‘Suicide’ case to be reopened

BARELY six months after a Walvis Bay couple got married and just three days after the wife’s 35th birthday, Catherine Slippers sustained such serious burn wounds that she later died.

The woman’s family, according to the Police, initially thought that a suicide attempt on Independence Day – March 21 – had led to her death on April 29. However, an alleged confession by her husband to her sister resulted in the Police at the harbour town now investigating a case of murder.The Erongo Police crime investigation co-ordinator, Chief Inspector Chris Kalimbula, yesterday confirmed to The Namibian that a murder investigation had been launched.He also confirmed that the investigation officer on Friday visited the Rehoboth cemetery, where the woman was buried, to look for letters that the widower had allegedly placed on his wife’s coffin before it had been lowered into the grave.Hopes that these letters would provide clues as to what had led to the tragedy were shattered as the letters were found to be love letters between the couple, Kalimbula said. A detailed study of the letters was still underway though, he said. By yesterday afternoon the investigation officer was still on his way back from Rehoboth – Slippers’ hometown.According to Kalimbula, rumours that the woman’s body would be exhumed were unfounded, as post-mortem records already show that the cause of death was as a result of the fire. ‘Our work is to determine who caused the fire.’The Policeman said once the investigation was completed, the findings would be forwarded the office of the Prosecutor General to determine whether someone should be prosecuted in connection with her death.After the incident, Slippers was initially admitted to a hospital in Walvis Bay from where she was later transferred to Windhoek because of the seriousness of her injuries, Kalimbula said. She later died in the capital.