My generation, the so-called baby boomers, are the sons and daughters of the servicemen and -women who fought in World War II. We are the last generation with a true connection to that time. I remember many of the war stories my father and uncles used to tell me—not stories read in books but true first-person accounts. Most baby boomers in law enforcement have already retired or are reaching retirement age. While someone with first-person knowledge is still alive, while records are still available, while relatives of witnesses can come forward, the stories must be told.
I believe that once this book is published and people become familiar with our discoveries, anyone possessing relevant information will contact us and fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle of what happened on August 4, 1944. I truly believe that investigating the past and our interpretation of it is not a finite exercise. For that reason, we have donated our research database to the Dutch state so that others can gain insight into this important period in history.
For me, it has been an honor and a privilege to play some small part in reminding the world that the victims of the Annex and other Jews who were betrayed have not been forgotten.
—Vince Pankoke
THE COLD CASE TEAM
Thijs Bayens
Project director
（company CEO）
Luc Gerrits
Project finances
（company CFO）
Pieter van Twisk
Head of research
（company COO）
Vince Pankoke
Lead case agent
（retired special agent of the FBI）
Monique Koemans
Criminologist, historian, and author
Brendan Rook
War crimes investigator
Joachim Bayens
Translator
Veerle de Boer
Researcher
Circe de Bruin
Public historian
Amber Dekker
Military historian
Rory Dekker
Translator
Matthijs de Die le Clercq
Researcher
Nienke Filius
Forensic scientist
Anna Foulidis
Public historian
Marius Helf
Data scientist
Anna Helfrich
Historian
Jean Hellwig
Project manager
Soeliah Hellwig
Gender researcher
Robbert van Hintum
Data scientist
Christine Hoste
Public historian
Nina Kaiser
Documentalist
Linda Leestemaker
Archaeologist, journalist
Bram van der Meer
Investigative psychologist
Lilian Oskam
Criminologist
Welmoed Pluim
Criminologist
Marin Rappard
Heritage researcher
Isis de Ruiter
Documentalist
Cerianne Slagmolen
Historian
Patricia Spronk
Gender researcher
Rinsophie Vellinga
External researcher
Machteld van Voskuilen
Social historian
CONSULTANTS TO THE TEAM
Gerard Aalders
Historian and author
Frans Alkemade
Expert in Bayesian analysis at Alkemade Forensic Reasoning （AFR）
Hubert Berkhout
Archivist
Gertjan Broek
Historian at the Anne Frank House
Roger Depue
Behavioral scientist/profiler （retired from the FBI Behavioral Science Unit）
Wil Fagel
Forensic handwriting examiner
Corien Glaudemans
Historian and researcher at the Haags Gemeentearchief
Bernhard Haas
Forensic document examiner
Eric Heijselaar
Archivist at Stadsarchief Amsterdam
Peter Kroesen
Archivist at Stadsarchief Amsterdam
Carina van Leeuwen
Forensic cold case detective
Guus Meershoek
Historian
Quentin Plant
Data scientist
Sierk Plantinga
Archivist
Leo Simais
Police adviser
Eric Slot
Historian, author, and journalist
Hans Smit
Police adviser
Erik Somers
Historian at NIOD
Gerrold van der Stroom
Historian
Sytze van der Zee
Journalist and author
Acknowledgments
From idea to conclusion, the investigation into what led to the raid on the Annex took well over five years and was aided by two hundred people. While we focused our attention in the book on the leaders and other senior members of the team, there are many more without whom this research would not have been possible. First and foremost, we wish to thank the day-to-day research team that consisted of our regular researchers, Christine Hoste, Circe de Bruin, and Anna Foulidis. They in turn were supported by a team of freelancers, volunteers, and interns: Joachim Bayens, Veerle de Boer, José Boon, Amber Dekker, Rory Dekker, Matthijs de Die le Clercq, Nienke Filius, Anna Helfrich, Soeliah Hellwig, Gülden Ilmaz, Nina Kaiser, Eline Kemps, Linda Leestemaker, Patrick Minks, Lilian Oskam, Welmoed Pluim, Marin Rappard, Anita Rosmolen, Isis de Ruiter, Dorna Saadati, Cerianne Slagmolen, Babette Smits van Warsberghe, Patricia Spronk, Logan Taylor-Black, Mattie Timmer, Maudy Tjho, Rinsophie Vellinga, Marlinde Venema, Machteld van Voskuilen, and Mary Beth Warner.