On September 5, 2007, the 15-year-old primary suspect and his 14-year-old companion planned to rob the Runescape account of a 13-year-old boy. A couple of days before the incident the young victim had looted some very valuable game items from a (virtual) dead man and had become very wealthy and powerful in Runescape. The suspects decided to take the victim to their apartment the next day, and to use violence if necessary.
Arno R. Lodder
On September 6, 2007 the two offenders arrived in the apartment with the 13 year old victim. He was not prepared to hand over his virtual money and items to the offenders, so they started to beat and kick him, and also tried to strangle him. When all this violence did not have the desired effect, both went to the kitchen and grabbed some knives. They made threatening gestures at the victim–one of the offenders had a big butcher’s knife and started to scream “I’ll kill you!”