Detective relates how his team unsuccessfully followed leads to find Joshlin Smith
The State's fourth witness testified on Friday in the trial being held in the Western Cape High Court sitting at the Saldanha Multi-Purpose Centre.
Kelly Smith (right), Jacquen Appolis and Stevano van Rhyn appeared in the high court sitting at the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Centre in Saldanha Bay on 3 March 2025. Picture: Carlo Petersen/EWN
SALDANHA BAY - A detective investigating the case of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith has detailed how his team followed up various leads to find the girl but their efforts yielded no results.
Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking related to Joshlin's disappearance.
The State's fourth witness testified on Friday in the trial being held in the Western Cape High Court sitting at the Saldanha Multi-Purpose Centre.
The State’s fourth witness, Detective Sergeant Meyer Milstein says after interviewing the accused throughout the week after Joshlin disappeared, it became clear they were lying. CP pic.twitter.com/Bx1UFYLexe
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) March 7, 2025
Child protection unit detective, Sergeant Meyer Milstein, said that co-accused Stevano van Rhyn told him he had a theory about what happened to Joshlin.
Milstein told the court the accused stated that a Middelpos resident named "Ayanda" kidnapped Joshlin and sold her for muthi.
At the time, "Ayanda" was the boyfriend of former accused, Lourentia Lombaard, who has since turned State witness.
Milstein told the court that the property where Lombaard and Ayanda lived was searched but nothing came of Van Rhyn's theory.
He said that his team also followed up at least three sightings of Joshlin, including one in Malmesbury, which all proved to be false alarms.
The trial continues.