Pretoria - As the news of the death of Hillary Gardee continues to sends shockwaves throughout the country, Mpumalanga police have revealed how they found the body of the 28-year-old woman in bushes, murdered, with visible wounds to her head.
She was found dead in the bush, 45kms outside of Nelspruit, on Tuesday morning.
Police have confirmed that Hillary, who is the daughter of former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee, was murdered.
Police Minister Bheki Cele says the priority for the police, at this stage, is to catch Hillary’s suspected killer.
The 28-year-old woman went missing on Friday, April 29, after she was last seen at the local Nelspruit Plaza Super Spar just after 5pm.
She was with a 3-year-old girl she was planning to adopt. The child was returned home safely after she was found in a street in KamaGugu hours after the pair went missing.
Speaking to IOL on Tuesday, Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said Gardee’s body was discovered by passerbys on Tuesday morning, who then reported the matter to the police.
“Police are investigating the murder of a 28-year-old woman, Hillary Gardee, who was found today (Tuesday). She was found about 45km from Nelspruit, it was between Nelspruit and Sabi. She was found in the bushes not far from the road.”
Mdhluli said Hillary was still wearing the same clothes she was last seen in when she went missing and her body had wounds on her head.
Speaking to Radio 702 on Monday, Mdhluli confirmed police suspected foul play and said they were still investigating the matter further.
Hillary, who was Gardee's first-born daughter, was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1994. Before her untimely death, she was a student at the University of South Africa (Unisa), studying IT part-time, while running her own IT business.
She is understood to have been in the process to adopt the three-year-old girl she went missing with.
Cele and National police commissioner Fannie Masemola were on Tuesday afternoon at the murder scene, according to a social media post by Cele’s spokesperson.
They also visited the Gardee family and were briefed by the investigating officers.
Outside the Gardee home, Cele said police were on the hunt for the murder suspect.
“We are looking for the criminal that murdered a young human being in a brutal way.
“Let us get that person who will help us figure out if there are politics in it, if there is economics in it, if it is hate or passion, whatever crime, but definitely we are not looking for any motive for now,” he said.
[SCENE OF CRIME] Minister Cele and the @SAPoliceService management are now receiving a report from the investigating team at the crime scene where the body of Hillary Gardee was found at the Ehlanzeni district in the Sabie area just outside Nelspruit. pic.twitter.com/BU1CjI2k0V
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) May 3, 2022
[HAPPENING NOW] Minister of Police Gen. Bheki Cele, National Commissioner Gen. Masemola touch down in Nelspruit, following the murder of 28 year old Hillary Gardee who went missing at the end of April. @SAPoliceService are investigating a case of murder. pic.twitter.com/5e9O2ngF9M
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) May 3, 2022
[AT THIS HOUR] The Minister of Police and National Commissioner of the @SAPoliceService arrive at the Gardee home in Nelspruit, they have just returned from the crime scene where the body of Hillary Gradee was found. SAPS in the province are investigating a case of murder. pic.twitter.com/mLHpGUvNvO
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) May 3, 2022
IOL