Franziska murder case postponed as state awaits cellphone evidence

10 June 2016 - 14:55 By Philani Nombembe

Unavailable cellphone evidence has delayed the Franziska Blöchliger murder case for more than a month. Four men accused of murdering‚ raping and robbing the teenager appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court in Cape Town on Friday.The prosecution told the court that the police investigation was almost complete barring one “time-consuming aspect” – cellphone evidence.The court heard that the state needed to obtain evidence involving cellphone mapping from Pretoria‚ which would take about six weeks‚ in order to bolster its case against Howard Oliver‚ Jerome Moses‚ Jonathan Jonas and Daniel Easter.Wet and cold weather appeared to have deterred the crowds that have previously protested outside of court. A handful of campaigners huddled‚ in pink tops‚ inside court.The four accused chatted in the dock and seemed unfazed by the gravity of the charges they face.The court postponed the matter until July 28 for further investigation. The director of public prosecution is yet to decide whether it will go on trial at the High Court.Sixteen-year-old Franziska was attacked on March 7 while jogging in lower Tokai Park. Police used the signal from her stolen iPhone to round up the suspects within 36 hours. Grisly details of her killing emerged during Moses and Easter’s bail hearing last month.The state revealed that Franziska died of suffocation and strangulation. Her face was forced into the ground‚ sand was found in her mouth and throat. She had been raped.The four are facing murder‚ rape and robbery charges. Moses‚ the son of a warder at Pollsmoor Prison‚ previously told the bail court that one of his co-accused had asked him to help find a buyer for a cellphone.He did not care about where it came from because he wanted money for drugs. Easter‚ the cellphone dealer who bought the phone‚ denied any involvement in the robbery‚ murder and rape.Moses and Easter are out on R2000 and R1000 respectively.Watch the video shot outside court by TMG Digital reporter Deneesha Pillay:   – TMG Digital..

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