Jane Govender, 44, and her daughters Denisha, 22, and Rackelle, 16. (Siphamandla Goge / Twitter)
Jane Govender, 44, and her daughters Denisha, 22, and Rackelle, 16. (Siphamandla Goge / Twitter)
A 45-year-old-man has been remanded in custody for the Phoenix Triple Murder case. After a brief court appearance on Tuesday – which saw the accused “faint” before making it into the dock – a bail hearing was set for the start of next month.
Here’s what we know so far about the man who police believe committed the most heinous of all crimes in KwaZulu-Natal. His arrest on Saturday came just 36 hours after the bodies were discovered.
Who is the Phoenix Triple Murder accused?
The defence has so far been successful in keeping the accused’s face out of the media, as they feel that revealing his identity to the public would jeopardise their case. Reporting restrictions are still in place, meaning he can’t be named. Once this changes, we will update our information.
Mag Irfaan Khalil also denied the media’s request to film/photograph the #PhoenixTripleMurder accused. State was for it. Defense was not. #sabcnews
— Minoshni Pillay (@Minoshni) September 25, 2018
His victims
Jane Govender, 44, and her daughter Rackelle, 16, were found dead by Govender’s husband Sagren on Friday morning. However, there would be a third shocking discovery in store for the family. The body of the Govender’s 22-year-old daughter Denisha was found hidden in a cupboard.
Relationship to the family
Early reports indicate that the accused is an acquaintance of the family, and the victims knew their killer.
Health issues arise during court appearance
There were scenes of high drama on Tuesday afternoon, as the main suspect fainted just seconds before he was due to appear before the court. An official had to contact a family member to ask about his health, who revealed that there’s an underlying heart condition the 45-year-old suffers from.
According to one officer, the man is believed to have a heart condition #TripleMurder @TheMercurySA
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) September 25, 2018
When will his bail hearing take place?
At the conclusion of the hearing, the defendant was remanded in custody at Westville Prison until a formal bail application gets the go-ahead on Wednesday 3 October.
Public reception
The Phoenix Triple Murder case has stirred anger amongst the local community in Phoenix, causing many residents to call for the death penalty against the man on trial. DA-supporting members of the public turned up outside the Verulam Magistrate’s Court too.
#PhoenixTripleMurders Community members calling for no bail and the death penalty in the case. #TripleMurder pic.twitter.com/giLMGqIkei
— Nushera Raisa (@nushera) September 25, 2018
