Tears flowed in Lotus River this week as the family of 18-year-old Erin Adams received confirmation of their worst fears: the charred remains discovered in Ottery on 10 January were those of their beloved daughter.
DNA testing definitively linked the severely burnt body to Erin, leaving her family heartbroken and grappling with the devastating loss.
The initial discovery of the body sparked widespread speculation amongst local residents. A local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, recalled the conflicting rumours that swirled through the community in the days following the grim find.
“Nobody knows who the person is or who did this, but on Friday we heard so many stories,” said the resident.
“First, they said it was a woman who was on fire and apparently the people who saw a fire on the veldjie didn’t think anything of it because they thought someone was burning copper. It was only afterwards they saw it was a body and everyone kept saying it was a woman. Some people say it happened during Jumuah time, but others say it happened in the morning already and was only found after people left mosque.”
At the time, police reported that the body was so badly burnt that identification was impossible. A post-mortem examination was deemed necessary to determine the cause of death and establish the victim's identity.
https://www.celebgossip.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/burnt-body-found-in-cape-town.jpg
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the outcome of the subsequent DNA tests, stating: “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.”
Erin’s distraught mother, Judy, recounted the agonising wait for confirmation. Several days after the body’s discovery, fueled by growing suspicion that it might be her daughter, she reported her missing to Grassy Park SAPS.
“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,” Judy explained.
The Grassy Park Community Policing Forum (CPF) also confirmed their presence at the crime scene. Charmaine Arendse of the CPF stated: “We attended the scene but there was no information on who the person was or what led up to this. The CPF is calling on anyone with information to come forward to police.”
Now, facing the unimaginable grief of burying her daughter, Judy is appealing for assistance with funeral arrangements.
“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,” she said.
The family’s desperate plea for financial aid to cover Erin’s funeral costs underscores the immense burden they are carrying. The horrific nature of Erin’s death, coupled with the financial strain of a funeral, has compounded their suffering.
Anyone wishing to assist the family can contact Beryl Williams on 082 732 6926. Information regarding Erin’s murder can be reported to Detective Sergeant Gregory Kleynhans on 079 894 1307 or 021 700 3927. The community is urged to come forward with any information that may help bring those responsible for this tragic crime to justice.
