Erika Heunis

Senior Superintendent Erika Heunis (1972 - 2008)

Brief overview:

Erika (36) an instructor at the police academy, was raped and bludgeoned to death with stones, in Mountain Avenue, Graaff Rienet, on 22nd January 2008. Erika was out jogging with her students at around 07h45, and continued for a further 2.4 kilometres after he students turned back. There were allegedly three attackers.

By 11h00 she had still not returned to the academy so they went looking for her. "They went jogging at about 07:45. When she had not returned to the academy by 11:00, officials went looking for her. Captain Johan Grebe and inspector Jannie Coetzee later found her semi-naked body under a tree. There was a lot of blood on the scene. They smelled pepper spray, but we are not sure whether she had sprayed her attacker, or whether he had sprayed her."

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Street/Suburb
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
  • Erika's jogging shoes, watch, glasses and wedding rings were stolen.
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
  • A witness came forward to speak to the police, and after testing, DNA evidence uncovered that he had been in contact with Erika. He was held and questioned and was to appear in the magistrate's court.
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s

Country of origin of Perpetrator/s

• Trial/Conviction
  • No further updates can be found regarding the court case.

Additional Biographical Information:

SAPS Tribute:

"The top management of the South African Police Service was deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of Superintendent Erika Heunis, a training coordinator at the SAPS Training Institution in Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape. Superintendent Heunis, (36 years), was senselessly attacked and murdered while out on a morning run on Tuesday, 22 January 2008. Her death has left her family, friends and colleagues devastated and the local community in mourning."

"On behalf of all police members, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to Erika's husband, children and family as well as her colleagues and friends", said Deputy National Commissioner Mala Singh who is responsible for training-related matters in the SAPS. "The local police are to be commended for making a swift arrest and I would urge them to ensure that a thorough and comprehensive investigation results in a successful prosecution", added Commissioner Singh. Heunis had been a police member for 18 years and was a popular and dynamic member of the close-knit police training division. She was respected and liked by colleagues and students alike and will be remembered with great fondness as a dignified and committed member of the South African Police Service."

Links to Media articles:

• http://archive.is/N3Bue
• https://web.archive.org/web/20080124000057/http://www.news24.com/Ne...
• http://archive.is/Qhpjf
• http://archive.is/zslkw
• https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-herald-south-africa/20...
• http://archive.is/MZa0r
• https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000188864529828
• https://web.archive.org/web/20110429151800/http://www.health24.com/...