TEARS flowed in Lotus River this week as the identity of a charred body found in Ottery was confirmed to be missing teen Erin Adams.
DNA tests undertaken by the family of the 18-year-old girl confirmed their worst fears after a match was made to the corpse.
The discovery of the charred remains of an unknown person sent tongues wagging on 10 January as residents speculated about what led up to the murder.
At the time, police explained that the body was burnt beyond recognition and there was no indication of who it may be or what led up to the incident and that a post-mortem would need to be conducted.
Erin's worried mother, Judy, told the Daily Voice that she reported to Grassy Park SAPS several days later amid speculation that it was her daughter's body.
She says the family was advised that DNA tests would have to be done first.
The hartseer ma says: “The detective came to me to get the tests done.
“They took a swab of my mouth and compared it to her blood and made a match.
“I am devastated, I was praying it wasn’t her.
“Right now we don’t even know what led to her death. I asked the detective if she was raped but he explained the post-mortem must be completed first.’
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the outcome of the DNA tests.
He says: “Be advised that the deceased was identified via DNA. This office is awaiting on the post mortem report to determine the cause of death.
“At this stage the investigation is in a very sensitive stage and leads are being followed up.”
But Erin’s devastated mother is now pleading for help to lay her daughter to rest.
She says: “We are hoping to get the body this week. She was not in a burial [scheme] and we do not have money to bury her.
“It is already traumatising to think we must put a burnt body in the ground.
“As a mother you give birth to a human being and the way she was killed was so horrible that they destroyed her whole body and we must say goodbye like this. Any help will be appreciated.”
If you would like to assist Erin’s family, call Beryl Williams on 082 732 6926.
If you have information about her murder call Detective Sergeant Gregory Kleynhans on 079 894 1307 or 021 700 3927.