Cape Town - The prime suspect in the murder of a woman in Woodstock appears to have escaped from police custody.
On November 22, Veronic Dickson, 27, was found dead with multiple stab wounds at her home in Roodebloem Road.
Investigations led police to a house in Surrey Estate, Athlone, where they arrested 28-year-old Denzil Adams for the murder.
On December 3, Adams, pictured, made a brief court appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
The case was later postponed to December 11, and he was due to undergo psychiatric evaluation in the interim.
But Adams failed to appear in court, while in custody at one of the institutions of correctional services.
A probe of the non-attendance at court started, and the investigation officer found that he had disappeared on the morning of December 11, while on his way to court.
Police have not revealed details of Adams’s “disappearance”, saying only that the circumstances were still under investigation.
Police said Adams was from Taurus Avenue in Surrey Estate.
“He is about 1.7m tall, slender build, black hair, with a mushroom haircut and has knife-cut wound on his hands.”
Police spokesman Warrant Officer November Filander said Adams was dangerous and people should not confront him but alert the police if they saw him.
If anyone has details about Adams’s whereabouts they should contact the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Warren Smit, at 021 486 2876 or Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
Dickson recently moved from Gansbaai to Cape Town to look for work and was due to have started working at a shopping mall at the beginning of next month.
Witnesses at the scene said Dickson’s body was found by a woman with whom she shared the house.
The motive for her murder is not known.
Cape Argus