Cape Town – The fifth suspect detained in connection with the murder of Hillary Gardee has reportedly been released.
The suspect, who is thought to be in his mid-30s, was linked to Hillary’s cellphone and laptop.
On Sunday, police in Mpumalanga detained him for questioning, and on Tuesday, he was charged with defeating the ends of justice.
The suspect was scheduled to appear in Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
However, the National Prosecuting Authority decided not to file the case, instead requesting that the police obtain a statement from an expert regarding a cellphone and laptop stolen at the time of Gardee’s disappearance, IOL reported.
“The suspect has been provisionally released and as soon as the necessary information has been acquired, he will be subpoenaed to appear again,” the report quoted Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala as saying.
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According to News24, the police don’t have Hillary’s laptop or cellphone but said that they used her cellphone number to track the fifth suspect.
“We tracked the usage of the deceased’s cellphone number. That information assisted us in linking the fifth suspect. Hillary’s cellphone number was used by the suspect immediately after she was killed. By linking him to the case, it means he was involved in the case. He is knowledgeable about the incident. He might know where he obtained the two gadgets from,” said Mohlala as quoted by the report.
Hillary went missing on April 29 after a shopping trip to a Spar near her home in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
She was found dead in a field outside Mbombela, Mpumalanga on May 3 with a gun wound on her head.
Suspects Sipho Lawrence Mkatshwa, Philemon Lukhele and Mduzuzi Gama were arrested and charged with murder, rape, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping and possession of illegal firearms.
A fourth suspect, Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna, 36, is expected to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on August 23.
Nkuna allegedly confessed to killing Gardee. He was also linked to the murder of three other women in Mpumalanga.
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Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
