'Cops tracking Lotz killer(s)'

2008-07-10 08:43

Carryn-Ann Nel

Cape Town - Stellenbosch student Inge Lotz's "real" murderer(s) may be arrested soon.

Top police detectives are apparently examining several statements that convicted criminal Werner Carolus, 21, is said to have made to private detectives after 22-year-old Inge's murder.

According to these statements, Carolus witnessed Inge's murder on March 16 2005.

In the meantime, her former boyfriend, Fred van der Vyver, 26, his family and his legal team are due to go to the United States next month for a week-long international conference on prints.

The group was invited to the 93rd conference of the International Association for Identification, where talks would be given on all types of prints, such as fingerprints and shoeprints.

Van der Vyver will talk about his experiences during his trial.

Suing State for R46m

He was charged initially with Inge's murder, but was found not guilty on November 29 last year.

He is suing the State now for more than R46m for wrongful prosecution.

Inge's parents, in turn, are suing Van der Vyver for about R8.5m for emotional damages because they still believe he was responsible for the "illegal and intentional" murder of their daughter.

After it became known the police were investigating Carolus's statements, Inge's parents said in a statement that one could not rely on Carolus's story.

"He changed his story more than once. He said initially that he had committed the murder and then afterwards he retracted his statement.

"He is a professional thief with 12 convictions (10 of housebreaking and robbery). It is noteworthy that nothing was stolen from Inge's flat."

Docket was never closed

Police spokesperson André Traut said the police were continuing unabated with the investigation.

"The murder docket was never closed. During the verdict, it was indicated that Werner Carolus's knowledge had to be investigated.

"As soon as that is concluded, the docket will be referred to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for a decision."

Daryl Els of Christian Botha Investigators said on Wednesday that Carolus had made a statement about the murder and had drawn a floor plan of Inge's flat.

Els obtained an eight-page statement from Carolus in March this year in which he admitted that he was in a group. "He is prepared to testify against the others."

Els said Carolus's fingerprints were linked to two housebreakings in Stellenbosch on March 12 and March 20 2005.

It was because of these two crimes that he was now serving a sentence in Pollsmoor Prison.

Security gate left open

Die Burger previously reported that, according to Carolus's statement, he and a group had gained access to Inge's flat when the security gate of the flat was left open.

Els said he went to the police after he had got Carolus's statement. He did this because he wanted the murder to be solved "because it can be solved".

Els said the suspect(s) could be charged soon.

- Die Burger