Wait for cellphone evidence delays Tokai murder case

The State's case against the men accused of the rape, murder, and/or robbery of Tokai teen Franziska Blöchliger was postponed to wait for the compilation of cellphone evidence.

Cape Town - The State's case against the men accused of the rape, murder, and/or robbery of 16-year-old Tokai teen Franziska Blöchliger was postponed on Friday in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court to wait for the compilation of cellphone evidence.

However, in her address to the court, State attorney Renee Prinsloo-Uys assured that the evidence would be ready in the coming weeks as it took approximately six weeks to complete and was near finalisation.

The court was also made aware that the legal representation for accused number two, Jerome Moses, would now be handed to attorney Kevin Pietersen.

Moses, along with accused number four Daniel Easter, were granted bail as they can only be linked to Franziska’s stolen cellphone. Both of their bail was extended on Friday.

Accused number one is the only who has, thus far, alleged been positively linked through DNA results to Franziska’s rape in early March.

Any bail application by accused number three would have been denied and was thus abandoned in the early stages of the case as he had failed to appear in court on a separate, previous matter. Franziska was found dead in Tokai forest in March following a late afternoon jog.

Further investigations and post-mortem results found that Franziska had been raped, had sand in her throat at the time of her death, and had ligature marks around her neck.

The matter was postponed until July 28.

African News Agency