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THE Pretoria High Court yesterday heard that a geologist accused of hiring a gardener to kill his wife discovered her body after he smelt a stench and saw flies about 20metres from her house.

Michael Jacobus Prinsloo, 63, is on trial for allegedly hiring Lucas Moloi, 33, to kill former air hostess Cordelia.

Her body was found wrapped in a black plastic bag and buried in a flower bed in her garden on October 14 2009.

Moloi confessed to the murder but claimed he had acted on Prinsloo's instructions.

He said he hit her twice on the head with a garden spade while she was watering the flowers.

He claimed that Prinsloo promised him R50,000 and a new house if he carried out the job.

He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Prinsloo lived on the same property as Cordelia, but in a separate house.

Prinsloo denied that he was involved in his wife's murder. He said he started worrying about her a day after she went missing.

"On October 13, I left my house to play golf in Centurion until late in the afternoon," he said.

"When I got back her whereabouts were still unknown but her bedroom window was left open. I looked through and found that her bed was not made up. I called one of her friends who told me that she flew to [somewhere in] Africa."

Prinsloo said he began to feel uneasy about the whole situation.

"I looked for her at airports and nobody knew about her," he said.

"I then went to the police station and asked for someone who would go with me into her house. We searched for her everywhere until my flashlight went off but we could not find her. The following day, I went out at first light to look for her. When I was about 20metres away, I smelt something."

He said he knew the smell of decomposing flesh because he was a hunter for 30 years.

"I then saw flies flying over an area. I went straight to the flower garden."

The case continues.

Comments

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Sat May 25 12:10:12 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 2, 2012

DjEp

Some people are heartless, as for Lucas you are I.diot how can you take a life for R50k and a house you deserve 5 life sentences.
To the Geologist i have nothing to say to you becuase you deserve an axe,tyre and acid we must turn you into fossil immidiately
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Aug 2, 2012

Mamelodian

Mr Geologist, you are a liar and a murderer. Go and rot in jail.
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Aug 2, 2012

2shy2call

Yes! 18 years in jail for the gardener but where is the damn geogolist, or maybe the one who wrote this article
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Aug 2, 2012

imd

"The following day, I went out at first light to look for her. When I was about 20metres away, I smelt something."
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isnt it toooooooooo early to smell anything yet even if got 30yrs hunting experienve neeeeeeh.....
I smell a rat...now thats my lifetime experience too!
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Aug 2, 2012

iPhone4

And where are the friends that told you she flew to Africa? Did u check her passport, Flight details history? She started rotting just after a day? Quit the lies and rot in jail
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Aug 2, 2012

Ntumbane

Prinsloo in case you forgot the Law stipulates that you must report a missing person within 24hrs of their disappearance.Why didn`t you report her missing the moment you couldn`t get hold of her? You knew the police would have seen the freshly dug ground in your garden and this could have given you straight away.You were actually trying to cover up the murder of your wife by buying up time so as to dispose of her body.If my memory serves me well you are a Geologist meaning your specialisation is in rocks and not some kind of a Detective.
I think the Gardener told you where he had buried your wife and not these blatant lies you are telling about your 30 years hunting experience. How long was your Wife dead for her body to have decomposed so fast?If this article is anything to go by you discovered your Wife`s body 1 and half days after she had been murdered. Get your facts right Prinsloo.
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Aug 2, 2012

sabza007

Mr.Prinsloo, I don't believe you. You know exactly what happened to Cordelia. Your story of playing golf ''till late'' was part of the plan. You were 63 and she was 33.You were greedy,was she milking you?

This gardener must not be serving this sentence alone.Phakathi Baba.
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Aug 2, 2012

G-ruff

Only death sentace can help reduce these senseless killings
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Aug 2, 2012

Gejazembe

Mr Geologist wena uya ekhulukuthu, I suggest u stop wasting your money on legal costs and confess who knows it might help to by cigarattes in there.
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Aug 2, 2012

Shredder

@DjEp
Some people are heartless, as for Lucas you are I.diot how can you take a life for R50k and a house you deserve 5 life sentences.
To the Geologist i have nothing to say to you because you deserve an axe,tyre and acid we must turn you into fossil immidiately
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Your comment shows no difference between you and Lucas.


"Prinsloo lived on the same property as Cordelia, but in a separate house"
Mr Geologist is lying, he knew very well.


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