The arrest of a man this week who is suspected of having been involved in the horrific murder of Hillary Gardee in April this year, raises more questions than answers regarding police competence in the handling of this high-profile murder investigation.
This latest arrest comes few weeks after a high court ruling that compelled Police Minister Bheki Cele to prioritise and widen the investigation by assembling a multi-disciplinary team that would include handing over the docket to specialists from the Hawks and Crime Intelligence, among others.
The reason the Gardee family’s urgent court application was heard in camera was because of so-called “persons of interest”. The court order compelled the new team to not only investigate but also inspect the docket, search and collect all evidence related to the murder, and keep the Gardee family informed of developments every two weeks.
Hardly two weeks since the high court’s ruling, the police have now nabbed a fourth suspect. This time, their story sounds plausible given the detailed account of the history of the suspect’s murky encounters with women.
We are in no way trying to be cynical about the police’s determination to solve this ghastly crime. We are, however, deeply worried. Before the Gardees went to seek alternative relief from court, the police investigation suggested a conduct of people who have been at sixes and sevens about Gardee’s real killer/s.
This raises several questions. The police previously stated the results of a rape kit, cellphone records, blood swabs and ballistic testing of the alleged murder weapon would link the three men (who were arrested shortly after the murder) to the crime. Why did they not disclose the possible involvement of more suspects?
The alleged confession by the latest suspect, according to the police, is that he was the only one responsible for Gardee’s murder after she was raped, which contradicts initial police statements.
The police have previously testified during the bail hearing that the first three suspects confessed to Gardee’s murder. Can the police take us into confidence whether all the suspects, including the latest one, acted in cahoots?
Could the police have indeed tortured the three suspects into admitting to committing the crime as they have claimed in court, or were their alleged admissions made voluntarily? Are these confessions going to stand the test of scrutiny in view of the latest alleged confession?
One of the accused has, in his bail application, methodically mapped his whereabouts at the time Gardee was kidnapped on April 29, until her body was found murdered on May 3. Surely the police are going to have physically link him to the crime scene or prove his conspiracy to this ghastly murder?
We hope the latest arrest will provide answers to these questions and eliminate suspicions that the police committed grave mistakes in effecting the initial arrests because they were under pressure to demonstrate that they are working.
We sincerely hope this is not going to be another mystery similar to the tragic Senzo Meyiwa murder where the police have been found wanting. The Gardee family deserves answers.
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