Bloemfontein - Police have uncovered two more bodies on the farm of a 57-year-old man who was already in custody for murder, Free State police said on Friday.
The man was arrested two weeks ago for murder and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition after a decomposed body and an unlicenced AK47 assault rifle was found on his farm.
A follow-up search on two farms in Hertzogville, belonging to farmer Johan Pieter Sonnenberg, led police to two more bodies on Thursday.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thandi Mbambo said search warrants were obtained to search Diamante Game farm and the neighboring Fourie Skraal farm, in Hertzogville, about 150 kilometres outside Bloemfontein.
“A search party by various police stations and units, including the K-9, diving and mounted units, resumed searching on Wednesday,” Mbambo said.
“During the search in Diamante Game farm a foul smell was detected not far from where the first body was dug up on 10 March 2014. The search concentrated on that spot where the smell could be detected and after some digging a skull and a hand were seen protruding from the ground. The digging was stopped and forensic analysts from Pretoria were called to conduct an excavation.”
A total of two bodies were found during the excavation.
“The clothes on the deceased were found to match the description of two of three missing men from Christiana - Michael Grant, Jerome Desmond Grant and Riaan Ruiters,” Mbambo said.
Forensic tests would positively identify the deceased and determine the cause of death.
Police said three men from Christiana in the North West province disappeared on February 15 this year.
“The victims were allegedly last seen with the suspect on the day they disappeared crossing the bridge to his farm which is on the border between Christiana and Hertzogville.”
Police said forensic tests conducted on the first body could not indicate the identity of the person. Further tests would be conducted to try and determine the identity and the cause of death.
Nothing was found at Fourie Kraal farm and the farmer would appear again at Hertzogville Magistrates’ Court on Thursday March 26.
ANA