Stellenbosch cemetery murder case: Criminal pasts of accused unveiled

The National Prosecuting Authority has revealed that the two men accused of the brutal murder of 77-year-old Johannes de Kokker at a cemetery in Stellenbosch last month are not unfamiliar with the law.

Darren Stephanus, 38, and Ryan Munnik, 20, appeared in the Stellenbosch Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, February 4, to face serious charges related to the murder.

Eric Ntabazalila, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said Mr Munnik had a warrant issued for his arrest for another matter when he allegedly committed the murder, while Mr Stephanus has a criminal record.

“Darren Stephanus (38) and Ryan Munnik (20) appeared at Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court charged with the murder of 77-year-old Johannes de Kokker,” he said.

“Their case has been postponed until February 19 for a bail application. “It has come to light that Stephanus has a previous conviction (no details available at this stage), while his co-accused, Munnik, was out on bail of R400 for two counts of theft when he was arrested for the current murder charge.

“There was a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court. The State will oppose their Schedule 6 bail application.”

The men have since chosen legal aid to represent them.

The state is set to prove that a security guard led police to the gravesite where Mr de Kokker’s body was found.

He had reportedly been visiting the grave of his son, who had died years ago during a drowning incident. Police had earlier confirmed in news reports that he had sustained open wounds to his chest area and was found lying on his left side next to the gravesite.

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