A 41-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered on Macassar Beach, just outside of Cape Town. The victim’s body was discovered by a fisherman on the morning of 27 May, who promptly contacted authorities.
After evidence of sexual assault was discovered, the initial inquest into her death was reclassified as murder.
Also read: Three bodies discovered in Macassar in under one week
According to News24, police authorities claimed that forensic analysis of clues found on the victim’s body led to the identification and subsequent arrest of a 41-year-old man. The suspect was apprehended with a warrant on Monday night after sufficient evidence was obtained.
The accused is scheduled to appear in Somerset West Magistrates’ Court on Thursday on a murder charge.
According to the Daily Voice, the victim discovered was 23-year-old Sherileen “Poppie” Esak of Voorbrug in Delft, who was last seen at Zevenwacht Mall the day before her body was discovered.
A young mother of two, Esak was reportedly living on the streets or in abandoned houses prior to her murder and was identified by a distinctive tattoo.
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Major-General Bongani Maqashalala, the acting Western Cape police commissioner, praised the investigators’ efforts, saying the breakthrough will provide some comfort and closure to the deceased’s bereaved family and loved ones.
In response to community concerns, increased police patrols will be maintained in the Macassar policing precinct, where multiple bodies have recently been discovered.
Two bodies were discovered on 27 and 28 May, with a third discovered on 1 June. Residents in the area have expressed concern about the incidents, speculating that criminals are using power outages during loadshedding to dispose of their victims.
Monwabisi Beach, located further down the coast, has also been mentioned as a possible location for disposing of bodies.
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