Meghan Cremer murder: Accused to remain behind bars over Christmas

Three men arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Cape Town horse rider Meghan Cremer will spend their Christmas and New Year behind bars.

They appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where prosecutor Emily van Wyk informed them that the investigation was not yet finished.

She said that forensic evidence, reports and statements were still outstanding and asked that the matter be postponed until January 27 to wrap it up.

Magistrate Keith Le Keur told Shiraaz Jaftha, Jeremy Sias, and Charles Daniels to be patient.

“It does take some time for murder charges, for post-mortem reports,” he said.

Daniels, 39, blew a kiss to his elderly mother in the public gallery as he was led back to the holding cells. ” Lief vir jou [Love you],” he said, before blowing another kiss.

None of the men were expected to apply for bail.

Jaftha, 34, who has a pending murder case and a prior drug conviction, is the only one of the three who made a bail application, but he abandoned it at his last appearance.

Jaftha – together with Sias, 27, and Daniels, 39 – were initially charged with the possession of Cremer’s vehicle.

Sias has since been charged with murder and armed robbery after the avid horse rider’s remains were found on a sand mine at a Philippi farm on the morning of August 8.

His two co-accused are charged with car theft and defeating the ends of justice.

One of the suspects is understood to have pointed out where Cremer’s body could be found.

Her hands had been bound and she had a restraint around her neck. Her body was thought to have been there for some days as it did not appear to have been freshly dumped, police sources told News24 at the time.

She was last seen on Saturday, August 3, when she left her place on a Philippi farm at about 6.20pm.

She never returned to the Vaderlandsche Rietvlei Stables or work.

Sias has a pending car theft case and a prior assault conviction.

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