Sword and Scale - Episode 113

Episode Date: April 30, 2018

This will be, BY FAR, the most frustrating podcast you listen to (perhaps ever).  We here, at Sword and Scale, have had some pretty frustrating interactions with emergency operators, but nothing can prepare you for this audio gem.We also tangentially cover the brutal and completely senseless killing of an entire family.  They were the Van Breda's and they lived near 10 Allemann Street.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences Listener discretion is advised Someone Okay, so you need the police And an ambulance please yeah, who injured my, I think everyone. Hello and welcome to season 5, episode 113 of Sword and scale. A show that reveals that the worst monsters are real. Thank you for joining us once again on this podcast. That's available just because of the supporters that donate at patreon.com

Slash sword and scale. We're traveling to the land of South Africa a former British colony whose laws are both strangely similar to the West but also quite different in so many important ways a land of Extremes with both great wealth and extremely high violent crime rates. 49 people a day are murdered in this relatively small country as a result of multiple factors, including formalized robbery and rape gangs. It's in this setting that a bizarre and horrible crime takes place. And stay tuned at the end because we'd love to know what you think actually happened. There is nothing wrong with being scared of the dark. In fact, it seems hardwired in our brains to be wary of what we cannot

see, of what is hiding just beyond our senses. It's instinct, survival, behavior. As we lie in bed at night, many of us throw rationality at the window. When we were kids, we imagined there were monsters lurking all around us, waiting for us to leave the safety of our beds. As adults, darkness becomes a space, where our anxieties live and breathe. When we can't sleep our minds start to race. Unnerving thoughts creep in. Did I forget to lock the door? What if someone breaks in? What was that noise?

We create mental images of burglars and ax murders creeping into our homes, coming to get us. But we know deep down that it's all in our heads. Nothing more than a dirty trick played by an overactive imagination. A scenario so improbable that it could never really be true. Or could it? As a rule, very close family will share everything with each other. We certainly enjoyed spending time together as a family, especially around that time of year. This is Henry Van Breda, and he is testifying at a trial of a man accused of murdering

three of his family members. Henry was born to Theresa and Martin Van Breda in Pretoria, South Africa on November 1, 1994. About two years after the birth of his older brother Rudy and four years before his younger sister Marley. When Henry was in sixth grade, his family moved from South Africa to Perth, Australia. Seven years later, he would follow in his older brother's footsteps and begin studying at the University of Melbourne. Yes, I started at the University of Melbourne in 2013.

And you were all in the middle of the schools. And the Bachelor of Science, I was intending to major in physics. In January of 2014, while Rudy and Henry were still at the University of Melbourne, Henry's parents, Martin and Teresa decided to move back home to South Africa. It was a combination of factors primarily for my dad's business. Age of growth was requiring more of his attention here in South Africa hands on. They couldn't really operate from Australia and my mother also really wanted to be closer to her family. Martin, Teresa, and Marley Van Breda moved into their multi-million dollar house in the

Dezalza Gulf Wine Lans estate. A gated community situated on the outskirts of Stellan Bosch, South Africa. A few months later, Henry decided he was gonna take a gap year from his studies at the University of Melbourne. So in August, just a few months before his 20th birthday, he moved into his parents' home in the Dizzasa estate. In December, Henry's brother Rudy also joined the family at the estate during

his summer break. So for at least a month or two, the whole Van Breda family was living under the same roof, spending time together and enjoying the summer holidays. We'd spend our summer holidays boating together skiing. We tried to do as many outdoor activities together as possible. On Monday, January 26th, the Van Breda family was getting ready for dinner in their home, which was located near the center of their gated community. Sometime around 6 p.m., Henry pulled up to one of the estate's three entrances. All residents and guests of the Dezalza estate were required to present an access card in order to get in.

After doing just that, Hennory arrived home to find his mother Teresa in the kitchen preparing dinner. Marley was up in her bedroom, and his older brother Rudy was out for a run around the estate. Hennory joined his father Martin in the living room to enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine before dinner. He's already lived as weekday nights. I may do no about a table.

It was a typical Monday night at the Van Breda estate. After dinner, after it all packed away at the table, dad worked for a while on his laptop in the dining room and made really watch some TV. And Mum was on the phone to her brother. It was his birthday. And Marley was in a room, I think, doing homework. It was a school night, so she was a speciani. Sometime after dinner, Henry, his father and his brother

decided to watch a movie together. They'd recently installed a new surround sound system in the living room, and they wanted to break it in by watching the new Star Trek movie. Absolutely, we second night to each other, made our way to bed. Henry and Rudy headed up to their shared bedroom, which the family simply referred to as the boys room.

We got into our sleeping stuff and we just brushed our teeth. I got specifically recall exactly what our movements were, but soon after that we were both in bed with the lights ready off so it turned lights off and then got into bed and it will both on our laptops as we got into bed. Henry stayed up later than his brother surfing the internet and watching the animated TV show One Piece on his laptop until the early morning hours of January 27th. After that, it being rather late I decided I should get to bed, so I started listening to music to just try and get to sleep.

Henry, having some trouble falling asleep, lay in bed listening to music for a while. One point after, I would lower up listening to music and not being able to sleep, went to the bathroom. music for a while. By this point, it was getting to be at least two or three in the morning. The rest of Henry's family was asleep. The house was quiet. Henry was sitting on the toilet playing a phone game when he heard some unexpected noises coming from somewhere in the house. Next to my Lord, I had very strange sounds coming from outside the bathroom, inside the

house. It's inside the house sitting in the bathroom there, the doors. It's inside the house, sitting in the bathroom there, the doors on the left, and the windows on the right. So I would have been able to just say outside the windows, but the house. The very loud banging sounds, it wasn't something that was a familiar sound for what I've heard in the house. Henry opened the bathroom door to investigate where the sounds

were coming from. I could to investigate where the sounds were coming from. I could then tell that the sounds were coming from that room and I could see the silhouette of someone and see the silhouette of someone who appeared to be hitting you. In the middle of the room, a shadowy figure was standing between the two beds, attacking Rudy in a sleep. I could just see that the person was covered, basically

head to toe, and that had something covering their head. At that stage, I couldn't see the front of their face. But later on when I did, I could see that they had a dark, great mask on that basically just had eye holes and a whole map. Henry tried to alert the rest of his family. I had shouted for help in one way or another. And I can't remember what I said or if I said anything that I made some sort of noise.

The light in the room was switched on and I could see that it from me, but when the light came on it became clear that this one was attacking really on the head. When the lights now flipped on, Henry could finally make out the object in the attacker's hand. It was an axe. As far as I could see when the lights switched on, the attacker was facing the attacker's standing in between, not too bad. With Rudy lying on his bed here in the situation with the attack of the space in this way. I'm behind him and he was swinging the axe down.

After turning the lights on, Martin attempted to interrupt the attack. He immediately moved onto the bed. It looked like he was on his way to tackle the attacker all. Just he was moving in the direction that would have placed him in lunging forward at the attacker. He was hit while she was moving. And after that, he didn't move again. According to Henry, the attacker then struck his father with the axe several more times. Frozen and fear Henry stood in the corner, unable to do anything but watch as his father was hacked to death by an axe-wielding stranger. I was just scared.

I didn't know what to do. I can't specifically recall what was going through my mind at that point, but I said it wasn't able to think clearly. Henry would later describe this moment in writing, saying, his body went limp on the bed, and I did not see him move again. Despite this, he was hit a number of times by the attacker with the axe. I also recall that the attacker was laughing whilst he attacked my dad. Henry then writes, I suddenly heard Mom's voice outside our room. I assume that the attacker must have heard it too because he then left the room. I cannot see what happened outside the room as my view of the door was obstructed by

our bedroom wall. The attacker remained outside of my field of vision for some time. I'm not sure how long, but it was not long. I cannot recall whether I heard any sounds of an attack on my mom outside our room. Presumably too scared to do anything, Henry remained in his bedroom until the attacker returned. Henry stood in the corner of the room, unarmed, as the attacker drew closer and closer to him, still wielding the axe. He then started walking towards me. He seemed rather unconcerned about me.

He came at me rather slowly, but as he lifted the axe, I stepped forward and grabbed the axe and his hand in which he was holding the axe. With one hand, Henry held onto the attacker's wrist. With the other hand, he grabbed the handle of the axe and began to pull. Where he was holding the axe I grabbed, just above where his hands were. It was a partly on top of his hand. And the pull, the axe in his hand, away from the toe. Henry writes, I managed to wrestle the axe from his grip and shove him away from me,

towards the bottom end of Rudy's bed. As a result of the push, he spun shove him away from me, towards the bottom end of Rudy's bed. As a result of the push, he spun around and away from me. I was surprised at how easily I was able to disarm him. I remember seeing Rudy moving about on his bed in my peripheral vision. He was also making what seemed like gurgling noises. The attacker moved towards Henry again, this time holding a knife. Henry grabbed the attacker's wrist to keep him from using the knife. The attacker grabbed Henry's wrist to keep him from using the axe.

They were locked in an awkward embrace, almost just a struggle for control. What do you mean by struggle for control? The movement of bodies and all the movement of arms, I was trying to stop him from hurting him the night and presuming he was trying to do the same with the acts of my life. Henry writes, we pushed and pulled one another,

stepping back and forth, next to the gap between the feet of the beds. He cut and slashed my chest, and also stabbed at my chest. He also stabbed at my left arm. I was holding onto his right forearm, which prevented him from inflicting serious harm. After some time of testing there, pushing each other back and forth, he at some point

twisted his arm from his side clockwise, from my side, anti-clockwise. His right arm, which he was holding at night. The attacker had created just enough separation to thrust the knife into Henry's side. From there, as he stabbed into me, I tried to hit him with the axe, and the axe made connection with his shoulder. We shoulder. His right shoulder. As a result of which, he let go of the knife.

The attacker fled the room, leaving the knife sticking out of Henry's abdomen. I immediately proved out the knife, as soon as he let go of it. I mean, I still recall, if I had more time to think about it, I probably would have recalled the first aid training that I said in school, and then, you know, that you're not supposed to pull out a knife blade, so to speak. If I'd given it more thought, I might have actually paid attention to that, but I just reactively immediately pulled in our thigh from my side. Henry dropped the knife, and for the first time during the entire sequence of events,

exited the bedroom. As he made his way down the hallway, Henry noticed the blood on the floor. He then spotted his mother and sister. Their heads completely covered in blood. Henry continued down the hallway in pursuit of his attacker, still holding on to the axe. I saw the attacker on his way down the stairs, nearing the bottom of the stairs. I don't recall deciding to do so, but I immediately threw the axe at the guy. Before Henry could see whether or not he'd hit his intended target, he lost balance and I decided to do so, but I immediately threw the axe at the guy.

Before Henry could see whether or not he'd hit his intended target, he lost balance and fell down to the middle landing of the stairs, ending up on his back. I got up from the stairs, a little disorientated, started and then moved to the back of the house, moved to the, sorry, through the kitchen, to the back door of the house. I'm not sure why I went to check the back door first, but upon seeing the back door, it was wide open, and so...

Back door was open, what do you mean? I went out the back door and stopped when I could see down the side wall of the house. I couldn't see anyone there. I went back inside the house. Henry went back into the house, tried to call his girlfriend, ran a Google search for a local emergency number, and then began to make his way back upstairs. Next I looked up from my phone and saw at the top landing, and that Mordel was moving around,

just moving a one arm and one leg around. And Mordel was also lying next to her, and that's the last thing I've known for, before losing consciousness. After passing out on the way up the stairs, Henry remained unconscious for over two hours before waking up to the sound of a phone ringing and a dog barking. That stage came to on the stairs. That specific stage when I could just hear the sounds, I wasn't sure where I was, but I slowly started remembering them, sort of, as remembering a dream. Henry then saw his sister moving on the floor at the top of the stairs and remembered what

had taken place. And respotted his phone lying at the bottom of the staircase, went down to pick it up and once again searched for the local emergency number. He walked to the kitchen and at 7.12 a.m. placed the following phone call from the family's landline. What is your emergency? I need an ambulance. Lots of ambulance. Yes please.

What's your name sir? Henry, Salvador. Henry, what's his contact number he's phoning from? My home flight number, but I'm not sure what the info number is. My name is Stefan. 12 Husker Street, please. What is this number that you're phoning from? Is this someone else that can speak if you're not able to?

No, I'm... Who else is in the house? There's no one else. I need to contact them, but please. Yeah, okay. Let me warn you right now. Without a doubt, this will be the most frustrating emergency call you'll ever hear. Henry gives the operator his cell phone number and for the second time in the

call his address on Hoska Street. Hoska. Hoska. G-O-S. G-O-A. K-E. What area is this? It's in Staling Bosch and it's in the Delta East.

Number 12. Hoska Street. Yes. In Staling Bosch. Yes. I'm not picking beat in Salenbosch. Yes. I'm not picking it up with Salenbosch. I'm picking it up with words of Molniten. We're in...

In... Disalto Warnland's... It's in the state, D-E. In other words, Z-A-L-Z-E. D-E-Z-A-L-Z-E. Yeah, D-E. I'm not picking it up for Salembosch. What area in Salembosch are you in? I don't know.

That's all that. We're in total one and it's in a state. It's a security state. Are you sure it's 12, Horskish Street? Yes, absolutely. It's important to have a moment, isn't it? And you're saying you are selling Bosch? Yes. And you don't know what alien selling Bosch?

I'm not sure how much more specific I need to be. The Zoltzer. Yeah, can you find that, please? not sure how much more specific I need to be. The salt? Yeah, can you find that please? The salt? Sir, they're going to ask you the same thing that I'm asking you, because you're giving me two different edges. The salt in Wainland, in Stelenbosch. The salt in Wainland is the state.

Staling Bosch is the town. And I'm Horska Street, number 12. Okay, Horska Street, number 12. Is the school a church near where you say? The Land Walk. All this is the estate clubhouse. I guess it was Gulf Coast. It was also Gulf Coast. It was the main road as you drive. All this is the estate clubhouse, I guess, with a golf course. One house.

There's also golf course. You need the main road as you drive. And you may know it, I think it's the R-44. R-44. I think so. Yeah, between Summer, Southwest and Star and Boss. And the R-44 is the garage, a school, a church. And here, do we use a...

There's just a cross from the... There's a mall. What? I can start the mall. No, no, I can start the mall. There's a BP, a cross from me. Oh, my gosh. Going to the mess, right? You say there's a BP.

Yeah. Is that all you know the bp garage? No, not a shop near in your area I could try it. There's also a golf club on my phones maps. That's what it's called There's a golf club. Yeah It's the state Nexistetekno Park. It's the Tickno Park. Yeah, it's my Jamestown as well. My Jamestown.

Yeah. What is Jamestown? Jamestown is the next other Nexos. And you, the patient? No, no. My family is someone who attacked my family, my family is someone attacked my family. Hey? Someone attacked my family in my house.

Five whole minutes have passed before Henry is even asked what the emergency actually is. Okay, so you need the police or the ambulance? And the ambulance please. Yeah, who is injured? My, I think everyone. Everyone in your house? Everyone, four people, yes. Adults, two adults.

Two adults and three adults and one teenage girl, yes. What are the injuries? Head injuries, I've looked. Are they conscious? I don't think so much. This is moving. That's it. Suspect so unseen, Lisa.

Sorry? Are the any suspects unseen? No, no. They ran away. With what were they attacked? An X. I think I've blacked out and I've just worked enough. What an ex. Okay, say on the line, I'm going to speak to the police.

Thank you, but please send an ambulance as quickly as possible. Yes. Are you the only one that's conscious? Yes. As it's all unconscious. Hold on, I'm going to speak to the police to check on your number where you are. You don't know your street name, you say? The street name is Hoska Street. Okay, I'm not picking it up on the contact number that you're giving me. Okay.

Just hold. Henry is placed on hold. The operator spends five minutes and fifty seconds on the phone with the South African police service before bringing Henry back into the call. Okay, they are picking up BlaoClip and offices, construction offices in the Eibos Valley, Jamison. That's across the world. I've checked the nearest address in Google Maps is number 10, Alamond. What is this Australia opening from?

Is it BlaoClip? This is my house, this is my house phone. Okay, but the have a valley. Three chambers and that's the number speaking of that address. That doesn't sound familiar at all, but I can't. My house isn't on Google Maps, but it's because it's inside the estate. But the closest address is number 10 Elemon Street. Can you search for that? Henry suggests sending several ambulances to number 10 Allamont Street, which is the closest address he could find on Google Maps.

Number 10. Number 10. A-L-L. A-L-L. E-M. E-M. A-N-N. A-Double-E.

Yes, Street. Stellanbos. A L L E M A N N A double in. Yes, street, still in those. Can you? Alla Mann. Yeah, can you find that? I don't see that. A double L E M for Mann. Yeah.

A double in for November. Yeah. M for man, A double in for November. Trying it with one in. And I don't need anything there. Mandipa, are you giving this? Good, I don't know mama. Yes. We need your character and it is no use we're going all over in Stalingberg.

But my address is on 12th of the street, but it's not understanding. Probably isn't on your system because it's not on Google Maps either. After another four minutes and 34 seconds, the operator places Henry on hold again to call the ambulance dispatcher. She speaks with a dispatcher for about a minute and then brings Henry back onto the line. Hey, Nene, I've got ambulance services on the line now. So it gave me a few different edges.

The one is gonna to go with it. He says, 10 Alamans Street, in Salah Bosh. Yeah, if you go to 10 Alamans Street, are you sending one there? Okay, tell me, what is this nickname? My name is Khoska. Oh God. Okay, the stratum name that I have been posted by the fellas. Yeah, this. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. And just like that, this Abbot and Costello routine circles back to square one. At no point does anyone seem to realize or care that lives may be hanging in the balance

as this call is taking place. Okay. Number 10, Eleman is just past my street if he sent an ambulance. Is it an Amon or all the man? All the man. Okay, so tell the guy for me how, and we'll let you upgrade. A. W. A. W.

A. W. E. M. E. N. A. W. N. A. W. N. So all the man with two hands. I'm not picking up that one.

Let me just write it here on the thingy. It is number 10, all of a sudden. Do you get any elements? No. If you send someone there, then I can meet them in the road. All of a sudden. Not all of a sudden. It's all a sudden. Which event is it? Nicht alle Mann ist alle Mann. Also, die ist eben Salenbosch.

Die sind die Salze. Das ist Salze. Das ist Salze. Aber die Arienspalenbosch ist das Salze. Die Z-A-L-C-S-E. Die Z-E? Ja, die Z-A-L-T-E-E. You speak, you speak, you speak, you know. Do me a favor, pause this podcast right now. Then open up Google Maps and type 10

Alamond Street, South Africa. If you need me to spell that once again for you, it's A-Double-L-E-M-A-Double-N. Go ahead. Pause. Go do a search right now. We'll wait. Are you surprised? Are you in awe of how absurdly easy it was to pull up that address and see that right next to it is the Dizzalza golf course that Henry refers to again and again. It's all right there, laid out right in front of you. You can

even see a satellite view. Kind of makes you wonder just how many people have died at the hands of this 911 operator, or in this case, 112 operator, which is South Africa's standard GSM number. In this 112 call, once again Henry describes the attack, repeating that the victims are unconscious and bleeding from the head. Finally, the operator and ambulance dispatcher agreed to send an ambulance out to 10 Olamans Street. How long will the ambulance take? It won't be too long. The old friend ambulance are just not possible. Okay.

Thank you sir. Bye. Bye. In any emergency situation, just a few seconds can mean the difference between life and death. In total, Henry's emergency call lasted nearly 25 minutes. The first paramedic to arrive on scene would later describe what he saw. In English, the place wasn't messy or disturbed,

but the first floor was absolute chaos with all the blood that lay there. The mother and daughter lay next to each other and the father and son lay in the room. He also said that it was the worst scene. He'd come across in his 39 years and that when he moved to Risa's body, the blood flowed down that stays like a waterfall. Marley had suffered five ax blows to the head, in addition to numerous other injuries, somehow she was still clinging to life. Marley is currently in a stable condition at Mediklinik Fercheljürgen. She suffered a severe jugular and explode to the head.

As believed she's under heavy guard and not allowed any visitors. Henry is in the care of an uncle. He suffered minor injuries during the attack. Martin, Teresa and Rudy Van Breda were all pronounced dead at the scene. The only two surviving witnesses of the attack were 16-year-old Marley Van Breda and Henry, who had placed the emergency phone call. A mortuary van was seen leaving the premises. The deceased are a 54-year-old father, a 55-year-old mother and their 22-year-old son. Police say the circumstances surrounding

the attack and how the three were killed are unclear. A daughter aged 16 and a son aged 20 were admitted to hospital with serious injuries that are being treated. At this stage, it's too soon to speculate on the motive or other aspects surrounding the matter. The memorial service for the three deceased victims was held on February 5, 2015. An emotional farewell to a family brutally murdered. Martin and Teresa van Breder and their first born Rudy

were head to death at their desalzer home last week. Family and friends are still in shock. What happened here is something that we haven't envisioned. My brother Martin, not a brother, but a friend, a partner in my and my life. Marley was unable to attend the funeral as she was still in recovery at the hospital. Henry, however, was able to attend the service to say his final goodbyes to his parents and brother, according to his uncle. en ik heb de auto gegeten. De inderning is op de seconde, het is wel goed.

Ik heb nu een koppel van de goofen, en voor obvious de redenen, de inderning is heel heel hard. Maar we, als familie, zijn we een koppel. En om on this, I would like the media. I beg your guys, please. To avoid any of this stuff. After the memorial service, attention shifted back to the investigation. At this stage, it's too soon to speculate on the motive or what lead to the attack on the family. For now, the nervous residents of Dazalze state will have no choice but to await official

word on who exactly could be behind the triple murder. Leanne Johnson, still in brush in the Western Cape. The Fandbreda family has yet again asked for privacy. They say they have full faith in the police. No one has been arrested yet for the murders. And it would be another year and a half before any arrests were made in connection with the murders. They were good neighbours. And one couldn't imagine it.

And Mali is such a wonderful girl. And mother and father particularly Ranyu. And the other boys particularly well. But yeah, they are a super family, and one can say that we're really very, very sad. And it's, we went closer here, because this won't happen again, that's very strong. The spotlight is now with the two surviving

fun-bredar children, 16-year-old Muddly, and 20-year-old Henry, to shed light on what happened. I still hear a lot of the sounds that I heard in my nightmares. I still hear the giggling in my nightmares. Residents of the dissolves of golf and stature still shocked that the gruesome murders on this generally quiet premises. Security at the multimillion-roundate is extremely tight, raising questions around whether this could have been an inside job. But police won't be drawn, saying the murders

are currently being investigated and never risked have yet been made. The Dizzals are golf estate in the Cape Wyne and St. St. The home of upmarket residences and plush golf courses. But on Tuesday morning it was the scene of a bloodbath. Businessman Martin van Brudah, his wife Theresa and son Rudy, found dead. It's believed they were bludgeoned with an axe. Marley van Brudah made a remarkable recovery. According to a family statement, quote, that she survived the attack is a miracle,

and her physical recovery continues to astound those close to her. She is able to walk, communicates well, and surprisingly, given everything that has happened has retained her sense of humor. End quote. I know that Vambriada's sister, Mali, was released from hospital, everybody is hoping

that more answers will come forward about what happened on their tragic nights. Unfortunately, however, Marley would be unable to provide any of those answers. She suffered extensive head injuries and he said to be suffering from retrograde amnesia. According to a family lawyer, while she is reacting favorably to all the treatment she is receiving, she has retrograde amnesia. She cannot recall anything at all about the attack. According to her medical team, this is not strange and commonly occurs with patients who have suffered such traumatic experiences.

In some cases, the situation remains for life. A long road of rehabilitation lies ahead. This left Henry Vennbrada as the only surviving witness with any memory of that night. The only person capable of helping investigators track down the killer. For that reason, the story you've heard up until this point is entirely based on Henry's account of the attack. According to Fnbrieta, he was in the toilet when he saw an axe wielding man hacking his brother Rudy in his bed.

He says his father then came into the room and was attacked by the man who was lasting. His mother Theresa then came in and was also attacked along with his sister, Mudley. Around this time, there had reportedly been a gang of men wearing Baliklava's. Those are those masks that cover your whole head except your eyes and mouth. And they'd been committing burglaries

in the Stellenan Bosch area. The Balaklava gang, who the last member was apparently apprehended in November 2014, six were eventually arrested, 60 crimes that had been linked to the Balaklava gang, only 10 of these crimes were linked to the members that were arrested. But this crime scene did not line up with any of the burglaries associated with the Balaklava gang. In terms of what Captain Stain saw at the scene, he said there was no sign of forced entry that valuables were

still there, everything was very much in place. Not consistent with a burglary or intruders, no bloody footprints on the walls as well. Nothing of value was missing from the Van Breda residents, again a million dollar home. There were no signs of forced entry, and the attacker left the murder weapons behind. There was an ex that was found as well as a kitchen knife, both the ex and the kitchen knife comes from the household. The kitchen knife comes from a set of knives from the household. What burglar would enter a random house completely unarmed, find a weapon lying around,

kill three people, and flee without taking anything of value. This was not the handy work of some common burglar. This crime was committed by a cold-blooded killer, and pretty soon the investigation started to focus on the person who'd placed the emergency call. Henry Van Bradah himself. A few months of police investigation and Henry became a suspect. In June of 2016, a year and a half after the murders, the state prepared itself to bring charges against Henry. Earlier this week, the state warned Fandbrada's lawyers of his imminent arrest.

His counsel advised him to turn himself in instead. The state says there's mounting evidence against Fandbrida. On the evening of that 26 loud voices were heard from the household. On that morning, the 30 seats were found in the house. And then X and the Kn socks. The clothing he had on head blood, the DNA from the blood proved that the blood was from the deceased. On June 14, Henry turned himself over to police. The 21-year-old handed himself over to police in Stelon Bosch with his attorney in connection with the attack on his own family. This comes 18 months after three members of the Fambriada family were killed in this

Stalin Boch home Cape Town. The state believes DNA evidence will provide Henry Fambriada killed his parents and his older brother with an axe. Henry Fambriada faces three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. He's also expected to face another charge of obstructing the course of justice. The regional communication manager for the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa explains some key points of evidence that led to the arrest. We also know clearly now that the accused inflict inflict some artificial wounds on himself and gave

provided some false information to the police. They also had to establish a timeline based on Henry's phone records. The on the same 27th around 25-24 minutes passed by in the morning, they are choose to phone his girlfriend and the phone went unanswered. ...atatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatat He then conducted his girlfriend When police arrived they found the bodies of the three the mother the father and his brother and there was also Mali who was We had also had injuries all of them the Post-mortem results show that they had had injuries There was an ex that was found as well as a kitchen knife. Both the X and the kitchen knife

comes from the household. The kitchen knife comes from a set of knives from the household. He was wearing at the time a sleeper shorts and white socks and those gluing head blood and DNA from that blood proved that it's connected. That blood shows that blood came from the disease. 424 AM, Henry attempts to call his friend Bianca. 427 AM, Henry runs a Google search for South African ambulance. 712 AM, two hours and 45 minutes after that Google search, Henry finally places a call to emergency services. According to Henry, that was the time frame during which he was unconscious. Between the Google search for emergency numbers and the first 40 emergency numbers,

we actually call for the emergency numbers. That's a period of approximately two hours 40 minutes. Would you, would you believe that that would be the time that you were unconscious? Yes. Did you lose consciousness sort of gradually? That you can feel yourself fade away or will you be one moment? I can't really recall. I could only recall what I saw just before I lost consciousness. I can't specifically say how lost consciousness. You have confirmed Mr. Femberdaw that you don't suffer from any underlying medical conditions

that you've caused suffer from any underlying medical conditions that would cause you to randomly use consciousness. Correct. If you're even before suffering, such a random loss of consciousness for more than two and a half hours. No. And you confirm that going to a pre-explanation, you also didn't use drugs at the time of the incident which would approach you to use purchases. Correct.

Convenient, right? Then there's the recording of the emergency call. When you hear the call for the first time, you might have been so distracted by the incompetence of the operator that you probably didn't pay much attention to Henry's demeanor. But you might have noticed that Henry didn't sound too panicked or concerned on the other end of that call. The operator would later state that Henry's tone of voice, letter to believe that she was being prank-called.

I'm not saying that excuses her complete lack of urgency, but it certainly doesn't help Henry's case. That someone who takes emergency calls for a living was completely thrown by the lack of emotion in his voice. In fact, the operator would state that she thought she heard Henry giggling during the call. Specifically, she claimed that he giggled right after stating that his family members were bleeding from the head. Henry would later deny that he was laughing.

I did not giggle. I said the word please. I said the word please. You said the word please. I'll let you decide for yourself what you hear in the clip. Okay, what kind of age did this is it? What is your major to do today? My family and me were attacked, but my God. I was an ex-conchist. Unconsciousness? Yes, and bleeding from the head. Maybe he giggled, maybe he didn't. Setting that aside, is this really the voice of a man who just regained consciousness to

find his entire family bleeding to death? With walks, were they attacked? I think I've blacked out and I've just worked enough. After 25 minutes of going back and forth, Henry sounds slightly annoyed. Think about that. Henry's family members are bleeding to death upstairs. His emergency call is being treated like a joke, but he doesn't so much as raise his voice

at the operator. There is a case for him to answer. It's backed up by some evidence that we have, but we still have to go to court and prove that case beyond any reasonable doubt before a charge. And argue strongly that the charge mass agree with us that the accused is guilty of those tomatoes, the attempted meta-intifitting the ends of justice. Henry's trial began on April 24th, 2017. The triple murder accused Henry Fambriada

has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. But Breda's trial today started in the West in Cape High Court. He has accused of axing to death his parents and older brother at their home outside Stalenbosch in Jan 2015. He is also charged with attempted murder for severely injuring his sister during the attack. The fifth charge against him is for defeating the Ens of Justice for allegedly tampering with the crime scene. Henry Frenbrella, however, pleaded not guilty to all five charges in court today. At Henry's plea hearing, his lawyer read for the court

an 18-page explanation of Henry's not guilty plea. As far as I could see, the attacker was dressed in dark clothes and he wore gloves and a bullet clasp at the mosque. My dad immediately moved towards and onto the bed over the leaves. The wardsly attacker was on the opposite side of the bed. He looked as if he was trying to tackle the attack, or at least get between the attack and the radio.

But even my dad was struck with X as he lunged towards the attack. He's body went with them more on the baby, and I did not see him move again. For the first time, the public heard in detail what Henry was claiming happened to his family. For the most part, the plea explanation echoes what Henry had told police in his initial statement. However, there were a few key differences. For example, in Henry's initial statement, he provided a specific timeline of events. In his plea explanation, however, he does not. In his initial statement, he did not mention the attacker's race. In his plea explanation, he states that the attacker was black. Perhaps most significantly, in his initial statement Henry only referred

to one attacker. In his plea explanation, however, he states, I also recall hearing what sounded like angry voices of more than one person somewhere else in the house. Although I could not distinguish specific words, it sounded like the persons were speaking Afrikaans. It's probably no coincidence that the Balaklava gang operating in the Stullenbosheria predominantly consisted of black men who spoke Afrikaans. In the plea explanation, Henry also states that he took time to light a cigarette while calling emergency services. He also admits that he decided to have a cigarette shortly before making the call to

calm himself down. And I think that this will be interrogated in court because if you've seen your mother and father and sister and brother lying, gurgling on the floor with their injuries. One of them barely alive. It may be questioned as to why you'd light up a cigarette and decide to do that before coming to their help or trying to rescue them or give them some sort of first aid. So I should think that that is going to be interrogated under cross examination if he decides to get onto the stand. After the plea hearing, the state began to lay out its case against Henry Van Breda.

First, they sought to rule out the possibility that anyone had broken into the Van Breda residence to begin with. That he states the security system was functioning here in the United States incident. But the house does not appear to be burglary, and nothing has been reported in the city, and there is no evidence of anyone having any data against the family. On the stand, the family's domestic worker, or maid, was asked whether or not she recognized the acts and the knife used in the attack. Then the state asked about the murder weapons found in the scene, which she had initially

identified from police photographs when she took her initial statement which was only then read back to her by the way today. She said yes this is the same accident usually lives in the scullery on a shelf and the knife usually lives in the top drawer which identified in a photograph this top drawer was open. This implies that any person who enters the house to steal up draw was open. acquiring a new X, which is also incidentally identical to the one owned by the family, using on the scene an execution of a crime or crime that has nothing from the house echo and the 8X on the scene.

The prosecution also highlighted the estate's security protocols. Without an access card, anyone trying to break into the estate would have needed to climb over high-voltage electric fencing without being spotted by numerous patrols and 360-degree cameras. It is then I'm just a minute below that the security measures of the estate, the location of the property of the estate and the close proximity of ours is slightly highly improbable to access the estate and the property information to meet the crimes and exit the property and estate without the anything. The Dizzalza Estates security manager testified that no intruders had breached the outer fencing of the estate on the night in

question. Furthermore, a series of forensic experts testified that no unidentified footprints, fingerprints, or DNA samples were discovered at the crime scene. Of course, to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the prosecution had to do more than just rule out the possibility of an intruder. They had to specifically implicate Henry as the murderer. To do that, they turned Henry's own statements against him, pointing out all of the discrepancies. For example, the Von Bredaas' next-door neighbor testified that she heard raised voices

coming from inside the house between 10pm and midnight. Hours before, Henry claimed that the attack took place. Henry's defense attorney attempted to suggest that the voices she may have heard were coming from the Star Trek movie that the Van Bredaz were watching on their surround sound system that night. This seems to be a likely reason for the lack of a timeline in Henry's plea explanation, as his initial statement claimed that the movie ended before 10pm. Whatever the case, the neighbor was adamant that she heard actual voices,

not a movie soundtrack. The state also focused on the injuries that Henry sustained during the attack. Henry had sustained four parallel superficial cuts on his left forearm, four superficial cuts on his chest, and three shallow stab wounds. Dr. Marion Timmonsma, a forensic pathologist, was asked whether or not she could determine if Henry's wounds were self-inflicted or sustained during a struggle. She was basically given the instruction. She was given the list of all of the wounds or injuries that were noted on his body

and she was then asked to make a finding on how their may have came about and whether or not they could have been self-inflicted. And so they broke it up into various injuries so there was scrapes and cuts on his upper chest and his upper forearms and those she at, she said they were very superficial. They were, she gave quite a lot of detail about them being the direction which they were done in. And she said that it looks like they were self-inflicted. That's what she concluded.

And she also said that she wouldn't say in her experience that it was a defensive ruin, because normally defensive ruins would be on your hand or like here on your arm and not so much on your forearm or your chest. That marbles injuries are consistent with that of the disease and that really separate the most injuries. The injuries presented by the peers after the incident with a septic reference to the marks on its lift forearm and its chest area, including the statutes, are likely self-inflicted as test test, identified by Dr. Barionne Timmonsma and Professor Larkoosh Wan-Staybler.

Blood spatter analysis of the crime scene also contradicted a number of Henry's claims. For example, Henry claimed that he was across the room when his father and brother were attacked, and that he did not see his mother being attacked. But according to the testimony of Blood Spatter Analyst, Captain Marius Jubeh, those claims could not be accurate. The Spatter Bloodstains observed and documented place in the Femme d'Ar, in close proximity of blood sources. Of Rudy, Martin, and Teresa Femberdau, when force was applied to blood sources of the victims.

Juba testified that the blood spatter evidence was inconsistent with Henry's claim that he threw the axe at the attacker. The bloodstained pattern observed and documented that point between a full cast of pattern, with cessation cast of, does not support any of from a dollar's version of throwing the X. The pattern identified created by an object under control of the hand. Rudy's blood was also found on the bathroom floor, even though Henry's statement never mentioned returning to the bathroom. In addition, Juba discovered evidence consistent with blood-stained objects being washed in the shower.

The blood-stained evidence documented in a bathroom shower doesn't support any form of dust. The microscopic blood detected suggests an object or object covered with blood overrudi form of burda, any form of burda and terriza form of burda might have been washed clean inside the shower. Hardly any of the blood-spatter evidence seemed to be consistent with Henry's story. Based on all my previous consideration and opinions, it is my conclusion that the evidence does not support the actions, events, the scrat in Irfemberda's statement. I cannot rule out the possibility of stadium. The defense began to call witnesses in October of 2017, nearly six months after the trial began.

On October 31st, against the advice of his defense team, Henry Van Breda took the stand. I distinctly remember him trying to capture my throat and having and pulling his hand downwards so that it did not make a connection with my chest instead. On the stand, Henry repeated the same story he outlined in his plea explanation. At times, even word for word. Had he been able to testify at the beginning of the trial before the prosecutors laid out the case, his story may have seemed plausible. But with so much contradictory evidence already out there, his testimony likely didn't do him any favors. On cross examination, state prosecutors Susan Galloway poked whole after whole in Henry's story. But she could only have been the movie if it really was the sound coming from my house.

She was very adamant that she knows a difference between voices and the soundtrack of a movie. It was quite true that she had this not the soundtrack of a movie, but raised voices, male voices. I recall the testimony to that fact. I recall the testimony to that fact, yes. And what is your comment on that? I think she's wrong. If she's convinced that she heard angry male voices from my house then she's wrong. Although his confidence rarely wavered, Henry struggled to keep his story straight.

How many attackers did you in actual fact see in your own gerry lulls incident? At least one. Mr. Femberdall, you say at least one. Is it one? Is it two? How many did you see in your room? One person at a time. I don't understand your evidence, sir. What do you mean by one person at a time?

As far as I can recall, it was the same person that left my room and came back into the room. So given the amount of certainty, you see, I can't be that certain. So, do you not trust your memory, that was the same person or not? No, I did trust. So according to you, as far as you remember, it was the same person who went out and came back. Correct. So then why say at least one person came into you? Why try to create the impression that it might have been two different people? Because I had the voice of someone else in the house later on.

Henry claimed that any inconsistencies between his initial police statement and his testimony resulted from that statement being transcribed by police officers as opposed to Henry writing it himself. Of course, Henry fails to mention that he signed the bottom of that statement right underneath the lines. I know and understand the contents of this statement. I have no objections into taking the prescribed oath. I consider the oath to be binding on my conscience.

I'm not suggesting that the police put words in my mouth. I'm not suggesting that they made up lies. I mean, it's saying that this is not the words that I used. And to hold me accountable to the exact wording in this statement is unfair. State prosecutor Susan Galloway also presses Henry on his claim that he didn't call emergency services for nearly three hours because he lost consciousness. So in your view Mr. Fond de la White children's consciousness? I'm not exactly sure but I think it must have either been the shock of seeing or from the fall down the stairs. I'm fine. You're not sure.

But after you fall down the stairs, you've got enough. Yes. Galloway questions Henry at length about his apparent lack of urgency regarding the entire situation. Specifically, she points out that he took time to Google local emergency phone numbers when he could have known that the estate had its own emergency lines.

Galloway also points out that the estate's emergency numbers were listed on Henry's refrigerator, which he would have passed multiple times before dialing emergency services. In your version, Mr. Funderdog, the reason why you did not before dialing emergency services. Yes. Well, not that I decided there were not any assistance that I could be, that I would be doing more by other means. By other means? Yes. By getting the number for the emergency service myself, calling the security from the estate and having them call the police sit like another step where I could, where I would then have to explain what happened

to someone who would then have to go and call the police and explain what happened. Remember, Henry's call with emergency services lasted 25 minutes. Galloway also points out that instead of checking on his family members, Henry sat at the kitchen counter smoking cigarettes while waiting on the line with emergency services. Well, it's on the line to emergency services, Mr. Femme, why did you know? Move around. Come and check on your family to tell them to listen to our alive. These come quickly.

Shout out to the front door and shout out to the other. I thought I was doing the best I could to get help. I thought I was doing the most I could to get help. Sitting at the counter, smoking, waiting for somebody to arrive. Waiting for an ambulance to arrive, sitting at the table on the phone to the emergency services. Galloway goes on ask about the content of the emergency call. How can we don't get frustrated with them when they don't react quickly? I did get be with you.

What did you do to convey your feelings of frustration to Mr. Palland? Nothing, I tried to suppress those feelings of frustration because it didn't feel like they'd be helping. I feel like it'd just confuse the communication. Given what you have just been concerned, your whole reason for calling the emergency service directly is because you want the fast reaction. You are not getting a fast reaction. Get you prepared in my car mode, turn it off. Well, I was under the impression that I was doing the most that I could do. If I had known then that she, as she testified, was convinced that it was a prank, then yes, I would have gotten angry. I would have gotten very angry to show her the dire need that I was in, but I assume that

it being an emergency number, the dire need that I was in was automatically conveyed. And so I was trying to help her get and I was just to me as quickly as possible. I didn't think I was having to convince her that I was in need. The more questions Henry has forced to answer, the less plausible his story seemed to be. Okay. Okay. You... You picked the question time. Sorry? Did you just put the question to me again? I said, the instances of your selected memory docs

more often than not only applies to the incriminating files of the state's case against you. No, I think that's wrong. I think it's just... where the information is relevant. The defense closed its case on November 29, 2017. By that point, testimony in Henry's case had spanned 63 days. Closing arguments took place in February of 2018, with the state maintaining that Henry is the only person who could have possibly committed these murders, and the defense insisting that all of the evidence was circumstantial.

And now we're about to frustrate you some more. Because after all, that's the whole point of this episode. To show you that true crime can be extremely frustrating. The pursuit of justice is in itself littered with inherent problems. It's not always a tidy package. A conveniently laid out timeline of events. A perfectly manicured script for a lifetime movie. A clear motive. a clear answer as to why. Sometimes there's a long list of questions left in the end, and it's up to a small group of citizens, or in this case, a judge to decide what justice really is.

For now, that is where this case stands. Either Henry Vennbrida is telling some version of the truth, possibly distorted by false memories and trauma, and he quite possibly is the unluckiest man in the world, or he brutally attacked his family members to death, with an axe, in the middle of the night, for no reason. Like the United States Justice System, South African courts require a standard of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Unlike US courts, however, there is no jury. The verdict will be decided by a single man, Judge Suraj Desai, who was expected to make his final decision sometime this spring. Now if it were up to you, what would you decide? In this case, what would justice mean to you?

Join us on Facebook to discuss and follow this story. We'll post a sticky discussion thread to go over your thoughts, opinions, and judgments about what you think justice and the fate of Henry should be. you you