Pair opt to remain in jail as murdered friends buried
Two men accused of murdering their two friends have opted to stay in jail, as the victims’ families battle to come to terms with the brutal murders.
|||Cape Town - The two men accused of brutally murdering their two friends within three days have opted to stay in jail.
Bradlee Richter, 21, and Fabio Diedericks, 20, made a brief appearance at the Somerset West Magistrates’ Court where they said they would not be applying for bail.
They are accused of killing Nicole Raubenheimer, 20, of Garden Village, and Christopher Tromp, 20, of Macassar two weeks ago. A friend of the two accused reportedly handed over Richter’s bag to police, which allegedly contained a knife and Nicole’s jewellery.
Nicole’s body was found by her mother, Shirene Rienie Raubenheimer on Wednesday, August 17, at their home in Victoria Park. She had been stabbed multiple times and her head was wrapped in a black bag. The next day, Christopher’s body was found in a shallow grave in Sir Lowry’s Pass near Blue Rock resort.
As with previous court appearances, hundreds of family and friends of the victims were present.
Nicole, who was her mother’s only child, was buried on Saturday out of the Gordon High School hall, where hundreds of people came to pay their last respects. A friend of the young woman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “She was vibrant and friendly and fun. Her funeral was very sad. Her coffin had slowly been lowered into the ground at the cemetery and a single balloon released into the air. Everyone watched it fly away. She adds: “These guys were brutal and need to pay for what they did to her. They know they must not come out on bail, they don’t deserve to live.”
Christopher was cremated, also on Saturday. A relative who did not want to be named says he died brutally: “His face was unrecognisable and his intestines hung out of his body. He was strangled with a wire. Hy is wreed doodgemaak (he was brutally killed). “He did not deserve this kind of death at the hands of someone he called a friend. They must pay for what they did.” The woman added: “He worked and was never rude or disrespectful.”
The accused handed themselves over to police after Richter reportedly broke down and confessed to his mother. The accused had also shown cops where they buried Christopher’s body.
The case has been postponed to October 14.
Daily Voice