[LISTEN] Police arrest suspect for murder of Hillary Gardee

Police say the breakthrough was made on Friday, during the last hours of the 72-hour timeline given to the investigating team to make arrests.

The announcement was made a week after Gardee went missing while shopping in Nelspruit.

Her body was discovered in bushes along the R37 road near Sabie on Tuesday, with the Gardee family later confirming she was shot in the head.

Mpumalanga Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, addressed the media after meeting with the Gardee family on Friday evening to confirm the developments.

The suspect was arrested in Schoemansdal in Nkomazi.

“We were using different evidence, different experts that were there with the gathering of information. Everything that we did, lead us in the position to say this is the correct suspect for our case."

Manamela says the identity of the suspect will only be revealed once the suspect makes his first appearance in the Nelspruit Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

However, she did confirm that he is between the ages of 30 and 40.

Manamela says the murder scene itself is still being fine combed.

“Up until such time that we are not speculating, we will be divulging. We will give more information when we are ready.”

She says at this stage the investigation is not looking at a syndicate, but says there will be more possible arrests.

“The family is upset. The family is in pain and while we were gathering the information it was very painful to come to the family when you did not have the concrete information. So, today we came because we are ready now. We know we are in the right direction.

Hillary Gardee will be laid to rest in Mbombela today. 

ALSO READ: