Cape Town - One of the men accused of murdering teenager Franziska Blöchliger in Tokai Forest is expected to hear if his bid for bail has been successful when he appears in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
Howard Oliver hopes to be the third of the four accused released on bail after Daniel Easter and Jerome Moses were successful in their application last year.
The fourth accused, Jonathan Jonas, did not apply.
The four were arrested for the murder, rape and robbery of the teen, who was attacked while jogging in Tokai Forest on March 7.
The 16-year-old was found naked and on her knees, with her neck twisted in an unnatural position.
Oliver applied for bail in November.
He said he intended to plead guilty on a robbery charge, but denied raping and murdering Blöchliger.
He claimed he had robbed the girl as she jogged through Tokai Forest to pay for his child's crèche fees. This was after he was unable to get a loan from work.
Oliver allegedly ran into Jonas before the robbery.
Suffocated or strangled
He told the court he had grabbed Blöchliger from behind in a chokehold until she lost consciousness.
When the teen regained consciousness, Jonas allegedly told her to hand over her personal items. She gave him her ring and watch.
Oliver said he never asked Jonas – apparently armed with a gun - to accompany or help him.
In his affidavit, he said he tried to convince Jonas to put the gun away, as it would "make everything worse".
Jonas allegedly then turned the gun on him and Blöchliger. She was dragged into the fynbos where the gunman allegedly shoved her face into the ground and raped her.
According to police, a bra and T-shirt had been used to strangle her and one of her shoelaces had been tied around her neck. She was bleeding from the face and genitals.
A pathologist confirmed that she had been suffocated or strangled.
Moses was finalising a plea and sentencing agreement for possession of stolen property. He apparently helped Oliver sell the stolen cellphone.
Easter would plead guilty to possession of stolen property for having Blöchliger's cellphone, which he allegedly bought from Oliver and Moses.
