The late Shannon Wasserfall’s son was supposed to remain with Azaan Madisia (30) to wean him off breastfeeding, the boyfriend of Wasserfall testified yesterday.
Petrus Shoopala told Windhoek High Court Judge Christie Liebenberg, who is presiding over the trial of Madisia and her brother and co-accused Steven Mulundu, that he and Wasserfall had decided to wean off their son, Junior, who was almost two years old at the time.
They asked Madisia to take him for the weekend so he could get used to the baby bottle, he said.
According to Shoopala, she was the obvious person to ask, as she was a good friend and also loved Junior very much.
He further said that Madisia came to fetch Wasserfall and Junior between 12h00 and 13h00, and that was the last time he saw her alive.
Madisia and Mulundu pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances, and guilty to a charge of defeating or attempting to defeat the course of justice.
Madisia also pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud.
Madisia remains in custody at the Klein Windhoek police station, and Mulundu at the section for trial-awaiting inmates at the Windhoek Correctional facility.
The pair are accused of murdering Wasserfall – a close friend of Madisia – in April 2020.
Madisia reported Wasserfall missing, and allegedly also took part in some of the searches conducted to find her.
A text message sent to Wasserfall’s father that year led the police and investigators to the victim’s shallow grave close to the Dunes Mall.
The message was later traced back to Madisia, who was arrested in November 2020.
Mulundu handed himself over several months later to the police at the Narraville police station for his part in the crime, and was arrested.
He allegedly assisted his sister to dispose of the victim’s body.
She was missing for almost six months last year.
Chief Inspector Jacobus Viljoen, who took a statement from Madisia after her arrest, yesterday testified that he was called by Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikwiyu to go to the Narraville Police Station because Madisia wanted to give a statement.
He said he arrived there at about 20h30, and found Madisia and her lawyer Gilbert Kasper.
According to him, she told him that she and the victim were involved in a physical fight.
At one stage, she told him that she pushed the victim in the direction of the garage, which she later changed that it was to the door of her bedroom.
She further said the victim tripped over a ledge near the garage door and hit her head on the corner of a wooden table and fell on the cement floor.
Viljoen said Madisia later changed the version to that she pushed Wasserfall, and that the victim fell over her bed and did not get up again.
He further testified that Madisia told him that after she and Mulundu disposed of Wasserfall’s body, she returned home and cleaned the flat.
Madisia’s Legal Aid lawyer Albert Titus clarified his client said she “tidied up” the flat and not that she cleaned it.
He further told the officer the victim bit his client on the pinky and not the ring finger as the officer stated, which is how a small amount of blood landed on her wall.
Mulundu is represented by Legal Aid lawyer Tanya Klazen, and the trial continues.