Murder video shocks Knysna court
2007-11-20 07:47
Tisha Steyn
Knysna - Video footage of a murder scene of one of two young women killed at the town in 2005 caused gasps of horror when it was shown to a packed circuit high court here on Monday.
The video was submitted as evidence in the hearing of former disc jockey 25-year-old Heinrich van Rooyen of Stones night club.
He has been charged with murdering Jessica Wheeler, 19, and Victoria Stadler, 20.
The video was shot by Inspector Brian Julies of the Police Criminal Record Centre at George on November 16, the day on which Victoria's body was found.
The video showed her burnt-out VW Golf on a firebreak in the Noetzie bush adjoining Hornlee residential area in Knysna, as well as the dense bush where her naked and decomposed body was hidden behind a tree stump.
Mom, gran didn't watch video
The crowd in court gasped when the camera focused on the naked body in the dense bush.
Van Rooyen, dressed in black trousers and a white shirt, leaned forward with interest in the dock and sipped occasionally at a green energy drink.
Victoria's mother, Hannetjie Stadler, and grandmother Marie Stadler sat outside the courtroom pale and tense, while the video was shown inside.
Jessica's parents, Kevin and Dusty Wheeler, and their son, Devin, watched the video.
They did not attend the in-loco inspection of the murder scene two weeks ago.
Two wilted bouquets, one with a ribbon bearing the names of the two girls, bore mute testimony to the spot where Jessica's body was found on October 13.
The State called three witnesses, one of whom was Charmaine van Schalkwyk, an assistant at the police forensic laboratory in Delft, Cape Town.
She received clothing of the two young women and extracted samples for DNA tests, as well as clothing from Van Rooyen, obtained through an illegal warrant on November 17, after his house in Hornlee had been searched.
Responding to a question by advocate Terry Price for the defence, Van Schalkwyk admitted that nothing had been found on Van Rooyen's clothing that could link him to the two victims.
Sperm cells matched
However, DNA tests on the sperm cells from a black G-string worn by Jessica and the black trousers that Victoria had worn did match Van Rooyen's DNA.
Superintendent Johannes Marthinus Kock, also of the forensic lab, explained that six samples of plant material had been taken from where Victoria's body had been found.
He said pollen from the flowering plants, some of which could be seen on the video, possibly could be entered as evidence.
The court has not been told yet what the results of forensic tests on the pollen have been.
'Stole from me big time'
Responding to a question by Price why the evidence, which was collected on November 17 had been handed to a forensic expert only on March 24, Kock said "a qualified person first had to be found".
Victoria's mother said on Monday she was going through a very difficult time, "but one has to get through this".
"The person who killed my child must know that he stole from me big time."
Van Rooyen's father, Isaac, said his son's supporters were unhappy that the ex-DJ was still in jail.
"They want to know why he has not been allowed to go home - they say they know he did not commit the murders."
- Die Burger