MURDER OF EXPECTANT MOM HIGHLIGHTS GBV CRISIS

Police make chilling discovery at graveyard

- GENEVIEVE SERRA

"SHE is not gone. She is coming home." These are the heart-wrenching words of the mother of four month pregnant 23-year-old Shanice Rudolph, whose body was discovered hidden in a shallow grave at Klip Road Cemetery, in Grassy Park, on the eve of the end of the 16 days of activism of no violence against women and children.

The young woman's life was tragically snuffed out before she could realise her dream of becoming a mother.

A 42-year-old man, identified as Rudolph's boyfriend, is expected to make an appearance at the Wynberg Magistrates' Court today on a charge of murder.

It is understood Rudolph had allegedly been lured out of her Lavender Hill home on December 4 apparently by her partner and was never seen alive again.

Police made the discovery of her body on Tuesday following a "pointing out" by a vital witness, which was as a result of the dedicated work of the police, neighbourhood watch teams and crime prevention units and missing persons units.

In a chilling bid to cover his tracks, the killer attempted hiding the body on top of another corpse.

Yesterday, the City of Cape Town's Recreation and Parks Department confirmed they were part of the formal investigation as crime at cemeteries have increased in recent weeks."