Mpumalanga police are closing in on the murder investigation of Hillary Gardee and days after her funeral, two more suspects were placed under arrest.
Hillary Gardee murder: Two more suspects arrested
The 28-year-old and her adopted three-year-old daughter were accosted by suspects on their way home from a grocery store run, on Friday 29 April 2022.
While the toddler’s life was spared, Gardee, unfortunately, suffered a horrendous death and her body was found dumped at an area outside Mbombela, last week Tuesday, four days after she’d gone missing.
Her family had vehemently maintained that this was the work of a group of suspects, who may have wanted much more than the measly R1 300 they withdrew from her bank account.
At this point of the murder investigation, three suspects currently stand accused of killing the 28-year-old, execution-style.
The first suspect, a 39-year-old man, was taken down by police at a location in Schoolmansdal. He is due to make his first court appearance on Monday.
According to Mpumalanga police commissioner Lt-Gen Semakaleng Manamela, two other suspects were arrested and charged with killing Gardee.
“This is encouraging. As we indicated, there were other people of interest we were following and interviewing. Through our investigation, which is continuing, we were able to come out with information that we fully believe the two are the right suspects” she said.
Faces of the alleged murderers revealed
On Monday, all three suspects, Sipho Mkhatshwa, Philemon Lukhele and Mduduzi Nkala appeared briefly at a Nelspruit court, where they collectively chose to oppose bail.
According to reports, the murder suspects asked the court for access to medical treatment, claiming they were tortured during interrogations.
Court proceedings concluded when all three suspects were sent back to police custody and the matter was postponed to 9 June 2022.
[HAPPENING NOW]: The 3 suspects in the Hillary Gardee murder case have just walked into the dock. #RIPHillaryGardee pic.twitter.com/sBSJVVNVhq
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) May 9, 2022