The man believed to be responsible for the heinous murder of Hillary Gardee is in police custody, reports confirm.
Who is Hillary Gardee murder suspect?
In a statement, national police spokesperson Lirandzu Themba confirmed Mpumalanga detectives, three days after the 28-year-old’s body was discovered dumped at an area outside Mbombela, “have made a breakthrough in their investigations.”
“One male suspect was arrested on Friday in Schoemansdal in Nkomazi. SAPS says they look forward to making more arrests as their investigations continue,” Themba noted.
The man held for Gardee’s murder is 39 years old and while police believe they have the right person in custody, “more arrests could be made in connection with the case.”
Themba added that the suspect, whose identity remains unknown at this time, will appear at the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court, on Monday 9 May 2022 facing murder charges.
“More charges could be added as the investigation continues,” the statement continued.
Despite facing criticism from the Gardee family for the manner in which the crime scene was handled, police are confident they have a strong case against the suspect, who may have been working with other accomplices.
Gardee was with her adopted three-year-old daughter, returning from a grocery store run, on Friday 29 April 2022, when she crossed paths with her killers.
The toddler was abandoned a block away from her Nelspruit home and, four days later, she was found with a gunshot wound to the head, in Mbombela.
How to watch Gardee’s funeral live
At the time this article was published, Gardee was being laid to rest. You can tune into the funeral below:
