Bram Zeegers was a Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 lawyer

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

. Zeegers was a key witness in the 2007 murder and extortion

Extortion

Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...

 trial of suspected crime boss

Crime boss

A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...

 Willem Holleeder

Willem Holleeder

Willem Frederik Holleeder is perhaps one of the best known Dutch criminals. In 2007 he was sentenced to nine years in prison for several counts of extortion, including the extortion of Willem Endstra, who was murdered in 2004 after falling-out with Holleeder. He is currently serving his sentence...

. Holleeder was on trial for the May 17, 2004, murder of Dutch real estate

Real estate

In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...

 businessman Willem Endstra

Willem Endstra

Willem Alexander Arnold Peter Minne Endstra was a Dutch real estate trader.Endstra started his own business, Convoy Vastgoed BV, in 1987 after having worked in his parents' real estate business and studying law at the Vrije Universiteit.In 1992 Endstra was investigated for allegedly using his...

. Holleeder is also suspected of blackmail

Blackmail

In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...

ing several other businessmen.

Zeegers testified in court

Court

A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...

 over two days that Holleeder and his associates had extorted millions of dollars from Endstra between 2000 and 2004. He also testified about the tense relationship between Holleeder and Endstra before the latter's 2004 murder. Holleeder had maintained that the he and Endstra had an amicable relationship.

Death

Bram Zeegers was found dead in his Amsterdam apartment

Apartment

An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...

, less than one week after he had testified at Holleeder's trial

Trial

A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...

. The sudden and unexpected death of Zeegers led to speculation that he may have been murdered and received much coverage in the Dutch media.

However, Zeegers was found to have died of an accidental overdose of the drug ecstasy

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine

MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...

. According to a story in the Dutch newspaper, Volkskrant, Zeegers was found to have ecstasy in his body that consisted of 97% pure MDMA, which is extremely high. The chances of dying from an MDMA overdose is around one in 100,000. Zeegers' Brazilian girlfriend, who bought the drugs, was held in connection with the case before being released, though she remains a suspect. Three suspects in all were arrested and held in connection with the production of the drug that killed Zeegers.

No connection between Zeegers' death and his testimony

Testimony

In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful. It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on a Bible when taking an oath...

in the Willem Holleeder trial has so far been found. Zeegers' death is now widely regarded as an accidental overdose.

The trial resumed on October 22, 2007, after a recess to investigate Zeegers' death.