Andrew Kathindi
The Namibian Police has announced that a woman has been detained for further questioning in connection with the discovery of humans remains, believed to be that of Shannon Wasserfall.
The development comes after Tega Matheus, Wasserfall’s father revealed to the Windhoek Observer that he and his other daughter had received an anonymous SMS with the exact location of the remains, which are believed to be that of Wasserfall, who went missing on 10 April this year. “Due to the circumstances under which the human remains were discovered, the police have registered a case of murder, alternatively, defeating the ends of justice, for further investigation. A joint investigation of senior detectives from Windhoek and Walvis Bay is leading the investigations. However, to this end, one person was detained for further questioning,” said Nampol Head of Criminal Investigations, Commissioner Moritz!Naruseb.
Matheus could not divulge more not to derail the ongoing investigations. He confirmed that he viewed the remains on Thursday in Windhoek but could not identify with certainty if they belonged to his daughter.
The remains were sent to Windhoek for forensic DNA testing to confirm whether or not they will match that of Wasserfall, a process which could be delayed as the Police testing equipment was currently not operational as the Windhoek Observer on Wednesday reported. “I just came from the mortuary. The remains just arrived so I went to go and examine them, so I am just waiting for forensic.”
Wasserfall went missing in Kuisebmund, Walvis Bay in April, four months after she travelled from Windhoek to the coastal town to visit her mother. She disappeared after dropping off her two-year-old son at a friend’s house before going to meet ‘someone’.
Nearly six months later, after a widespread search by both the Police and the public, on Tuesday 6 October, an anonymous SMS was sent with information about a site where there are decomposed human remains was sent out.
A day before the woman was detained by police for questioning, Nampol head, Lieutenant General Sebastian Haitota Ndeitunga had announced that they would follow up on who sent the anonymous tip.
The Namibian Police in Walvis Bay discovered the human remains in a shallow grave in the sand dune near the Narraville suburb behind Dunes Mall shopping complex On Tuesday 6 October.
