Woman guilty of the murder of beloved Moot veterinarian
The 28-year-old woman will be sentenced on 5 July.
A 28-year-old woman was found guilty last week Wednesday at the Pretoria high court for the murder of beloved Moot veterinarian Dr Freddie Malan.
Linda Samantha Carolina Venter will be sentenced on 5 July.
Malan (60), the owner of the Jakaranda animal hospital, was shot dead at his practice in Frates Road in Villieria during an armed robbery on 31 January 2019.
Private investigator Mike Bolhuis got on board with the case shortly after the murder.
Senior specialist investigators of Bolhuis, Werner Koekemoer and Tony Naidoo, said that Venter has been in custody at Diepkloof correctional services for almost a year after she was arrested in Roodepoort.
They said Venter would not reveal the identities of the other 20 or more suspects believed to be behind the robbery.
“One of the suspects is still on the loose abroad, but we suspect that the others might be in the country,” they said.
As previously reported, Venter entered the practice and claimed to have a sick pet.
When the door was opened for her, she kept the gate open for her three male accomplices.
Malan died when he and one of the male suspects got into an altercation, and the robber fired a shot hitting him in the chest.
Koekemoer added that Venter was also found guilty of 25 charges of armed robbery with aggravating circumstances after a plea agreement.
Moot CPF chairperson Elsabé Weyers said that “at least it is a part of the chapter that can be concluded”.
“It is another part of the grieving process that we can put behind us,” she said.
The animal hospital has since the incident shut its doors.
Weyers added that hopefully an animal hospital will open on the property again soon, but it will not be easy to replace Malan.
“His love for animals were truly one of his greatest characteristics,” she said.
“Freddie was a gentle man who has since his passing left a huge gap in family, colleagues, friends and the community’s hearts.”
Malan qualified as a veterinarian in 1989. After completing his national service as state veterinarian, Jakaranda animal hospital was established by him in 1990.
CCTV footage was released in 2019 of the suspects in the murder case and can be viewed at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqbwFNN_vDU.
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