Update
KNYSNA NEWSFLASH - Today, the fifth day of the murder trial of Knysna local Shantel Zeelie, concluded early after one witness’s testimony.
The hearing, which started on Monday 19 February in the Circuit High Court in Knysna, is being conducted almost a decade after her murder on 5 January 2009.
Her ex-boyfriend Eugene Stander was arrested three years later for her murder and released on R5 000 bail.
Zeelie, 28 at the time of her death, was a receptionist.
Her fully clothed body was found on 6 January 2009, hidden beneath some branches, near a path leading to the Coney Glen lookout point at the Heads.
Her vehicle was found in a parking lot nearby with no signs of theft.
Since Tuesday 20 February 2018, several witnesses were called to testify, including a pathologist, medical practitioner, Zeelie’s coworker, Zeelie’s mother, a mutual friend of both the deceased and accused, and an investigating officer.
According to Netwerk24, pathologist Dr Willem van der Merwe testified on Tuesday that Zeelie had received fatal injuries to her neck.
He was of the opinion that Zeelie was most probably strangled from behind.
In the testimony of Warrant Officer Herman Freiboth on Friday 23 February, it came to light that Stander had gone to the police of his own accord four days after Zeelie’s murder, stating that he had been told a detective was looking for him but didn’t know the name of the detective.
Freiboth testified that Stander was told the detective branch was not looking for him, but that it was then that they noticed “fresh scratch marks” on Stander’s arms.
The case is expected to continue next week.
Read more in Thursdays Knysna-Plett Herald and online for a more comprehensive report.
Read a previous article: Zeelie murder case back in court
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