Anguish as student goes missing
2008-06-26 08:45
Potchefstroom - A student at the North West University's Potchefstroom campus has been missing for two weeks under strange circumstances.
Phillip van Rhyn, who was in his second-year and studying to become a teacher, has been missing since June 11. It is believed that he may be in the Free State.
A private detective Desmond Olivier, who was approached by family members to help with the search, said the investigation was at a difficult stage.
Facebook profile
"Phillip could be anywhere and all clues are being followed up.
The possibility that he finds himself in the Free State is not being excluded at the moment."
Van Rhyn's mother Liz Berry of Welverdiend near Potchefstroom spoke on Wednesday of the mysterious circumstances under which Van Rhyn went missing.
"My child still slept over at my house two days before he went missing."
"He said he was worried about a lot of things and that he had a disciplinary hearing at the university the following week."
Van Rhyn did not show up at his part-time job in Potchefstroom on June 11.
Huge amounts of money gone
"Over the next few days I tried to phone him but his cellphone's voicemail went on."
Berry said she reported him as missing to the police a few days later when he did not show up for an exam.
It had been determined subsequently that Van Rhyn had withdrawn large amounts of money from his bank account.
He withdrew R1 000 from an ATM in Potchefstroom on June 11.
On June 12 he withdrew another R18 000 in Cape Town.
The next day he withdrew another R1 100 from an ATM in Thibault Square in Cape Town.
Berry said on June 19 a message appeared on Van Rhyn's Facebook profile saying:
"This message goes out to everyone who knows Phillip van Rhyn."
"He is in the hospital in a critical condition and is fighting for his life."
"He was attacked and things don't look good, please pray for him."
"The next day his Facebook profile did not exist anymore," Berry said.
It was also determined that Van Rhyn had actively communicated earlier on MXit, an instant, cellphone-messaging service.
Berry said the police also found a crumpled up suicide note in Van Rhyn's room.
"All the circumstances around my child's disappearance are strange."
"For me the most important thing is to find my child."
"I just want to hold him and tell him that no matter what happened, we'll sort everything out.
He must please just come home," Berry said.
Olivier said there was an urgent search for Van Rhyn.
"It doesn't matter why Phillip disappeared, the most important thing is that he is found."