Pretoria: Brooklyn woman missing for nearly a year

It is nearly a year since Brooklyn resident Dawn Basdeo, presumed dead, has been reported missing but the police are yet to find her body, Rekord East reports.

The mother of two reportedly disappeared on 8 June after she left home for blood tests at a nearby hospital.

The missing persons’ organisation at the time confirmed that she never made her appointment and her car was found abandoned in Soweto two days later.

A week after her husband Prem Emmanuel Badeo reported her missing, he was arrested in connection with her disappearance.

The police at the time said they had sufficient evidence to suggest that Dawn was killed by her husband of 15 years.

During a previous court appearance, it was revealed that a bloody knife and towels had been recovered in the house Prem shared with his wife and that he had made three contradicting statements to the police regarding the disappearance.

In one, it was alleged, he had confessed to abandoning Dawn’s car in Soweto because he was scared he would be suspected in her disappearance.

Prem has denied any wrongdoing and maintained that he did not kill his wife and that he was trying to help search for her.

Dawn’s body was yet to be found despite several searches by the police, family and the community.

On Thursday, Prem appeared in the Pretoria magistrate’s court where the state indicated it was ready for trial.

Prem faces charges of murder, perjury and defeating the ends of justice.

The trial date will be announced when he next appears in court on 26 June.