Jason Rohde, accused of murdering his wife at the Spier wine estate, faces the cameras in the Stellenbosch Magistrate's Court. Picture: Bheki Radebe/ Graphic: Ryan Mento Jason Rohde, accused of murdering his wife at the Spier wine estate, faces the cameras in the Stellenbosch Magistrate's Court. Picture: Bheki Radebe/ Graphic: Ryan Mento
Cape Town - Shocking details about the suspected murder of real estate mogul Jason Rohde’s wife have emerged, with a post-mortem suggesting she was strangled and smothered, before injuries were inflicted on her neck post-death.
A pathologist also believes Susan Rohde, 47, died around 5.40am on July 24, it was heard in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
These findings contradict what Rohde and his defence team insist happened - that Susan committed suicide by hanging herself after 7am that morning.
Rohde, the now-suspended national chief executive of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, is accused of murdering Susan at Spier wine estate, where they were staying for a company function.
He was arrested at his home in Johannesburg on Tuesday and made his first appearance on Thursday.
On Friday, during fierce argument in the courtroom, the State remained adamant it had a prima facie case against Rohde.
But his lawyer, Pete Mihalik, was equally firm the State had failed to provide evidence to back up its murder theory.
Rohde was in court on Friday as the State asked for a postponement until next week for further investigation into information that surfaced during Thursday’s proceedings.
But Mihalik called the request a “luxury”, claiming his “traumatised” client should be freed.
“Every day that my client is in custody he gets broken down more and more,” he said.
Despite Mihalik’s argument, magistrate Greg Jacobs found in favour of the State, postponing the matter until Tuesday and declaring Rohde would remain in custody.
The affidavit of investigating officer Detective Sergeant Marlon Appollis took centre stage during proceedings on Friday; it revealed that two days after Susan was found dead, Appollis attended the post-mortem conducted by two doctors, a Dr Kahn and a Dr Abrahams, at the Paarl mortuary.
“I was informed at the time that Dr Kahn, with whom Dr Abrahams concurred, was of the opinion that the mechanism of death was manual strangulation,” Appollis’s affidavit said.
“He indicated that there was pathology consistent with smothering and asphyxia.
“He also noted the features of the ligature imprint abrasion mark are consistent with post-mortem application to the neck.”
Appollis’s affidavit said Kahn had been at the crime scene and estimated that Susan died around 5.40am.
The second post-mortem, conducted at the request of Rohde’s legal team, suggested instead Susan had committed suicide.
According to Appollis’s affidavit, four days after Susan died Rohde was told they were investigating a murder and that he was a “possible suspect”.
Rohde, accompanied by a legal representative, then provided a DNA sample and was medically examined.
Prosecutor Carien Teunissen told the court the only noteworthy factors picked up during this examination was a superficial injury to his middle finger and another involving his back.
Appollis’s affidavit detailed how investigators travelled to Gauteng on August 17 to gather information on the case.
Rohde was not told and police assumed he would find out when colleagues, who were interviewed about the case, told him.
Appollis said it became apparent Rohde travelled extensively and had offshore accounts and assets abroad.
“I was satisfied that there was reasonable suspicion against (Rohde) that he killed (Susan) and formed the opinion that he was a flight risk,” the affidavit said.
Rohde, who was placed on a precautionary suspension at work, was arrested on Tuesday while his three daughters were asleep.
On Friday Mihalik hit back at the State, saying aside from a charge sheet showing they were pushing ahead with a murder case, it had provided nothing.
He questioned why the post-mortem report Appollis referred to in his affidavit was not handed up to the court.
“Why doesn’t the court have it? Is there some or other reason they can’t take us into their confidence?” he asked.
Mihalik said in pushing ahead with a flimsy case, the State had effectively ruined the lives of Rohde’s three daughters, and left Rohde’s life in tatters.
“His life can never be restored ever... Google his name; you’ll see wife murderer’,” he said.
Key issues
*Blood spatter analysis report: the defence has questioned what blood spatters are being referred to.
*Confirmation of information on Rohde’s financial circumstances: his defence says it has already emerged that he is worth R30 million.
*DNA analysis: Rohde provided a DNA sample to the State days after his wife died and had his own forensic experts to work on the case.
*Information about Susan Rohde, due to the perception she committed suicide: the defence has said the State should have initially checked if she was seeing a psychologist and then questioned the psychologist.
*Cellphone and laptop data is also being downloaded and analysed.
caryn.dolley@inl.co.za
Weekend Argus