Teary-eyed teacher, friend appear over alleged murder of his girlfriend

Cape Town – The bail application of a boyfriend and friend accused of killing and burying a 42-year-old Gqeberha mother in a shallow grave will be heard early next month.

Vicki Terblanche, the mother of a 12-year-old boy, was reported missing to police by her boyfriend, Reinhardt Leach, on October 21. Two days later, her body was found in a shallow grave in an open field in Greenbushes on the outskirts of Gqeberha.

The 33-year-old Leach and his co-accused, 20-year-old Dylan Cullis, made a brief appearance at the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Leach, a primary school teacher, was teary-eyed and visibly emotional during the court proceedings, Algoa FM reported.

Leach and Kullis have been charged with murder but more charges could be added, police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said. They have been remanded in custody until November 8 for their formal bail application.

The post-mortem report has yet to be released to SAPS, Naidu said. Preliminary findings suggest Terblanche suffocated to death.

Leach started his teaching career at Kabega Primary in 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also taught at Charlo Primary and Bonzai Primary before starting to teach Saudi Arabian and international students online at Advanced Generations Schools from November 2018, teaching English, maths, science and social studies

The arrests followed after officers had been alerted – a day after Leach reported Terblanche missing – over alleged suspicious activity at a 1st Avenue, Milpark, complex. On arrival, officers found doors and a garage door standing open at about 10pm.

While investigating at the house, a man arrived, who detectives soon realised was Terblanche’s boyfriend, who had reported her missing. This led police to a house in Burd Street, Newtonpark, where a 24-year-old man was also questioned and the subsequent discovery of Terblanche’s body.

“The male (leach) was then taken to the police station for questioning. A further probe led police to a house in Burt Street, Newton Park, where a 24-year-old male (Cullis) was also questioned.

’’At about 03:00 (Saturday) morning and after an intense investigation, detectives, with the assistance of the K9 Search and Rescue Unit, found the body of the missing woman, Vicki Terblanche, buried in a shallow grave in an open field in Greenbushes,” Naidu said earlier.

IOL