2010-09-10 Stellenbosch – Matric-pupil Nina-Sue Hopkins, 18, found her tied-up, murdered mom Marianne, 47, (picture) floating in the bathtub -- just after the teen had arrived home from writing a maths-exam on Friday Sept 10 2010.
Journalist Ilse Krige reports in Die Burger newspaper that the terrified teenager's screams reportedly echoed throughout the high-security housing complex De Boord as she cried: “My ma is dood! My ma is dood! Kom gou!” (My mom is dead, please come quickly).
The pupil at the Afrikaans Girl's High School Bloemhof made the traumatic discovery at around 11:45am. Her mother's lifeless body reportedly was floating in the bathtub, which was filled to the brim. The woman's hands and feet were tied. The SAPS said their initial impression was that she had been strangled.
The distraught teen’s first call was to her friend Marli, 18 and her mother Grethe Schoonraad, 47, reports Krige. Mrs Schoonraad rushed to the Hopkins home and described the murder scene at Nr 24 Rhodes Street North to the journalist. "It was horrific. It just could not be true'...Upset neighbours, friends and family members quickly gathered behind the police barrier, including the youngest child Anne-May (10), a pupil at the Eikestad primary school. Reneé and Nina-Sue had to tell the bad news of her mother's dead to the little girl. The murdered woman's mother Reneé Carinus was so shocked that she sank to her knees at the entrance of the high-security housing complex and beat at the grass with her handbag, reports Die Burger.
Marianne Hopkins' son Billy, 24, who was on a trip in Durban, took the next flight home and the children also were still trying to trace their divorced father Vince, who lives with his son Billy outside Stellenbosch on a farm, but had gone on a fishing trip in Namibia.
SAPS capt Rene Matthee said Nina-Sue (left, being consoled by a male friend), had rung the front-door bell upon her return from school, but did not get any response from her mom. The girl, noticing that the dogs were locked up inside a room, ran to the backdoor which was ajar. The teen ran upstairs, noticed that all the rooms were in disarray - and then found her mother's body in the bathroom and raised the alarm.
The family car, a silver-grey BMW, reg. nr CL 43169, is missing. The investigating officer was w/o Nicky Steyn at tel. 082 684 4370.
The initial brief examination of the murdered woman have the SAPS believing that she may have been strangled, but this will have to be confirmed with the usual post-mortem examination by a police-forensics expert.
Capt Matthee confirmed that there had been 'several breakins' in the region recently. Die Burger also reported an armed attack against the local Spar supermarket during which its manager was kidnapped. http://www.nuus24.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Ma-van-vier-tuis-in-bad-vermoor-20100911
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