After nearly 40 gruelling days in court, the state has wound up its case against Henri van Breda, who stands accused of murdering his parents and brother with an axe, and attacking his sister and leaving her for dead.
This week, Captain Marius Joubert, a police expert who analysed the blood spilt at the crime scene in Stellenbosch, shed new light on what might have happened.
As the state's last witness, his testimony added to the horrific picture painted by the postmortem file, police footage of bodies in pools of blood, the emergency call placed by Van Breda and the evidence of more than 20 witnesses.Joubert placed Van Breda "in close proximity" to the "blood-shedding events" of the early-morning horror on Tuesday, January 27 2015.
His brother Rudi died first, and most violently, according to forensic pathologists - attacked as he lay sleeping. His death was followed by that of their father, Martin, who rushed to help Rudi.
Hacked
Both men, according to state testimonies, were caught unaware.
This followed a night during which Henri had several alcoholic drinks and a neighbour heard an argument involving "loud male voices".
According to his plea statement, Henri watched in terror from behind a slightly open door as a man in a balaclava hacked at his brother and father after everyone - apart from himself - had gone to bed.
But Joubert said bloodstains and spatter on Henri's grey shorts and white socks were not consistent with this version of events.
Postmortem evidence revealed that mother Teresa was then attacked. She came rushing through in her sleepwear and tried to protect herself with her arms and hands, but fell on her face before sustaining axe blows to the head.
A state witness said DNA from Teresa and Rudi was found in scrapings from under Van Breda's fingernails...