Doctor Masilela farm murder: Blood stains found on accused’s bakkie

The bakkie of a man accused of murdering Doctor Masilela on Stompiesfontein farm in Mpumalanga in June, tested positive for blood stains.

This emerged in the Delmas Regional Court on Wednesday during the testimony of investigating officer, Colonel Difaga Molope, in the bail application of Garry Wiblin, 36, and his co-accused, Dennis Grose, 67, who is his fiancé’s father.

Molope told the court that the blood stains were found on Wiblin’s vehicle, but didn’t specify where.

He added that DNA analysis was being conducted to check if the blood matches Masilela’s.

The State alleges that after Masilela was shot on June 17, his body was removed from the farm and thrown over a bridge and onto the N17 – about 40km from Stompiesfontein.

Molope testified that blood stains were found on top of the bridge and that police were told that the body was lying in the middle of the road because a vehicle had overturned after hitting it at around 22.30pm on June 17.

Masilela’s family opened a missing persons case later in June.

The court also heard that police only found out about the incident after the community confronted the Stompiesfontein farm manager, Dawie Lecordeur, in July.

After Lecordeur admitted driving over someone, who has since been identified as Masilela, the community handed him over to the police.

Lecordeur has since turned State witness and alleges that he saw Wiblin shooting Masilela.

However, during cross-examination, defence lawyer Christo van As told the court that Lecordeur did not mention the shooting to anyone, not even his boss, until an angry community confronted him.

“Members of the EFF arrived on the farm and threatened to set me on fire as a person was killed on the farm,” Lecordeur said in his witness statement .

Van As also argued that the charge sheet stated that Masilela was shot in his temple, near to his ear, but that Lecordeur says he saw Wiblin shoot him between the eyes.

“Lecordeur made these statements, implicating the two accused to exonerate himself, to shift the blame,” Van As said.

The defence also questioned Molope about why the other bakkies on the farm that night were not taken for testing and why it was all kept quiet until the community went to the farm to confront Lecordeur.

In addition, the court heard that the only firearm police had taken was that of Lecordeur.

Wiblin and Grose, who are both part of the Rural Safety Corps, which works with the local community policing forum, were called out to a farm where people were allegedly stealing beans and mielies.

The pair have both denied killing Masilela, contending that when they saw him, he had been assaulted by Lecordeur.

However, the State contends that Wiblin and Grose assaulted him, before killing him and dumping the body.

The bail application continues.

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