Three members of an ISIS-linked gang have been found guilty of murdering British botanists Rod Saunders and Rachel Saunders before dumping their bodies in a crocodile-infested river in South Africa, bringing an end to a case that has remained unsolved for more than eight years.The Durban High Court found Saifuddin Del Vecchio, 44, his wife Bibi Patel, 34, and their tenant Moses Jackson, 40, guilty of double murder, kidnapping, robbery and robbery after a trial that heard evidence from about 60 witnesses over 160 trial days. The Daily Mail reported.The couple, aged 74 and 63 respectively, disappeared in February 2018 while searching for rare tulips in KwaZulu-Natal province.
The couple was targeted during a seed flight
Rod and Rachel Saunders were world-renowned botanists and owners of the Cape Town-based seed company Silverhill Seeds.
They regularly traveled across South Africa collecting rare plant species and giving lectures on the country’s flora.The court heard the couple had traveled about 900 miles from Cape Town and recently filmed with a BBC documentary team led by broadcaster Nick Bailey in the Drakensberg Mountains before continuing their journey to Ngwi Forest National Park.Prosecutors said Del Vecchio identified the couple as a target while they were camping in the remote woods.
Phone records showed he called Patel and Jackson, calling them a “good stalker” before later sending messages suggesting both victims had been killed.
Tortured to obtain bank details
The court heard that the couple had been kidnapped and forced to hand over banking information before being killed.Post-mortem examinations found that Rachel Saunders had suffered multiple machete wounds to the back of her head, repeated stab wounds and severe blunt force injuries.
Rod Saunders died of blunt force trauma to the head.After the killings, the victims were wrapped in sleeping bags and placed in the stolen Toyota Land Cruiser.
Bodies are dumped in the river
The three defendants then headed to the Tugela River Bridge, where the bodies were thrown into a crocodile-infested river in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.When the remains were eventually recovered, decomposition and animal predation had left them so badly damaged that investigators requested DNA analysis and dental records to identify the victims.
The spending spree led police to the suspects
Investigators tracked down the gang after they used Rachel Saunders’ credit cards and bank accounts to fund a spending spree worth around R734,000 (£37,000).The trio bought Bitcoin and transferred money from the couple’s accounts before being noticed by a suspicious store employee, who alerted the authorities.Police traced the financial trail to the suspects’ home, where officers found the victims’ phones, jewelry, laptops, camping equipment and a stolen car.
Blood found inside the Toyota Land Cruiser was later matched to the couple.
ISIS materials found during the raid
The three defendants were already on the terrorist watch list.During a raid on their property, members of South Africa’s elite anti-crime unit, the Falcons, discovered ISIS flags as well as extremist literature. Despite alleged links to ISIS ideology, prosecutors did not bring terrorism charges.WhatsApp messages that appeared in court were attributed to Del Vecchio, and referred to the victims as “infidels”, with instructions that their bodies should never be found.Judge Esther Stein said that mobile phone data, DNA evidence, witness testimony and circumstantial evidence proved the involvement of the three defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.“The pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly,” the judge said, finding that the trio had acted together in carrying out the murders.The ruling is scheduled to be issued on June 19. Under South African law, the three face the possibility of life imprisonment.
