Brussels has been left reeling when the wife of a Goodyear President was murdered during an alleged burglary in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. Her husband's personal secretary has since been arrested, throwing everything we know so far into question.
Carmel D. arrived home at around 20:00 on Monday 17 March. As both an American and Irish citizen, the 61-year-old had most likely been celebrating Saint Patrick's Day, Ireland's national holiday. Little did she know, someone was waiting outside her apartment on Avenue Roger Vandendriessche. CCTV footage shows a masked individual forcing themselves into the building, stabbing the victim four times and fleeing with expensive jewellery and three watches worth tens of thousands of euros.
"An autopsy on the victim revealed four wounds in the chest and abdomen caused by a blunt or sharp object," the Brussels Public Prosecutor stated.
Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
At around 20:20, Carmel's husband Chris Delaney came home too. Delaney has been Europe, Middle East and Africa President for the tire manufacturer Goodyear since 2017, residing in Brussels with his wife. They had four children together.
Initial reports stated that Delaney immediately called emergency services upon discovering the victim. However, new details have emerged: he called his assistant – referred to here as 'GV' – before anyone else.
A close relationship
GV is a 54-year-old Flemish woman who has worked as a senior executive assistant at Goodyear for 13 years. She was arrested at her home in Steenokkerzeel on Saturday morning for murder and possessing a weapon of design (an object intentionally used to harm someone) .
While the Public Prosecutor has stated that GV was in the "professional environment" of the victim's husband, media speculation has suggested their relationship was more than professional.
When her boss called her in a panic on the evening in question, GV reportedly made a calm call to the emergency services and transmitted the Goodyear senior's phone number so they could reach him. An ambulance arrived and paramedics pronounced Carmel dead at the scene.
Police in Steenokkerzeel. Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
Crime of passion?
GV appeared before an investigative judge on Saturday, who confirmed her arrest and detention. She will appear before the court again on Thursday, where a decision on whether to prolong her detention will be made.
Again, the press has speculated that a "crime of passion" is on the cards. The original assumption that police were dealing with a theft-related murder is uncertain now too. If the murder was in fact premeditated, the valuable items may have been stolen to make it look another way.
None of these details are confirmed and the story will undoubtedly continue to develop. As for Chris Delaney, he is not an official suspect in the case. A source told La Libre that the widower is "absolutely stunned" by the arrest of his secretary.
GV has hired the well-known Antwerp-based lawyer John Maes to represent her. Maes formerly represented the family of Julie Van Espen, who sued the Belgian State for its justice system's failures. Van Espen's murderer Steve Baekelmans was a repeat offender and the courts had failed to convict him despite sentencing.
'A life lived fully'
Born in 1962 in Queens, New York, Carmel spent childhood summers in Ireland and later studied at Cornell University. She met her husband while working at Procter & Gamble. Their lives spanned seven countries across four continents, eventually settling in Brussels. Here, she continued her work as President of International Educational Resources, an organisation that provides support to international students wishing to study in the US.
"Carmel's warmth, kindness, and adventurous spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew her," her obituary reads. "Her memory will live on in the hearts of her family and friends, a testament to a life lived fully and with boundless love."
Carmel was repatriated to the United States on 26 March and her funeral was held in New York on 31 March. Her husband is on a leave of absence from work.
