Bernard Weinstein, born in France, relocated to Belgium in the early 1990s and became a close associate of [[Marc Dutroux]] in criminal activities centered on auto theft and child trafficking. A drifter with a record for petty crimes, Weinstein collaborated with Dutroux in late 1995 on a scheme involving the kidnapping of three teenagers who had stolen a truck for them, leading to Dutroux's December arrest when one victim escaped and reported the incident. Prior to this, in November 1995, Weinstein witnessed abuses of captives [[An Marchal]] and [[Eefje Lambrecks]] held upstairs at Dutroux's Marcinelle home, as their basement dungeon contained [[Julie Lejeune]] and [[Melissa Russo]]. Dutroux drugged Weinstein with a sedative during a fishing trip, bound him, and buried him alive at a Sars-la-Buissière property, where his body was exhumed on September 16, 1996, alongside those of An and Eefje, showing signs of asphyxiation from the shallow grave.[^1] Weinstein worked as a video copier at SPRL Video Promotion in Charleroi, processing tapes that potentially included child pornography produced by Dutroux, aligning with seized materials like rape videos and equipment returned to [[Michelle Martin]]. A note addressed to Weinstein, signed "Anubis," was found in his cabin, referencing a "feast" and "high priestess present," linking to the [[Abrasax Institute]] raided in December 1996, though Weinstein's connection remained unclarified before his death. His murder eliminated a witness to the network's operations coordinated with [[Michel Nihoul]] via [[ASCO]] vehicles for abductions.[^1] The Sars-la-Buissière site, owned by Dutroux, served as a burial ground for victims and accomplices, with Weinstein's shallow grave covered in concrete, discovered post-arrest on August 13, 1996, triggered by [[Laetitia Delhez]]'s witness plate. Autopsy confirmed drugging and suffocation, consistent with Dutroux's method to silence threats, as Martin later testified Weinstein knew of the captives during his visits.[^1] ### Criminal Involvement Weinstein assisted Dutroux in the truck theft operation, kidnapping the three teens to extract a stolen vehicle, one of whom fled to police, prompting searches of Dutroux's home where basement screams from Julie and Melissa were ignored by Inspector [[Rene Michaux]]. Weinstein's video processing role at SPRL involved duplicating materials, potentially including Dutroux's rape tapes labeled over films like Laurel and Hardy, sold to clients through Nihoul's contacts. His presence at the Marcinelle home in November 1995 exposed him to the upstairs holding of An and Eefje, restrained after their August 22 abduction under Othello surveillance.[^1] The November murder followed Weinstein's knowledge of operations, including the dungeon built in 1993 with [[Claude Thirault]]'s labor, used for [[Sabine Dardenne]] and Laetitia's confinement. Weinstein's collaboration extended to logistics, though details emerged post-mortem via Martin's accounts of his visits and the Abrasax note suggesting cult ties. Phone records and financial trails linked payments from Nihoul to Dutroux's accounts, funding activities Weinstein supported before elimination.[^1] Weinstein's death preceded Dutroux's auto theft conviction, during which Martin fed basement girls minimally, leading to Julie and Melissa's demise. The grave's location near other burials indicated a disposal pattern, with concrete slabs hiding evidence until exhumation under Judge [[Jean-Marc Connerotte]]'s probe, which faced interference before his 1996 removal.[^1] ### Connections Weinstein connected to Dutroux through shared criminal ventures in Charleroi's underworld, including theft rings overlapping with Nihoul's fraud history. The Abrasax note implicated ties to Francis Desmedt's group, investigated for rituals but tipped off before full searches. Weinstein's video work linked to broader distribution, with tapes seized containing elite spectators per FBI analysis. His murder silenced potential testimony on [[An Marchal]] and [[Eefje Lambrecks]]' abuses, witnessed during captivity.[^1] Martin's statements placed Weinstein at the home amid operations using ASCO vans for victim transport, with over twenty calls between Dutroux and Nihoul coordinating sales. The Sars-la-Buissière property tied Weinstein to disposal sites, exhumed alongside victims whose cases involved [[Regina Louf|Regina Louf]]'s allegations of elite parties. Weinstein's French background and drifter status facilitated low-profile involvement until Dutroux's silencing.[^1] Investigators noted Weinstein's cabin contained the Anubis note, leading to Abrasax raids uncovering police members, though no direct Weinstein links surfaced. His elimination paralleled over twenty witness deaths, including [[Gina Pardaens-Bernaer]], amid probes into [[Paul Vanden Boeynants]] and [[Baron Benoit de Bonvoisin]].[^1] ### Legal Outcome Weinstein faced no charges, murdered before December 1995 arrest on auto theft. Dutroux confessed to the killing during 2004 trial, receiving life for murders including Weinstein's, confirmed by autopsy showing sedative and burial trauma. The case integrated into Dutroux affair, with Weinstein's death highlighting accomplice risks in Nihoul's network, acquitted of key counts despite evidence.[^1] Posthumous findings from the grave and cabin informed Connerotte's investigation, removed in 1996 sparking White Marches. Weinstein's video role suggested snuff production ties, but no prosecutions followed his elimination, leaving connections to Abrasax and SPRL unresolved amid institutional delays under [[Melchior Wathelet]].[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Dovey, S. (2023). Eye of the Chickenhawk. United States: Thehotstar.