Sabie lodge tragedy: Murder probe opened as families offer conflicting accounts
Preliminary post-mortem findings indicate strangulation and suffocation, while an aggrieved brother fiercely rejects theories of a suicide pact.
Mpumalanga police are investigating a murder case after 17-year-old Cameron Waldeck-Cooks and Ethan Coetzee (19) were found dead at a Sabie lodge on Monday (August 3).
Cameron was a Grade 11 learner of St Stithians College. Coetzee was an alumnus.
Cameron’s parents, Derrick Cooks and Claire Waldeck-Cooks, said in a written statement that preliminary findings by an independent forensic pathologist indicated Cameron died from strangulation and suffocation, reports the Lowvelder.
The family requested that speculation not be presented as fact while investigations continue.
They described Cameron as ‘deeply loved and kind-hearted’, and expressed gratitude for the support of the Saints community, her friends, and the netball and rowing communities.
Brother alleges murder
Meanwhile, Cameron’s brother, Ethan Waldeck-Cooks, alleged in an Instagram post that Coetzee was responsible for her death. He rejected suggestions of a suicide pact or overdose, writing: “My sister… was murdered by Coetzee. There was no drug overdose, no poison, no suicide pact. Ethan Coetzee suffocated my sister to death by strangulation.”
He added that while Coetzee had been close to the family, ‘all his virtuous deeds mean nothing now’, and vowed that the trauma caused ‘will not be forgotten’.
Coetzee family disputes claims
In contrast, Coetzee’s family disputed allegations that he was involved in Cameron’s death. In a statement published by other media outlets, the family said: “There was no sign of an altercation and Ethan sustained no injuries consistent with a struggle.”
They described him as ‘kind, gentle and loyal’, and emphasised that the couple appeared happy the night before their deaths.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that a murder case has been opened following post-mortem results.
While Cameron’s death is being investigated as murder, Coetzee’s death is believed to be suicide. No person has been charged, and police have not publicly announced that Coetzee was legally determined to be her killer.
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