Accused: I didn’t kill Leah, we just smoked Mandrax
|Published
The body of 18-year-old Leah Marchant was found dumped in the back of an Athlone house. The body of 18-year-old Leah Marchant was found dumped in the back of an Athlone house.
Cape Town - A man who was accused of killing an 18-year-old Athlone girl wants to clear his name.
Shadley Isaach was charged with the rape and murder of Leah Marchant after handing himself over to police on Monday.
The 23-year-old Heideveld man admits he smoked Mandrax with her on the morning of her death, but insists he had no part in her death and “had no intercourse” with her.
Shadley spoke to the Daily Voice after appearing in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, when he said charges were dropped against him.
By late on Thursday afternoon police were still scrambling to verify whether the charges were provisionally withdrawn or dropped.
Marchant’s body was found in the backyard of a house in Appledene Road, Silvertown, on Saturday morning.
It’s believed she was strangled to death and her body dumped in the yard.
Shadley said he woke up to the news of Marchant’s death on Saturday morning when his ouma called to say residents were accusing him of the murder.
The father of two claims he left Marchant at the park in Parktown after they “smoked a pipe” together earlier that morning.
“I came from Gatesville side when I walked into her, it was after midnight already,” he said.
“She asked me to make a pipe so we went to buy (Mandrax) and smoked it. I know her from seeing her in the area. She used to live here and my granny also lives nearby.
“When we were done she told me she smaaks (wants) another pipe but I told her I’m going home because I had to walk to Heideveld,” he said.
Shadley claims Marchant told him she was going back to the merchant, and he never saw her again.
“I left her in the park so I don’t know if she made it to the mert’s house or not,” he said.
“(Later on Saturday) morning my mother said my granny called and people are saying I killed her. I would never kill or rape someone,” he insists.
“I want to clear my name because people think I killed her. I am not that sick. I have two sisters, and two-year-old twin daughters.”
Captain Frederick van Wyk confirmed the arrest and could not confirm whether Isaach was released or not.
Daily Voice