WINDHOEK – Johannes Neuaka, accused of gunning down the mother of his child at her mother’s home in January, will only make a return in court next year.

The accused, 39, who is custody, appeared in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court last week before Magistrate Namwenyo Shikalepo.

 The magistrate informed Neuaka that investigations into his murder case have not yet been finalised. 
The prosecutor, Victoria Thompson, said the prosecutor general has given 16 instructions that need to be complied with. In addition, a new investigating officer has been assigned to the case. Thus there is a need for more time to finalise investigations in the matter. The court postponed the matter to February 19, 2019 for the finalisation of police investigations.

Neuaka, a former soldier in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), is facing a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act, a count of possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence and a charge of negligent discharge of a firearm. All charges emanate from the gruesome death of his girlfriend and mother to Neuaka’s child,  Zya Juliet Shane Rittmann, 25, who was shot in the head on January 21. Rittman was killed in her mother’s yard in Michael Angelo Street in Damara location, Katutura.

The prosecution is charging that Neuaka intentionally killed his girlfriend of five years and mother of his child when he shot her in the head. According to the state, a 13-year-old witness saw Neuaka pull out a gun, aim at the deceased’s head and fire it while in her mother’s backyard. 

He denied guilt saying Rittmann’s death was accidental. During his failed formal bail hearing, Neuaka testified that Rittmann accidentally got shot when he was showing her a gun that he had just picked up from their yard moments after he dropped off their son who had spent the night with him.

Neuaka was remanded in custody at the Katutura police station after the court refused to release him on bail last month.