By Rorisang Rampheteng:
Breakthrough in Missing Woman Case
An alleged visit to a sangoma by the suspect, coupled with meticulous crime intelligence gathering, led police to the grim discovery of a body buried in a shallow grave on a farm homestead in the Kloofeind area, outside Bloemfontein, on Monday, 9 February 2026.
The discovery follows weeks of investigation into the disappearance of a 27-year-old woman who was reported missing late last month.
Crime Scene Experts Deployed
A team of police crime scene experts began arriving at the identified farm along the N8 National Road between Bloemfontein and Petrusburg from as early as 10:00. The shallow grave was pointed out by the suspect himself, a 34-year-old farm worker.
The decomposed remains of the victim, who has been identified as the suspect’s girlfriend, were carefully exhumed at the scene for further forensic examination.
False Statement Raises Suspicion
The suspect had initially reported the woman missing, claiming she disappeared on Saturday, 17 January 2026. A missing person file was officially opened on Friday, 30 January 2026, at Parkweg Police Station.
During this process, the suspect allegedly provided a false statement to police, claiming that the deceased had left the farm to visit her aunt in Pieter Swarts, Bloemspruit. Further investigation later revealed this information to be untrue.
The man charged with murder and defeating the ends of justice
Following the discovery of the body, the suspect was immediately placed under arrest. A case docket of murder and defeating the ends of justice has been opened at Parkweg Police Station.
Police confirmed that investigations into the matter are ongoing as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
The 34-year-old suspect was expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, where he will face charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice. – @NewsSA_Online
Follow our social media platforms below: