Gruesome find

Mystery surrounds the discovery of a human skeleton that was stumbled upon in Louis Trichardt on Monday.

The gruesome discovery was made by employees of the Department of Environmental Affairs, who were busy eradicating alien plants in the town’s Green Belt area, bordering River Street. The workers found the skeleton in a marshy spot, a few meters north of the old Messina Road. They notified the Makhado Police, who had the bones collected. The police also collected a size 6/7 tekkie (seemingly the Adidas brand), a blue, green and pink striped jersey, shreds of what seemed to be a black dress or skirt and a blue windbreaker from the scene.

According to local police spokesperson Const Irene Radzilane, a DNA sample has been taken and sent off to the police’s forensic laboratory for testing.  

The Zoutpansberger was able to take pictures of the remains on the scene. These were forwarded to local archaeologist Mr Stephan Gaigher to help shed more light on the possible gender and age of the deceased.

In his response he states that his findings are based on theory as he was not able to examine the bones physically and only had photographs to work with.

Gaigher had no doubt, however, that the bones were definitely those of a human, identifying the skull as female. “If one considers the steep curve of the [skull’s] forehead, and the sharp edges of the orbital ridges, it is quite possible that the bones could have belonged to a young African adult or teen,” said Gaigher. “The curve of the zygomatic bones, the big nostril and maxilla suggest that the skeleton is of Negroid descent,” Gaigher said.

A further clue that the skeleton is that of a female, Gaigher pointed out, is the poor level of the muscle bindings that are usually associated with female individuals. “However, to say with absolute certainty that these are female bones, the pelvic bone will have to be investigated as the sciatic curve will be a better indication,” said Gaigher.

As to the age of the individual, Gaigher speculated that the skeleton is that of someone between the age of 16 and 32. This he based on the closure of both the coronal and sagittal seams in the skull, and the condition of the remaining teeth.

In terms of how long the skeleton had been exposed to the elements, Gaigher said it was something that one could only speculate about. According to him, human tissue takes a minimum of three months to decompose before the skeleton is exposed.  In cold, dry conditions, this process can be slowed down significantly. Therefore, Gaigher said, due to the relatively dry and arid weather conditions of the past winter months, it was possible that the skeleton had been in the field for the past six months. “Once all the tissue has decomposed, it is very difficult to determine the age of human bones,” said Gaigher.

Another observation Gaigher made is that the individual could have had a distinctive mark on the left side of the face. “It may just be the angle of the photo, but it seems that there is a mark on the left sinus that looks like a healed blunt-force-trauma wound,” said Gaigher.

The discovery of the bones sparked widespread interest as to its identity and origin. Theories have been put forward that the skeleton might be that of a rape victim who was murdered and the body left in the field to rot.

Some even wondered if the remains could be those of Hlulani Maswanganyi (17), who has been missing since October last year. She was supposedly abducted together with her one-month-old son. Her baby was later recovered in the care of another woman, who currently stands accused with one more suspect of killing Maswangayi to get at her baby. Maswanganyi’s body has still not been recovered.

As to these theories and Gaigher’s observations, the Makhado Police said that they would not speculate on the matter and only comment when they had conclusive proof in the form of DNA tests. They have appealed to people who might have information about the case to come forward. Information can be given to the police by phoning the charge office of the Makhado Police at Tel 015 519 4300.

In the meantime, Radzilane has confirmed that the police have made no new progress in another case where a skeleton was discovered on a nearby farm. Farm workers discovered human bones on the farm Plaaspoort, about 32km south of Louis Trichardt, on Monday, 12 September. This case is also still being investigated.

News - Date: 26 September 2016

Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

Email: [email protected]