A British couple living in Cape Town were savagely killed by a gang in South Africa who threw their bodies out to crocodiles shortly after the pair had been interviewed by BBC for the show, 'Gardeners' World', a court heard. Married couple, Rod Saunders, 74 and wife, Rachel, 63 devoted much of their life to studying plants and they would spend six months a year exploring remote mountains and forests for rare native seeds to sell on their popular global online business, 'Silverhill seeds.'
The British botanists were brutally battered to death by a South African gang who were furious at the elderly couple for pocketing the sought after seeds from indigenous nature reserves and selling them on. Their bodies were disposed of in sleeping bags and thrown into crocodile infested waters, the Mirror reports.
Their remains were pulled out of the water by fisherman days later. They left their home in Cape Town in their Toyota Land Cruiser on February 5, 2018, with a BBC TV documentary film crew.
They were interviewed by TV presenter Nick Bailey for an episode of Gardeners' World as they searched the Drakensberg Mountain region for rare Gladioli flower seeds. A selfie taken by Mr Bailey and posted on his Twitter account is believed to be the last photo of the couple alive.
After filming, expert horticulturist Rod and microbiologist wife Rachel headed off to camp at a dam by a remote forest. The couple were unrecognisable and it was only months later when police could find no trace of them that they ordered all unidentified or unclaimed bodies in morgues to be DNA tested.
Three people have been charged with the murder, kidnap, robbery and theft of the married couple. Sayefundeen Aslam Del Vecchio, 39, his wife Bibi Fatima Patel, 28, and their lodger at the time Mussa Ahmad Jackson, 35, all denied kidnapping, murder, robbery and theft at Durban High Court.
The fourth suspect was found to have bought cell phones belonging to the Saunders but was not involved in the kidnap and killing. They were given a suspended sentence in return for vital evidence.
They were last in contact with an employee at their workplace Silverhill Seeds, which they ran from their home in Cape Town, on February, 8, just three days after they had set off to meet the BBC. Dr Saunders and her husband Rod said they were heading for the Ngoye Forest Reserve 90 miles north of Durban but were never heard from again.
The court was told: "Around February 10 the investigating officer received information that Rodney Saunders and his wife Dr Rachel Saunders from Cape Town had been kidnapped in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region. "It was established on February 13 that the defendants were drawing money from various ATM's which amounted to theft of R734,000 (£37,000) and there was the robbery of their Land Cruiser and of camping equipment.
"It is alleged that between February 10 and 15 at the Ngoye Forest the accused did unlawfully and intentionally kill Rachel Saunders and between the same dates did unlawfully and intentionally kill Rodney Sanders." It was said that receipts of items bought on Dr Saunders's bank card were recovered from Bibi Patel's handbag.
It is believed the couple were beaten to death with a blunt instrument after being kidnapped, then their bodies were thrown off a bridge into the river. On February 10, a message from Del Vecchio to his wife and their then lodger said there was an elderly couple in the forest and that it is a good "hunt" and he has the "target".
South African-born Rachel received dual citizenship after marrying British-born Rod and the pair travelled the globe giving lectures on their passion and expertise on the Gladioli of South Africa.
In 1995 the couple set up Silverhill Seeds named after their home in Silverhill Crescent and built up a successful business working from home employing staff to sell their seeds around the world.
The trial continues.
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