New Year’s Eve celebrations in Hanover Park came to an abrupt halt when just hours before the annual countdown, the body of a talented soccer player was found along Jakes Gerwel Drive.
Tears flowed over the weekend as hartseer residents visited the home of Jody Fisher, 20, in Hangklip Court after the horrific discovery on Saturday morning.
His heartbroken mother Jolene, 39, says she cannot believe her first-born son was killed in such a violent manner as questions linger over what led up to the fatal incident.
“Jody was unmarried and did not have children. He grew up here in Hanover Park and stayed with me. At this time he was not working, but he had dreams of being a professional soccer player and spent most of his time doing that because he played for Pro Stars,” she explains.
The grieving vrou says she last saw Jody on Friday night when he left home to hang out with his friends.
“He was up and down and came in on Friday night and put on a top and his jacket over. I told him he must not stay out late and he said yes.
“When it became late and he didn’t come home I stayed up and watched by the window. I fell asleep on the couch and the next morning my husband came to tell me that children said his body was laying there.”
Jolene says when she arrived at the scene Jody had been declared dead.
Chat groups were filled with pictures of Jody, and sympathetic residents expressed their shock at his murder.
“Until now we still don’t know what happened. When we were at the scene there was so many stories, but none of the friends that went out with him that night have ever come to the family to explain anything. We heard he was robbed but we cannot be sure. We are still waiting for detectives from Philippi SAPS to come to the family. We don’t even know how many times he was stabbed.”
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg confirms the murder and says cops responded to the incident at 6.20am.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by paramedics. The unknown suspects are yet to be arrested. A murder case was registered for investigation,” he adds.
As Jolene prepares to identify Jody’s body at the morgue she has raised unanswered questions over her son’s change in behaviour in recent months.
“After his father was killed, he started to use drugs. He started changing and getting new friends and I spent many sleepless nights worrying about him. On Christmas Eve, we were speaking and he told me he wanted to go to counselling to stop the drugs and we agreed. He wanted to change back into the person he was.
“I have heard so many stories and as a mother I want to say if my child hurt anyone, I apologise. But I want to know who killed him,” she pleas.