The writing and fingerprints on a magazine crossword puzzle found near the body of young Elino Sprinkle did not match those of convicted child killer Norman Afzal Simons, an inquest court has heard.
The Mitchells Plain magistrate's court is hearing evidence on the deaths of Fabian Willmore, Owen Hofmeester, Marcelino Cupido, Sprinkle, Donovan Swarts and a young boy who has not been identified, all of whom were thought to have been the victims of a serial killer dubbed the Station Strangler about 20 years ago.
According to police experts' statements read to the inquest court by Natasha Simons (no relation to Simons), for the State, DNA and hair samples collected at crime scenes did not match Simons's.
The reports she read were by police officers who had worked on the cases and by police forensic experts Wilma Oelofse and Jacobus Pretorius, who examined hair samples and handwriting.
Microscopic tests were performed on the hair samples, but Oelofse had not found any connected to Simons, the inquest court heard.
Dealing with information on the murder cases individually, Ms Simons read a statement by Pretorius, who examined a magazine page found near the spot where Sprinkle's decomposing body was discovered in April 1994.
On the page was a completed crossword puzzle and the handwriting, as well as fingerprints on the piece of paper, were not those of Simons, according to Pretorius's report.
Earlier, inquest magistrate Merelise Roller agreed for the second time in as many days to requests by Simons's lawyer, Koos Louw, that the contents of certain statements be dealt with in camera.
On Monday, details of Simons's statement to a Bellville magistrate were disclosed in camera.
Yesterday's closed session focused on a statement by Kevin Pretorius, a man who had claimed to be Simons's friend.
Pretorius was in witness protection during Simons's trial in 1994 and was found murdered three months after Simons was sentenced to 22 years in prison for killing young Elroy van Rooyen.
Louw argued that Pretorius's statement was defamatory and irrelevant to the inquest. Pretorius did not testify at Simons's trial and his statement was not used.
A clean-shaven and relaxed Simons sat quietly throughout proceedings and during breaks chatted briefly to friends in the public gallery. He has served 14 years of a 25-year sentence.
The six boys were among 20 murdered in 1986 to 1994. An adult was also found murdered in similar fashion.
The inquest has been postponed to September 3, the earliest date on which Roller will be available.
Louw is to consider whether he wants to call the police experts to testify.