By Karen Breytenbach
The man who discovered the body of Stellenbosch student Inge Lotz suspected suicide when he saw her on the couch in her dark living room.
Christo Pretorius told the Cape High Court on Wednesday that he was called by a church friend, Marius Botha, at 10.23pm to check on Lotz, who lived near him in Klein Welgevonden, on the town's outskirts.
Botha was the Pinelands flatmate of Lotz's boyfriend, Fred van der Vyver, now on trial in connection with the murder.
Pretorius said he did not know Lotz, but had seen her twice at His People's church, also attended by Van der Vyver, whom he did not know, and Botha. Lotz was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church Welgemoed, her mother has told the court.
"My wife and I were in bed. Marius asked me if I would mind checking on Inge He said she often fainted and had an illness. He said (Botha and Van der Vyver) had been trying to reach Inge since 3pm and were worried."
He reached Lotz's flat about 10.35pm. "I pressed No 21 at the main gate about two to three times. When she didn't answer, I asked someone on a balcony to open the gate for me."
Pretorius drove in. At Lotz's first-floor flat, he opened the door, which was unlocked.
"I saw Inge on the couch. I called her name, but she didn't respond. Only the blue screen of the TV lit the room. I went up to her and saw a wound in her neck, dark spots and something in her hand. I thought it was a knife, but later found out it was a TV remote. Her legs were crossed. My first thought was suicide. I got a huge fright and ran out."
He phoned Botha, his brother and his pastor around 10.45pm. The man who let him in phoned the police. Pretorius closed Lotz's front door, but did not switch on lights or re-enter.
He had another conversation with Botha later, but could not recall when or what was said. His cellphone records showed Botha called him at 10.36pm. He said this was to ask him if he had found the flat.
Lotz's mother has said Botha called her at 10.52pm saying there was "bad news". Some time later he and Van der Vyver arrived and said her daughter had been murdered.
Captain May Frans September, police shift commander on the night, said he was the first on the scene, about 10.30pm. The TV and living room light were on. "I switched on the kitchen light. I saw (Lotz) on the couch."
Police photographer Desmond Share said he might have moved a coffee table to get a better shot of Lotz on the couch. Captain Bertus Prins said he had checked outside for discarded weapons, but found none. The flat was neat, he said.