Tears and laughter a year after Jesse Hess and her grandfather’s murder
|Published
Jesse Hess It’s been a year since 18-year-old Jesse Hess was raped and killed along with her 85-year-old grandfather, Chris Lategan. Picture: Supplied
Cape Town - “Oh, that germaphobe would be sanitising her hands every few minutes during this Covid-19 pandemic.”
So said slain Jesse Hess’s family on Sunday, with mixed tears of laughter and anguish. It’s been a year since the 18-year-old was raped and killed along with her 85-year-old grandfather, Chris Lategan.
Jesse was found dead on her bed, while Lategan was found tied up and gagged in the toilet of their one-bedroomed flat in Parow on August 30.
The family celebrated their lives in a moving ceremony on Sunday, where they were joined at Gate 1 at the Maitland Cemetery by friends, Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz, and UWC students, where Hess was a theology student.
Participants recited poems and fresh flowers were placed at the gravesites.
Hess’s aunt, Sandy, said the day had been a horrible reminder for everyone, especially Jesse’s mother Brenda Miles, who joined from America via a WhatsApp call.
“Due to the restriction she could not make it, but because she is alone there with no relatives we wanted her to be part of this special day. She is still so angry and sad. We try to call her as often as we can. We are trying our best to get through this one day at a time.
“Good memories and thoughts of how Jesse would be reacting to the pandemic keeps us smiling. She would be freaking out and be so germaphobic. There is really a big void in the family,” Sandy said.
Jesse’s second cousin, David van Boven, along with Tasliem Ambrose, were arrested three months later for the murders and their case has been moved to the Western Cape High Court. The two will go for the first pre-trial hearing on October 23.
Sandy said the family hoped there would not be further postponements.
“Our journey to healing can’t start while we have to keep on seeing them in court. We can’t deal with the loss properly yet.”