New twists in Knysna murders

2007-11-09 09:18

Tisha Steyn

Knysna - Gruesome details on the murder of two young women in 2005 were revealed during the hearing of a former Stones DJ, Heinrich van Rooyen, on Thursday.

Van Rooyen is facing six charges - two of murdering Jessica Wheeler, 19, and Victoria Stadler, 20, as well as charges of indecent assault, rape, defeating the ends of justice and malicious damage to property. He pleaded innocent on all charges.

He admitted in a plea explanation earlier this week that he'd had anal sex with Wheeler and that Stadler had masturbated him.

Dr Mariette Hurst, a state pathologist testified in the high court on Thursday about the post-mortems she'd done on the two women.

Wheeler's body was found in the garden of St George Anglican Church in Main Road on October 13 2005.

"She suffocated as a result of a large amount of soil on her face, in her mouth, throat and trachea," Hurst testified.

According to the post-mortem report there was a large amount of soil in her eyes, trachea and even in her stomach.

"Tears in the anus indicate that she was sodomised," Hurst testified.

According to Hurst a strong man could have pushed her face in the loose earth in the garden while sodomising her. "It would have taken about four minutes for her to die," said Hurst.

Superintendent Sharlene Otto from the police forensic laboratory in Delft, Cape Town, testified that DNA samples found on Wheeler and tissue from under her nails was identical to that of the accused.

Stadler's body, which was found in the Noetzie forest near Hornlee, was in an advanced state of decomposition and full of maggots, according to the post-mortem report.

"A fracture of they hyoid bone, which indicates strangling, probably caused her death," Hurst testified.

As a result of the state of decomposition, it was difficult to determine whether she had suffered other injuries besides scrapes and bruises.

A haemorrhage of the right frontal region might indicate that she was hit with a blunt object.

There was no soot in the trachea or bronchi, which indicates that she did not burn to death in her burnt-out VW Golf, that was found nearby. She was not raped.

According to Otto, DNA of semen found on the black denim she was wearing, was that of the accused.

In a surprising twist, the mysterious "bald man" who was mentioned during a failed bail application during a previous court appearance, was identified as Corrie Dixon. He was called by Christenus van der Vijver, for the state, as a witness.

During cross-questioning by Terry Price, for the defence, he said Jaco Kiewiets, a car guard and witness for the defence, had seen Dixon with Wheeler on the night of her death.

According to Kiewiets Dixon and Wheeler, who was crying, had an argument outside Stones. He later saw them smoking together in the garden of the church.

Cigarette butts were found in the garden, but Dixon denied that they were the kind he smoked. He also denied that he knew Wheeler or had been to the garden on that night.

- Die Burger