RUNAWAY CALVINIA KILLER CAUGHT IN CAPE TOWN

A CALVINIA vrou, accused of murdering her uncle and sidestepping police for five years, is finally behind bars.

On 9 December 2025, 38-year-old Ragel Baardman was convicted of murder said police spokesperson Warrant Officer Molefi Shemane said. 

This, after a deadly messtekkery on 3 June 2020. According to the State, Baardman and her oom Jan Müller (47) had an argument, during which she allegedly armed herself with an okapi and stabbed in the chest. The uncle later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Further police investigations led to the arrest of Baardman (then 32). The accused subsequently appeared in court at Calvinia and was released on bail. And that’s when she went on the run.

An arrest warrant was subsequently issued. Information made available to the police by the public indicated that the accused was vasgekap in the Zonnebloem informal settlement on Monday, 25 August 2025.

She was sentenced to 15 years’ tronkstraf. Of these, five years were suspended for five years. 

A well-known cop from Calvinia said: “You can run away, can wegkruip, can use any delaying tactic, or constantly change lawyers, but the lang arm van die reg will get you in the end.”

Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, the provincial commissioner of the Northern Cape, welcomed the sentencing. She also commended detective sergeant Brigette van Wyk of the Calvinia investigation unit for her diligent investigative work.