One year later: Psychic declares Joshlin Smith is no longer alive

Tuesday, 19 February, marks one year since the green-eyed, blonde-haired girl vanished from her home in the Middelpos informal settlement within the Diazville community.

Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, her boyfriend Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis, and a male friend have been charged with kidnapping and child trafficking, accused of selling her to fund their drug addiction.

Starr, who claims to have communicated with Joslin’s “spirit”, suggests she was abused and possibly used for witchcraft.

“I do not believe she’s alive. I believe she was dead before they reported her missing,” the report quoted her as saying.

Starr is an American psychic who has amassed a strong following on TikTok and YouTube where she shares videos of her “interacting” with the paranormal.

Last year, she posted a teddy bear, a picture of Elmo from Sesame Street, and a photoshopped image of Joshlin where she claimed to have channelled Joslin.

In the video which went viral, Starr said she used the teddy bear for paranormal investigations and when a spirit interacted with the bear, a static sound couldbe heard. When there was no static, the answer was likely no.

@kandisstarr #channelingenergy #joslinsmith #southafrica #southafricannews #southafricatiktok #paranormal #tiktok #energyreadersoftiktok ♬ original sound – KANDIS STARR

Starr asked “Joshlin” whether she was taken on a ship, and there was silence. She wondered whether her mother, Smith, had ever left her with men and whether her mother knew that she was being hurt, and the static rang on for a while.

There was further silence when she was questioned whether her mother knew of her current whereabouts, and a small noise when asked if there was witchcraft done to her.

Meanwhile, the Diazville community is set to hold a memorial walk on the first anniversary of her disappearance, organised by the Patriotic Alliance, to honor Joslin’s memory.

The suspects are due back in the Western Cape High Court on 28 February.