Baby murder suspect in court
2005-06-20 08:06
Cape Town - The alleged mastermind behind the gruesome murder of six-month-old Jordan Leigh Norton will appear in the Wynberg magistrate's court on Monday after she was charged on Sunday with conspiracy to commit murder.
This latest twist in the case seems to confirm rumours that robbery was never the motive for the attack on the Norton residence in Rondebosch East.
The 22-year-old suspect was arrested in Milnerton on Friday - two days after the baby's murder.
Natasha Norton, 22, Jordan's mother, and Vernon Norton, the baby's grandfather, did not want to confirm rumours on Sunday that the suspect was a close friend of Jordan's biological father. Norton reiterated that neither he nor his family knew the suspect. He added that they did not want to jeopardise the police investigation by speculating about the identity of the suspect.
Rumours have it that Natasha and her former boyfriend broke up after blood tests showed that he was not Jordan's father. Natasha apparently wanted to approach Jordan's father and his family for maintenance, but they did not want to have anything to do with Jordan.
When asked why the family did not want to speak about Jordan's father, Natasha said it wasn't worth it while her father simply replied with a terse "no comment".
Norton did not indicate whether the family would be attending the court proceedings on Monday and said they were still "finalising the arrangements for the memorial service".
Jordan was stabbed to death on Wednesday morning after four men entered the house on the pretext of delivering a parcel for Mr Norton. Jordan, her nanny and her uncle, Dylan Norton, 18, were the only ones at home at the time.
Dylan and the nanny were tied up and locked in a bathroom after the robbers had grabbed Jordan from her nanny's arms. Dylan found the baby's body after the robbers fled the house with a safe containing a gun. Jordan had been stabbed in the neck.
A wake in her honour has been in progress at the Nortons' house in Scout Avenue since Thursday evening.
Norton said it was Catholic practise to hold a service each day for nine days after a person's death to speed the person's soul to heaven.
The wake, which had been held in the Nortons' living room, was moved to the lawn in front of the house on Sunday to accommodate all the mourners.
A distraught Natasha Norton could barely contain her emotions as people prayed and sang hymns.
A memorial service for Jordan will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Lansdowne Road at 13:00 on Monday. The service will be followed by a private cremation.