WINDHOEK - Elvis Mieze, 44, who was charged with murder and defeating the course of justice in the Windhoek High Court died on March 19 while in hospital from an undisclosed illness, Judge Naomi Shivute was told on Tuesday. 

The cause of death will be determined once an autopsy is done on Mieze. He was accused of the murder of Getrud Vaanda Tjihuiko who was his live-in girlfriend, during September 23 to 30, 2016 in Herero location in Windhoek and hid the body in his shack for several days. 

Mieze denied guilt on the charges at the start of his trial and made use of his right to remain silent and put the burden on the state to prove each and every allegation against him. It however merged through cross-examination of state witnesses that Mieze had claimed the deceased apparently stabbed herself in the heart when she fell onto a knife she had in her hands during a quarrel between them. According to the lawyer that represented him during the trial on instructions of legal aid, Milton Engelbrecht, his client claimed that during the morning of September 28, 2016 he and the deceased were quarrelling when she grabbed a knife with which she wanted to stab him. In an effort to defend himself he pushed the deceased away and she fell onto the knife onto the bed and in the process stabbed herself. 

The body was discovered the next day, he had previously said. Mieze had denied that he hid the body in the shack for several days as is alleged by the state resulting in the defeating or obstructing the course of justice allegation. Deputy Prosecutor General Karin Esterhuizen appeared for the state. Judge Shivute struck the case from the court roll.