Plett horror: 'Over the moon' about meeting new man, ex-cop found dead hours later
Nicky van Heerden, 54
Image: SUPPLIED
Nicky van Heerden was over the moon about a new man she had recently met — so much so that she introduced him to family members for the first time on Saturday.
But about 24 hours later, the blonde-haired woman was found dead in Plettenberg Bay, her badly injured body lying sprawled on a sand dune next to a vehicle.
The vehicle, believed to be a bakkie, belonged to the man the 54-year-old ex-detective had been seeing — the very same man who is now behind bars, accused of murdering her.
And now Van Heerden’s elderly father, 87, has the daunting task of laying his daughter to rest and facing the man police said killed her when he takes to the dock.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said Van Heerden's body was found in the Rivertides area near the Keurbooms River at about 9.30pm on Sunday.
“Police members responded to a complaint of a woman who was screaming,” Twigg said.
“Upon arrival at the scene, they found the victim next to a vehicle with injuries to her body.
"The victim was declared dead at the scene by medical personnel.”
Twigg said the circumstances surrounding the horrifying incident were still under investigation, though a 53-year-old man had been arrested.
“[He] will appear in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrates’ Court once he has been charged,” he said.
Nicky van Heerden, 54
Image: SUPPLIED
The suspect, whose name was known to IOL, cannot be named until he has appeared in court.
The man recently moved to Plettenberg Bay from Wilderness on the Garden Route.
Van Heerden’s family was still trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of the woman they loved so dearly.
Her brother-in-law and family spokesperson, Hein Bruwer, said the tragedy had devastated all who knew and loved Nicky, whose given name was Anneke.
“My wife, who is Nicky’s sister, Nicky's brother and their father, are heartbroken,” Bruwer said of Van Heerden who was also an animal lover.
“We are still in shock.”
Speaking to IOL, an upset Bruwer said Van Heerden was a loving, lively person who meant a great deal to those close to her.
“She was adventurous and loved being outdoors,” he said.
“She had a big personality and was always up for something new.
"Nicky lived boldly and was not afraid of anything.”
Bruwer said Van Heerden had been excited about the year ahead.
“There was no stories, she wanted to create new memories, to do things like going on vacation, travel, do things ... she loved enjoying her life, she was not the one who sat at home sitting eating cake and drinking tea.
“She loved walking on the beach, making memories.
“We loved her very much, and quite frankly, we still do and always will.”
He said Van Heerden lived in Knysna, but at one stage worked in Angola as a logistics manager.
She had started her career as a detective in Plettenberg Bay.
Bruwer said Van Heerden had been with the man on Saturday, and that some family members met him for the very first time that day.
“She introduced this man to us, it is the first time we had seen him or interacted with him,” he said, adding that he would describe him as a "character".
Bruwer said a cremation service for Van Heerden will be held on Monday next week.
He said he could not comment any further.
Meanwhile, a man who said he had known the suspect described him as "unpredictable and very erratic".
“He was [allegedly] inclined to snap at people for hardly any reason or no reason at all,” the man, who declined to be named for fear of reprisal, said.
“He is [allegedly] quite a snappy, aggressive person.
“He never physically harmed someone in my presence ... however, I did hear stories of him [allegedly] harming women in the past.”
The man said the alleged crime did not come as a shock.
“I actually feel very angry about it because people like him were walking around freely and have now [according to police] murdered somebody.”
IOL