UPDATE: JULY 26
THE mysterious murder of Leanne Douglas (45), owner of the former Red Rooster restaurant at Spiller’s Wharf in Port Shepstone, remains a haunting cold case.
September this year will mark four years since Ms Douglas was found dead in an overturned, bullet-riddled vehicle on the N2 highway near Umkomaas.
She was allegedly shot and killed by police in a high-speed chase in September 2013. During the shooting, she was reportedly on the phone with her mother, Leonie Luckin, telling her that police were chasing her and that she was scared.
However, Moses Dlamini, spokesman for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) was quoted this week in the Daily News as saying that they are arranging to come to KwaZulu-Natal in two weeks to brief the media on the case and others involving the police and the K9 unit.
Mr Dlamini could not be reached for comment before going to print.
Ms Luckin declined to comment when she was contacted by the Herald.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
NOT another word has been heard on the mysterious death of restaurateur Leanne Douglas.
It has been two-and-a-half years since Miss Douglas (45), owner of the former Red Rooster restaurant at Spiller’s Wharf in Port Shepstone, was found dead in an overturned, bullet-riddled vehicle on the N2 highway near Umkomaas in September, 2013.
She was allegedly shot and killed by police in a high-speed chase.
Miss Douglas died after at least five police bullets struck her blue Chevrolet Spark, causing it to roll.
During the shooting, she was reportedly on the phone with her mother, Leonie Luckin, telling her that police were chasing her and that she was scared.
“Since the Leanne’s death the case has rested with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and nothing further has transpired. Questions need to be answered,” said Ms Luckin.
No response was received from the IPID before going to print.
A recent IPID report to national members of parliament revealed that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) ranked has the highest number of cases against police officers when it comes to death as a result of police action, the number of rapes by police officers and incidents of corruption in the police force.
According to the report, KZN ranked highest out of all nine provinces across all three categories, with a staggering 48 cases of deaths as a result of police action – which includes criminals attacking police officers – 13 rapes and 10 incidents of corruption. Meanwhile the number of deaths in police custody is 17 with KZN ranked second in the country.
The situation in KZN has gone from bad to worse. An earlier IPID report in October 2013 revealed that the number of criminal and brutality cases lodged against KZN police officers had increased by 60 percent, with the province ranked fourth out of the nine provinces.
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