Cape Town - The murdered Paarl woman, whose body was found buried in a shallow grave in her boyfriend’s backyard, might have been six months pregnant when she was killed, an investigator linked to the case has said.
Nicola Pienaar’s boyfriend, Jacobus Oosthuizen, pointed out her body on Sunday, more than three weeks after her mother reported her missing.
Oosthuizen, 32, was, a few days earlier, tracked down more than 700km away from the alleged murder scene, in Port Elizabeth, in a car filled with what is believed to have been mostly Pienaar’s belongings.
He is expected to appear in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in connection with her murder.
Police say Oosthuizen would also face charges of motor vehicle theft and fraud.
The deceased’s mother, Marlaine Pienaar-Vyle, was on Tuesday too distraught to speak to the media.
Pienaar-Vyle, who is a practising psychologist in Paarl, had reported her 28-year-old daughter missing on January 8, three days after Oosthuizen is believed to have started the trek to Port Elizabeth.
He was arrested outside a fast food eatery after a worker at the store called to report a suspicious vehicle.
Authorities soon found out the car Oosthuizen had been travelling in was reported stolen and linked to Pienaar's disappearance.
At the time, Oosthuizen reportedly told police he had dropped her off in Oudtshoorn after the couple had an argument.
On Sunday, two days after the initial case of motor vehicle theft had been transferred to the Paarl Magistrate's Court, Oosthuizen led police to the grave, in the backyard of his family home, where Pienaar’s body was found.
Oosthuizen was traced by private investigator Paul Scheepers, who has assisted police in high-profile abduction cases.
Pienaar’s cause of death and confirmation of pregnancy are expected to be revealed after a post-mortem.
* Additional reporting by Saafia February