious new attempt to solve
the case. Using both technology and a
massive publicity campaign, theytransformed a house on the
corner of the Quarter Storm's Day and out asides after
Bergbaugh into a space dedicatedentirely to Betty.
Large stickers covered the windows and TV screens showed
(07:12):
the crime scene, a documentary and the very last images of her
alive. But the most striking part of
the campaign was unlike anythingthe police had ever tried
before. A life-size hologram of Betty
herself. For a full week it sat on a
stool in the red light district window, confronting passersby
and asking directly for their help.
(07:33):
Created with 3D visualization technology, it even showed
Betty's distinctive Dragon Tattoo across her stomach and
chest, a tattoo that made her unforgettable.
Benjamin von Hoch, coordinator of Amsterdam's Wanted and
Missing Persons team, explained.This is the first time we've
done something like this, and tobe honest, we're all a bit
nervous. We want to do justice by Betty
(07:55):
to her family and friends and tothe case.
That's why, before deciding to use this hologram, we
brainstormed with many differentpeople both inside and outside
the police, about whether we should do this at all, and if
so, how. He stressed that the project had
been undertaken in consultation with Betty's family.
We're committed to doing this with dignity and the clear
(08:18):
purpose of achieving justice forBetty by finding her killer or
killers. Alongside the hologram,
detectives once again highlighted the reward of
€30,000, hoping to encourage witnesses to finally come
forward, even those who might not be locals.
Anna Dreyer Heimsgerg of the Cold Case Team emphasized Betty
(08:39):
was murdered in one of the busiest areas in Amsterdam,
maybe even in the Netherlands. It's almost impossible that
nobody saw or heard something unusual.
And remember, the red light district attracts people from
all over the world. Someone may have heard or spoken
about this case far from Amsterdam, reflecting on the
many years that have passed, sheadded.
(09:01):
We hope that witnesses who may have been afraid before or
stayed silent for other reasons now have the courage to come
forward. The campaign reached millions
worldwide and generated dozens of new tips.
One of those tips came from Kabadi, a man serving a life
sentence in Hungary. He had been convicted of
(09:22):
multiple contract killings, including the 2018 murder of 62
year old Ivan Sardaruzique, who was shot dead in an Italian
restaurant on Amsterdam's Beethoven Strat.
In his statement, D pointed directly to Sir Darusiq as the
man responsible for Betty Sabo'smurder.
Detectives from the cold case team took the tip very seriously
(09:44):
and carried out extensive followup investigations.
They reviewed forensic evidence,including DNA and fingerprints,
and re examined the camera footage that had been secured
around the time of Betty's death.
Specialist also tried to establish whether Sadaruziq had
been in the red light district on the night of the murder, but
none of these efforts produced evidence to support the claim.
(10:06):
Even additional details from Dee, such as where the possible
murder weapon might have been obtained, LED nowhere.
In the end, police concluded that Sadaruziq's involvement was
highly unlikely. The search for Betty's killer,
they believe, must focus closer to home.
But as of now, the brutal murderof Betty Zabo remains still
(10:26):
unsolved. If you or anybody you know has
any information, please contact the Dutch Police tip line
AT-086070 or report anonymously through Melt Mistat Anonim
AT-08007000. Those who wish to speak
confidentially can call the Criminal Intelligence Team at
(10:48):
0886617734. The reward of 30,000 heroes is
still being offered for the golden tip.
And that brings us to the end oftoday's episode.
Betty Zabo was only 19 years oldwhen her life was brutally taken
and we can only hope that one day her killer gets caught and
(11:09):
Betty gets the justice she deserves.
Thank you all so much for listening.
If you appreciated this episode,feel free to give it a like,
leave a comment or subscribe. You can find any images related
to the case on the lowest crime Instagram account.
Thank you all so much for listening and I look forward to
seeing you in the next one.
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