Tears flowed in Ottery over the weekend as Felicia Simons, who was murdered and set alight allegedly by her husband, was finally laid to rest just two days before what would would have been her 38th birthday.
Speaking to the Daily Voice this week, her family revealed that the mom of three had announced her plans to divorce her husband, Tevin Searle, a day before she was attacked.
Cops were called to the horrific scene on 19 June when Felicia’s charred body was discovered in the shower of their backyard dwelling they had shared with Felicia’s 16-year-old daughter, Shakeelah Hendricks.
At the time, neighbours said they noticed Searle disappeared after the murder and he was later busted by Grassy Park SAPS and charged with murder.
Grieving dad Eddie, 62, says the family was dealt another blow on 11 July when they went to Wynberg Magistrate’s Court only to learn that Searle had been granted R1000 bail despite allegedly confessing to the murder to his grandmother.
The hartseer father says he had waited several weeks for DNA tests to confirm her identity before they could bury her.
He explains after the tests were done, he went to the mortuary where he was told that preliminary examinations on her corpse revealed that she had been stabbed, gagged and then set alight with an unknown accelerant.
“They said it was not clear what was used to set her on fire but to bury your child like that is traumatising. We were forced to have a closed coffin because of the condition of her body and we remain traumatised.”
Daughter Shakeelah says in the days leading up to the murder, her scared mother announced she would divorce Searle.
“He was very abusive and always used to hit my mother. He even made her go to shopping malls and steal for him but he wasn't on drugs as far as I know,” she says.
She says her mother revealed she was planning to file for divorce after being married for three years, and sent her to her grandparents.
“She sent me in the morning back to my granny’s house because she said she was going to divorce him. While by my granny in Lotus [River], we heard she was killed.’
Eddie explains he is now caring for her three children but says the family is sukkeling to get by.
“They are living with me now and I am caring for them but it is hard. They are really struggling to focus at school and need counselling.
“He will return to court on 23 August. We just don’t understand how he was granted bail.
“On Monday to commemorate her birthday, we went to her gravesite at Klip Road Cemetery.”