A 49-year-old man, who was previously convicted of murder and who confessed to killing his girlfriend and her two-year-old daughter, has been sentenced to two life terms behind bars.
Paul Evans has been in police custody since November 2017 after he was arrested for killing his girlfriend, Shafieka Petersen, 38, and her daughter, Mishka, two.
He had hid the child’s body in a kitchen cupboard and the mother in a large plastic tub.
Evans and Shafieka dated briefly after meeting on Facebook and lived together in a small separate entrance in a backyard in Tufelo Street, N2 Gateway in Delft.
On 24 November 2017, while Shafieka’s landlord, Themba Malgas was home, his girlfriend alerted him about a foul smell coming from the backyard dwelling.
When the Daily Voice interviewed Themba in 2017, he said it was the smell of the bodies that led them to the gory discovery.
The mother, child’s bodies were found in the tiny huis inside the tiny kitchen cupboard, the body of Mishka was found wrapped in blankets.
Two days later, cops were called back to the house after Shafieka’s maggot-riddled body was discovered inside a large plastic tub.
The investigating officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Thebus, nabbed Evans in Eendekuil near the N7 highway a day later.
Evans made a confession to police, and it was also revealed at his first appearance at the Bellville Magistrates’ Court that he was previously convicted for murder, for which he was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
Evans received the death penalty in 1992 but made an appeal and in 1994, he was granted life imprisonment.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut, commended the dedicated detective who secured the conviction.
“The success of our investigations and prosecutions depend largely on thorough and meticulous taking of statements, gathering evidence and presenting the facts of the case in court.
“A day after the bodies were found, the investigating officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Thebus, who was a Captain at that time, followed up information on the whereabouts of the alleged suspect, Paul Evans in Eendekuil near the N7 highway.
“During investigation the suspect confessed to the murders.
“The double murder case was set for trial in the Western Cape High Court and the accused was sentenced by Judge Salie Hlope on Tuesday, 13 August 2019.”
GORY: The mother, child’s bodies were found in the tiny huis
Evans received two life terms for the murders, and 18 months for defeating the end of justice.
Shafieka’s family has refused to comment about the murders.
On Thursday, Delft Community Policing Forum chairperson, Pastor Charles George, said they welcome the sentence: “When justice is served, we get very excited because criminals cannot think they can get away with murder.
“We wish the family everything of the best now that they have closure.”