Accused explained away bloody trousers

A handful of family members of the deceased are seen here inside B Court at the Northern Cape High Court on Monday (11/03/2013). In the front row are Bettie and Don Steenkamp, parents of deceased Deon Steenkamp. Behind them (from left) are Christel's family Marieta, Marthie and Bully. Picture: Liz�ll Muller

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Kimberley - A pair of blood smudged trousers and a DNA sample that later went missing, are some of the exhibits that were taken as evidence from the crime scene, following the murders of the Steenkamp family in Griquatown on Good Friday last year.

Well-known family members, Deon 44, Christel, 43 and Marthella, 14, Steenkamp were murdered on their farm Naauwhoek, about 150 kilometres from Kimberley in the Northern Cape.

The accused is a 16 year old minor.

SAPS commanding officer of the Crime Scene Investigating Unit Lieutenant Andre Mark Mc Anda on Tuesday testified in the Northern Cape High Court that he was called out to the crime scene in Griquatown on April 6 2012, at about 7.20pm.

The forensic evidence collected includes six fire cartridges, a firearm, a .22 rifle an empty magazine and a magnum revolver. A blue and a maroon T-shirt were also taken as exhibits.

Mc Anda said all the evidence was sealed in tamper proof bags and was later transferred into a forensic carry bag that was large enough to accommodate the .22 rifle.

He added that he was instructed by the investigating officer Colonel Dick de Waal to collect the pants that were worn by the accused, as it had possible blood stains.

“I wasn’t going to collect the pants as the accused had a reasonable explanation as to how the blood was transferred to his pants. He said he had assisted one of the victims inside the house which explained the transfer of the blood onto his trousers.

“I however complied with the request of the investigating officer and bagged the trousers as evidence.”

McAnda stated that he was unable to testify on what happened to a swab containing evidence that went missing.

“The motor vehicle was parked in front of the police station. When I looked up I saw a number of people around the area of the police station where we were investigating.

“I requested that Captain Jafta who was the station commissioner at that stage assign a police official to safeguard the forensics. Unfortunately till this day I cannot testify what happened to that specific swab.”

On their way to the farm the police spotted an abandoned vehicle along the road, that they stopped to investigate.

Mc Anda indicated that the bakkie was “fairly dirty” and that he conducted tests on marks detected on the vehicle that resembled blood on the steering wheel and on the back section.

He pointed out that none of the samples tested positive for blood.

Upon arrival at the farm, he said the scene was cordoned off while a handler and his dog from the Saps Dog Unit who was specially trained in blood and semen detection was sent inside the house.

All police officials who entered the house were required to wear personal protective equipment, (moon suits), gloves, mouth and shoe protectors, to limit contamination of the scene.

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