Police discovered a body buried in the garden of a property in Heidelberg, Gauteng, on Wednesday.
TimesLIVE Premium has been told by various sources this house used to be occupied by Jaen-Lee Pyne, the "motorbike shooter" charged with killing a community policing forum member and seriously wounding another man in July.
Pyne was released on bail less than a week ago, allegedly without the police or the families of his alleged victims being informed.
He was denied bail in the Heidelberg magistrate's court but brought a fresh application in a higher court.
TimesLIVE Premium has been trying since Friday to gain clarity from the National Prosecuting Authority on Pyne's release on bail. While multiple queries remained unanswered, the accused man has since returned to the community.
On Wednesday, NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana replied to say they could not comment on police matters. When it was pointed out to her that comment was needed on the release on bail of the accused, she read but did not reply to further messages.
It is alleged that Pyne, in early July, shot and killed local CPF member Etienne du Preez and seriously wounded the town's CPF chairman, Flip Minnaar.
According to various community members close to the two families, this was the result of a toxic relationship Pyne had with Clarise, the daughter of the surviving victim, Minnaar.
CCTV footage at the time of the shooting showed a man wearing a colourful bike helmet and a black jacket park his bike in an alleyway before walking out to shoot the two men and then flee the scene.
A Du Preez family member on Wednesday told TimesLIVE Premium they felt the justice system was failing their family.
"We did not even know they were trying to get him released on bail. But it was not only us. Even the local magistrate who denied him bail did not know this was happening. The police investigator also only found out after Pyne was released.
"I am angry. If anybody in our family had been notified, I would have been that person, and we would have vehemently opposed his bail application."
A spokesperson for the Minnaar clan, who asked not to be identified, said they were in the same boat.
"None of us knew. We suddenly just started getting calls and messages from community members who had seen him in town.
"There has been lots of progress made by police. There is no way they would not have opposed the bail application had they known about it. We were failed by the prosecuting authority."
It is understood that Pyne needs to sign in at the police station every Monday and Thursday, as per his bail conditions.
On Wednesday another cat was thrown among the pigeons when police arrived at an address in Arnoldi Street in Heidelberg, acting on a tip-off.
"Someone told SAPS to go dig in that address where he used to live, they would find a dead body buried there," a source said.
Another well-placed Heidelberg source said police arrived early on Wednesday. "They had a huge yellow excavator with them. They started digging at about 9am."
Just after 10am, various sources started contacting TimesLIVE Premium to say police had made a find.
"A dead body has been found. Digging has now stopped. They are waiting for senior officers from province to join them at the scene before they continue working."
Col Mavela Masondo, the Gauteng SAPS spokesperson, confirmed police have opened a case of murder after human remains were found in a shallow grave.
He said: "Police received information about a person buried in a shallow grave in Heidelberg. The information led the police to a house in Heidelberg where the shallow grave was identified.
"Several police units, including forensic expects and the K9 unit, were summoned and the team started digging.
"Human remains were found buried in a shallow grave. A case of murder was then opened. The police investigation is continuing and a search for the person(s) responsible for the murder is under way."
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