PLETTENBERG BAY – Christiaan Branders (34) from The Crags near Plettenberg Bay appeared in court on 31 March in connection with the murder of Dr Jane Luck (71) and her husband, Rolf (77), who were fatally attacked on their farm in Glen Loerie.
According to police spokesperson Warrant Officer Christopher Spies, the accused appeared in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrates’ Court on 31 March, facing two counts of murder.
He was remanded in custody, and the matter was postponed to 10 April for further investigation.
Spies said that the suspect also appeared in the Uniondale Magistrates’ Court on 31 March on charges of possession of suspected stolen property and possession of drugs.
He said that the victims were discovered at their farm property after police responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle travelling at high speed.
Further elaborating, Spies said that preliminary reports indicate that a Mercedes-Benz motor vehicle was captured by a license plate recognition (LPR) camera travelling at high speed along the R339 in the direction of Uniondale at approximately 18:50 on 25 March.
The vehicle was subsequently flagged on a local security WhatsApp group.
“Police members responded to the registered address linked to the vehicle, where they discovered the bodies of a man and woman. Both victims sustained multiple injuries,” said Spies.
He said that a coordinated effort between police and community safety structures led to the pursuit of the identified vehicle.
The vehicle later overturned near Uniondale, where the driver fled the scene on foot before being apprehended shortly thereafter.
“Crime scene experts have processed both scenes as part of the ongoing investigation,” said Spies.
He further said that the motive for the attack remains under investigation.
Anyone with additional information that may assist the investigation is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the mobile application MySAPS.
