Body found wrapped in carpet
FEARS that a decomposed body found in Lavender Hill yesterday might be that of 13-year-old Rene-Tracy Roman, has crippled the teen’s mother.
Roman did not return home after going out to buy a packet of chips on March 10.
Yesterday, at a neighbour’s house about 10m from the home where Roman lived, a general worker made the grim discovery of a body concealed under a carpet in a shed.
Police at the scene said the body had decomposed to such an extent that they were unable to establish the age or identity of the corpse – they were only able to confirm that it was that of a female.
The hands and feet had been bound and the corpse was halfnaked.
Roman’s mother, Chrissandre, was too emotional to talk, and she could only agree with a relative that the support from the community has been overwhelming.
Three days after Roman went missing, a prayer vigil was held for her safe return. Yesterday, residents stood for hours in the sun, waiting to see and hear if the body was hers.
Celeste Ferguson, who lives at the house, complained about a foul smell coming from the shed in the backyard.
Ferguson had asked Colin Louw, a general worker, to clear the shed, and while he was doing so, he found the body hidden under a carpet.
Louw said he was so shocked by what he saw, that he ran out of the house and never asked for the money Ferguson owed him.
“At about 7am she asked me to clean, and then I saw the body. I couldn’t make out if it was a man or woman,” Louw, 36, said.
No counselling had been offered to him by yesterday afternoon, Louw said.
Police last week conducted a door-to-door search for the teen, and it’s alleged that Ferguson’s live-in boyfriend barred police from entering the house.
The man has not been seen at the house since the weekend and it is alleged that he is on the run.
Ferguson’s brother-in-law, Errole Hartzenberg, 55, said Ferguson had complained to her boyfriend about a carpet that had gone missing last Saturday – the same carpet alleged to have been used to conceal the body.
“She (Ferguson) asked him, for a few days already, what smelled like that, and she asked him what happened to her carpet? He told her not to worry about the carpet, and that he’d buy a new one.
“She is very shocked by the whole thing, and me and my wife are here to give her support. The boyfriend used to work for me,” Hartzenberg said.
Police spokesperson John Bartlette said a case of murder was being investigated.
“When police arrived on the scene they were taken to a bungalow behind the house, and there was a decomposed body found under a carpet.
“At this stage the person is unknown, and we can’t specify whether it is an adult or child.
“We have opened a case of murder,” Bartlette said.
A R10 000 reward was offered last week for information that could lead to the safe return of the teenager.
Anyone with information about the murder is requested to contact the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Nazel Dlaminie of Steenberg, on 084 312 4472 or Crime Stop at 0860 010 111.