The ouma of murdered one-year-old Orderick Lucas says the little boy was naked when children found his body stuffed in a drain just metres from her Eerste River home.
On Tuesday night, five children who were playing in Witterbol Street, in Melton Rose discovered the tot’s body after they lifted the drain cover to retrieve their ball.
Speaking to the Daily Voice at her home on Wednesday, ouma Cornelia Scheepers, 50, says her boarder rushed to the train station to fetch her and tell her that “Ordie” was found just three doors from her house.
She says her grandson “was a tiny little thing” who used to follow her around the house until they went to bed.
SAD: Cornelia with his new shoes shoe. Photo: JACK LESTRADE
The boy had been placed in her care after a court found signs of abuse, allegedly at the hands of his drug addict mother, Davideen Lucas, 28.
Cornelia says when she arrived at the scene, a horrible smell emanated from the drain.
“When they lifted him out he was naked. He had no blanket around him,” the hartseer grandmother says.
“His stomach was swollen and he had an injury that looked like a dent across his forehead.”
From the cupboard, she takes out the nappies and new size 2 baby shoes she had bought for him last week. She says she will donate them to charity now.
The ouma says she never lost hope that her grandchild would be found after he went missing on Sunday, 24 March.
Davideen, who also has six-year-old twins and a 12-year-old daughter, only reported his disappearance to cops four days later.
DRUG ADDICT: Mom Davideen Lucas didn’t know where he was. Photo: Jack Lestrade
She told police she had left the child in the care of her friend, Mervin Volkwyn after she was assaulted that night.
Community members had apparently attacked her after she allegedly stole a cellphone.
Davideen said she went to the hospital on Monday and when she returned, Volkwyn insisted that he had given Orderick back to her.
Cornelia says Volkwyn had told Orderick’s father on Monday afternoon that the boy was safe with his ouma.
“I don’t know what happened to Ordie. Davideen thought he was here and I thought he was still with them,” she says.
SHOCK: Missing boy was found stuffed in drain in same street. Photo: Jack Lestrade
“When she came to check on him on Thursday, she immediately went to the police station to open a case. She loves her child.”
Volkwyn was charged with kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
He has been incarcerated and the case is postponed to 9 April.
Police are currently waiting for an autopsy report.
Police spokesman Andre Traut said Wednesday: “The circumstances surrounding the murder of a baby boy are still under police investigation. The exact cause of his death is yet to be established and his identity is yet to be determined. No one has been arrested for the murder as yet.”
Ordie was found stuffed in the drain. Photo: Jack Lestrade
While at the scene on Tuesday night, Cornelia blamed Davideen’s “tikkop friends” for Orderick’s death.
The ouma says Davideen has been on drugs for 12 years, and she hopes Ordie’s murder will be “an eye-opener” for her.
Davideen, who was sitting outside, ready to burst into tears. She said she was not ready to speak.