Wheeler murder: police dismiss ‘new evidence’
Man claims he saw her being killed
AN AUTHOR and a former police detective have allegedly tracked down an eyewitness who could shed new light on the 2005 murder of 18-yearold Jessica Wheeler.
The eyewitness, whose identity is being withheld for his own protection, has described in detail how he allegedly saw two men murder Wheeler in the St George’s Anglican Church yard in Knysna on October 13.
The witness has made a written statement to an independent attorney that was video and audio recorded.
Following the discovery of Wheeler’s body, another young woman, Victoria Stadler, 20, was found murdered in the Noetzie forest a month later. Knysna DJ Heinrich van Rooyen was arrested and following a marathon trial was found guilty of both murders. He was sentenced to an effective 30 years in jail without parole.
He has maintained his innocence throughout the case.
Alan D Elsdon, a former East London resident who penned the book The Tall Assassin, and André Els, a former police detective, recently spent three months in Knysna investigating the 10-year-old murders. They said the account given by the new witness calls into question crucial court testimony given by a state eyewitness who placed Van Rooyen at the scene.
Elsdon said their investigation found the testimony of the state witness to be “fabricated and devoid of any truth”.
He said the man had seen Wheeler in the church grounds on the night she was murdered.
“She was with two other men when an argument broke out. Jessica raised her voice and he described how one man grabbed her by her hair and forced her face into the ground. The second male grabbed and held Jessica’s feet as she struggled to break free.
“When Jessica ceased to show any form of life they turned her onto her back and removed her shoes and jeans. The men probably wanted Jessica’s death to appear as sexually motivated.”
Later that morning when her body was discovered police found three cigarette butts at the murder scene. DNA found on one was that of Jessica, the second had no DNA but on the third the DNA of an “unknown male” was found.
Elsdon said they knew the identities of both men implicated and had provided their findings to the SAPS in the Western Cape. “But the police showed no interest in the new evidence.”
Western Cape police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie previously told the Dispatch that police were looking into the matter. Contacted for follow-up comment recently, he said: “There is nothing I can further comment on. … the matter has already been finalised.”
Van Rooyen’s brother Franklin said the family still harboured hopes the truth would finally come out. “We are unhappy with the way police handled this matter. As we know the police will have a lot to lose when Heinrich is found not guilty. — andrews@dispatch.