Tears of disbelief flowed in Strandfontein on Tuesday when residents discovered the badly decomposed body of a woman suspected to be missing mom Melissa Julius.
Tempers flared in the 7de Laan informal settlement on Wednesday as angry residents attacked the man who last saw the 30-year-old mom alive.
Melissa went missing on October 16 after visiting her sister Janine Pareira, who raised the alarm and conducted searches.
On Tuesday afternoon, Janine says she got a bad feeling and went to sit inside her sister’s now unoccupied hokkie after she heard a body had been found in the thick bushes nearby.
“We had looked all over but there was no sign of her,” she explains.
“On Tuesday in my lunch time, I had a bad feeling and just came to sit here.
“That is when my sister told me they were going to search the bushes with a dog. First they found her pink Nike takkie that she was wearing and then they found her body.
“I could not believe my eyes. Her whole face was black and she was already decomposing. There was a belt tied around her neck and it looks like she was strangled.”
Police quickly cordoned off the scene and the corpse was removed. Spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi says at this stage the identity of the woman is unknown.
“Strandfontein police attended to a complaint on Tuesday,” he says.
“Upon arrival at the scene in the bushes behind 7de Laan informal settlement at around 1pm, they found the badly decomposed body of an unknown female. Police registered an inquest for further investigation.”
Janine says that the family firmly believe it is Melissa as they positively identified her clothing. “We know it is her but we are going to wait for the outcome of the DNA tests.”
On Wednesday morning, kwaad residents attacked Johaar Arendse, 55, claiming he killed Melissa.
Speaking to the Daily Voice afterwards, Arendse said: “I am hartseer because they came and hit me for no reason.
“Yes, I was the last person to see her and I gave her money to go and buy a halwe pill [mandrax] because we wanted to smoke, but she never came back and I never saw her again.
“The police let me go because I know nothing about what happened to her.”
Two years ago, cops found the decapitated body of Patricia Williams, 40, in the same vicinity as Melissa. Patricia’s naked body was found in bushes opposite Strandfontein Pavilion.