South Africa - Susan Rohde, 47, murdered, Stellenbosch, 24 July 2016

[PrimeSuspect]

Jason Rohde is back in the Western Cape High Court for trial re alleged murder of wife Susan at Spier wine estate

https://twitter.com/itchybyte

 

[PrimeSuspect]

trial postponed to Oct 30 because State Pathologist is unwell

https://twitter.com/itchybyte

 

[JudgeJudi]

Jason #Rohde arrives for trial. Accused of the murder of his wife Susan.

https://twitter.com/itchybyte

 

[JudgeJudi]

Case stands down to Wed for further witnesses. Pathologist still unwell. Will organise other witnesses in the meantime

https://twitter.com/TeamNews24

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/itchybyte @TeamNews24

#Rohde murder trial resumes with W/O Mias Engelbrecht testifying on data extraction methods



W/O Engelbrecht detailing credentials on extracting + analysing data from ''dumb phones'' like old Nokias and smartphones

W/O Engelbrecht was asked to investigate 2 phones. He is explaining the initial processes: checking bag sealed, etc.

Engelbrecht said he could not extract WhatsApp messages from Susan #Rohde's smartphone. Might be coz she set it up that way.

Extraction was done in presence of a defence rep. He tried Susan #Rohde's phone again next day with defence rep.

W/O used different software, again with defence rep, and got Susan #Rohde's WhatsApp info.

Put 25,000 pages of cellphone extractions of Susan and Jason #Rohde's phones on CD coz waste of paper to print out

W/O says so much info, so was asked to isolate comms between Jason #Rohde, Susan Rohde and Jolene Alterskye.

Alterskye and Jason #Rohde were
apparently seeing each other at the time of Susan's death.

On 8 August 2016, whatsapp chats between Alterskye and Jason #Rohde were deleted from Jason's phone.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/itchybyte

Whatsapp msgs between Susan #Rohde and Jolene Alterskye also found. The Mmgs found on Susan's phone deleted from Jolene's phone.

No sim card in Jason #Rohde's phone, nor Jolene's when they were handed over to police. Susan's had a sim card

Adv Peter Mihalik going to cross examine Engelbrecht over comms between Jolene and Jason

Defence Mihalik asks data extraction expert whether he could tell if Susan #Rohde had googled suicide on her phone. Didn't check

Quite technical here in #Rohde trial - talking about phone and SIM card's ''DNA" via sim card no, and IMEA no

Now discussing triangulation in #Rohde trial to see where devices were at specific date and time

#Rohde trial public gallery is almost empty. Rohde watching data extraction testimony from the dock, water in front of him

#Rohde trial on tea adjournment

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/itchybyte

The data expert ends his evidence. State says two witnesses they need are not available today

#Rohde case adjourned to Thurs for another witness

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/LA_JANSEN

Back in the WC High Court. Testimony re cellphone extractions of whatsapp messages between Jason & Susan & Jolene Alterskye

The State calls Warrant Officer Heremias Cornelius Engelbrecht

Mihalik says his cross examination will be very limited with this witness and that the State may lead the witness

Engelbrecht has been in the police force for 27 years

Engelbrecht says his training is internationally recognised. XRY is the forensic software used to recover mobile data

Transcripts of the cellphone data were supplied earlier this year. Engelbrecht realised that Susan's whatsapps hadn't downloaded

Engelbrecht says he contacted his superior to rectify the issues. He then used XRY system to extract the data

Once the investigations and extractions were completed, the phones were handed back to the investigating officer

Engelbrecht has brought with him a laptop and hard drive with images to corroborate his testimony

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/LA_JANSEN

Request from defense to exclude correspondence between Jason & Susan Rohde

First of three bundles contains extractions of correspondence between Jason and Susan

Investigating officer requested ALL data and correspondence between among Jason, Susan and Jolene Alterskye

First 10 pages = phone of Jason Rohde

Some Deleted messages were found. The content of some deleted items couldn't be found

When messages are deleted off whatsapp, it's hard to ascertain the time of the message. It's easier if entire chat deleted

Chats between Jason & Jolene deleted around 8 August 2016. Engelbrecht can't say what the messages entailed

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/LA_JANSEN

Jolene & Susan's phones show correspondence between the pair

Messages on Susan's phone were no longer on Jolene's phone. The chats were deleted on 26/07/16, two days after Susan's death

Missed calls also extracted. Engelbrecht doesn't have the report with him, though.

Engelbrecht says whatsapp messages can only be retrieved from the Whatsapp company, with a warrant

Susan's phone had a SIM card, so data was extracted from her phone and Sim

No details yet as to what exactly those messages entailed

Neither Jolene's nor Jason's phones had SIM cards in them

Engelbrecht says he didn't plot where each phone was at the time of Susan's death. He says it can be done, via cell towers

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/LA_JANSEN

GPS has to be activated in order to locate the devices. Engelbrecht concludes evidence-in-chief

Mihalik cross examines. Asks about Adv Brink, with whom Engelbrecht works

Mihalik asks when Jolene and Jason last communicated with each other.

Engelbrecht searches for the records....messages between Jolene and Susan ...

05:50 Jolene- Susan. 07:02 Jolene-Susan. 07:02 Susan-Jolene. 07:06 Susan-Jolene. This contradicts Khan's time of death (05:50)

Date and time of messages can be manipulated. Need to check date and time on device and itemised billing

Mihalik asks if Engelbrecht checked Google on Susan's phone to see if she researched suicide

Engelbrecht says he can but didn't because he wasn't requested to do so by the investigating officer

Engelbrecht confirms that one can track how a photo got onto a handset

Engelbrecht confirms that he gave the same hard drive with info to the investigating officer and defence expert, Adv Brink

Court adjourns for tea

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/LA_JANSEN

Engelbrecht cannot confirm whether whatsapp data can be manipulated

Mihalik: if the police are investigating suicide/murder, should you go for both sides or just incriminating evidence?

Engelbrecht says he's an investigating officer and he would look at both sides

Mihalik asks if the IO asked him to find evidence of suicide-related research

Engelbrecht says he wasn't asked to look for any such evidence

Engelbrecht says he could have found suicide-related word searches, if he'd been asked to do so

Engelbrecht says if asked, he would be able to identify the phone's website search history. He wasn't asked to

Engelbrecht says it's possible that there were deleted items on Susan's phone that couldn't be recovered

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/LA_JANSEN

Cross examination ends. No re-examination

Judge asks Engelbrecht to clarify whether conversations between accused and deceased were asked to be excluded by defence

Engelbrecht clarifies that the defence requested that communication between the accused and DEFENCE were asked to be excluded

Trial adjourned to 2 Nov.

 

[JudgeJudi]

As SIM cards hold text messages, names, numbers and call history including dates and times, it can only be seen as nefarious that neither JR nor JA’s phones had SIMs when their phones were handed to the police. The fact that whatsapp chats between them were deleted from his phone a fortnight before Susan’s death is also damning. If there was nothing to hide, why delete them. The same applies to the messages between Susan and Jolene which had been deleted from Jolene’s phone two days after Susan’s death.

I didn’t know that date and time of messages can be manipulated, but if this is correct, it sounds like someone was paid to do this. We know corruption is rife in SA and JR has plenty of money.

Something was obviously going on between Susan and Jolene on the morning of Susan’s death. It’s highly suspicious that there were 4 messages between them that morning, the first from Jolene to Susan at 5:50 and the last from Susan to Jolene at 7:06. A message from the mistress to her lover’s wife at 5:50??? It seems highly likely that the content of these messages contained the reason for Susan’s death whether it was murder or suicide. This is also why the defence could state with certainty that Khan’s time of death of 5:40 was wrong.

But is it? If it was premeditated murder, JR could have used Susan’s phone to receive and reply to messages from Jolene and then delete the messages from Jolene’s phone. To me it would seem more likely that JR and JA would be messaging each other early in the morning rather than Susan and Jolene. Sure, it’s a very big longshot, but is it possible? Khan’s time could then be correct.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/itchybyte

Legal huddle ahead of Jason #Rohde's trial on charge of murder of his wife Susan at Spier wine farm last year



Family went to Spier and saw Jason #Rohde sitting, he cried, said Susan will never see her grand children.

Peter Norton says Jason #Rohde's father in law Neville Holmes grabbed Jason's hands, said you've got blood on your hands

Peter Norton says Jason #Rohde said Susan had tripped in car park. Norton said he could not see blood on J's hands.

Norton says family hugged, Norton held Jason #Rohde's hands for a while

Norton read from statement on how Jason #Rohde and wife Susan had rowed. Jason went out for a drink, she followed, tripped

Susan #Rohde returned to suite at Spier. J returned to sleep. Woke up could not open bathroom door. Maintenance opened it

''My wife was blocking the entry as she was hanging behind the door'': #Rohde said in statement. J started CPR.

Blood came out of Susan #Rohde's nose while CPR done. She was later declared dead. Norton said he helped check Jason's statement

Defence lawyer Pete Mihalik notes that statement from Norton made almost a year after Susan #Rohde's death

Mihalik asks whether Norton took notes in the intermin on Susan #Rohde's death. Says no, but did discuss it with many people.

Defence asks if Jason #Rohde was ''Sad? Confused? Tearful? Broken?after Susan's death. Norton: All.

On afternoon of Susan #Rohde's death, Susan's sister Angela shouted at Jason over his infidelity. She was furious at Jason.

Defence putting Peter Norton on the spot over his own marriage, and his wife and Susan's relationship

Defence says Jason #Rohde was ostracised by Susan's family after her death because of affair.

Defence asks Norton if he knew Jason #Rohde beat Susan and Norton says he had never beaten up Susan

Norton steps down in #Rohde trial. Tea time

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/itchybyte

Susan #Rohde's brother in law Peter Norton in the stand. He and wife Angela shocked when told of Susan's death





#Rohde trial adjourned to Monday Nov 6 for next witness

 

[PrimeSuspect]

As SIM cards hold text messages, names, numbers and call history including dates and times, it can only be seen as nefarious that neither JR nor JA’s phones had SIMs when their phones were handed to the police. The fact that whatsapp chats between them were deleted from his phone a fortnight before Susan’s death is also damning. If there was nothing to hide, why delete them. The same applies to the messages between Susan and Jolene which had been deleted from Jolene’s phone two days after Susan’s death.

I didn’t know that date and time of messages can be manipulated, but if this is correct, it sounds like someone was paid to do this. We know corruption is rife in SA and JR has plenty of money.

Something was obviously going on between Susan and Jolene on the morning of Susan’s death. It’s highly suspicious that there were 4 messages between them that morning, the first from Jolene to Susan at 5:50 and the last from Susan to Jolene at 7:06. A message from the mistress to her lover’s wife at 5:50??? It seems highly likely that the content of these messages contained the reason for Susan’s death whether it was murder or suicide. This is also why the defence could state with certainty that Khan’s time of death of 5:40 was wrong.

But is it? If it was premeditated murder, JR could have used Susan’s phone to receive and reply to messages from Jolene and then delete the messages from Jolene’s phone. To me it would seem more likely that JR and JA would be messaging each other early in the morning rather than Susan and Jolene. Sure, it’s a very big longshot, but is it possible? Khan’s time could then be correct.

It certainly reveals Jolene is the aggressor, her messages drove Susan to take her life! She's the mistress but wasn't sitting back waiting for her lover to deal with the chaos he created, she took Susan on, the wife and mother of his children!!!
Even if the messages weren't abusive and were thinly disguised as sympathetic towards Susan like, 'I'm sorry it shouldn't have happened but we fell in love, you've lost, let him go, he loves me', (cringe worthy stuff, if Susan committed suicide Jolene should feel some guilt.)

But on second thoughts, JR may have killed Susan around 5:40 as Khan states, he panicked and either visited Jolene's room (verified by CCTV in the Hotel corridors/lifts) OR rang/messaged Jolene from his phone asking her to message Susan's phone and he'd reply as if Susan were still alive. I'm not sure why he'd do this because he hasn't a solid alibi anyway, he says he was asleep in their bed, so delaying her time of death doesn't make sense.

It is highly suspicious if we discount the first scenario, just wish I could think of the reason for the second one.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/itchybyte

The #Rohde trial is running a little late due to power issues and a court room change

#Rohde trial starts. W/O Van Niekerk is sworn in.

#Rohde trial starts with reminder that ito order, contents of whatsapps, msgs between Susan, Jason, Jolene not for publication

Van Niekerk has over 20 years experience, dissertation on analysing cell records for use as intel.

Van Niekerk says tried to establish a timeline and comms between Susan, Jason #Rohde and his gf Jolene Alterskye.

Van Niekerk testifying on series of calls between Jason #Rohde and Jolene Alterskye. Not all answered.

Now getting to content of whatsapps. Pros does not want some content published coz explicit and concerned re children

Adjournment now in

Just checked with prosecutor, got go-ahead to write on content of calls, messages between Jason, Susan #Rohde, his lover Jolene

We are back for #Rohde case after hearing vicious messages between Susan, Jason Rohde and his gf Jolene Alterskye

Rohde trial is adjourned to Tuesday for a psychologist to testify

 

[PrimeSuspect]

https://twitter.com/HiRezLife

"This weekend made me realise just how much I don't want to be with sue [sic] anymore." >to Jolene Alterskye

July 23rd 10:49am: "Having you close is driving me crazy. Sue is driving me nuts!!!!! She follows me around like a f***ing shadow."

July 24 07:06 Susan final text to Alterskye: "Jason said you were only good for one thing and that's why he keeps coming back."

Susan's last message before her death that same morning: "He said you would be the last person he ever wanted to be with."

Intriguingly, though autopsy suggests otherwise, last message sent from Susan's phone was at 08:02 on July 24, 2016. So who sent it?


(It's heartbreaking reading these messages :cry: )

 

[PrimeSuspect]

In her testimony, Van Niekerk highlighted text communications on the day before Susan’s death and on the morning of July 24, 2016, when she was found dead.

Messages from Jason's phone showed how frustrated he was that he could not be with Alterskye.

At 10:02am he wrote: "This weekend made me realise just how much I don't want to be with Sue anymore. All I can think of is you. I want to scream with frustration. I don't want anything more in my life than to be with you."

Close to an hour later he said: “Having you close is driving me crazy. Sue is driving me nuts! She follows me around like a f*** shadow.”

Alterskye replied, saying: “You my penguin forever.”

Jason wrote: "I absolutely hate it, I just want it to end."

Meanwhile, that same morning Jason and his wife were exchanging slurs via text messages.

At 11:08am on July 23, 2016, Susan wrote to Jason: “Or are you checking how much time you have.”

He replies: “Oh for f*** sakes I’m sitting in a conference with a 150 people watching me!”

About 20 minutes later she called him a "devious f** bastard" in another message.

Susan later ordered her husband to remove “her” number from his cellphone and to reveal blocked contacts.

Jason replied: “Because if I call her it will come up on seri your idiot! Now leave, I have had enough. On my work day you are doing this to me. I want you gone now and I don’t care about the consequences.”

In the string of messages Susan also preempts divorce.

She wrote: “And I know you are going to divorce me so I am doing what I want now.”

“You are going to die today and so is she,” Susan wrote to her husband.

On the morning of her murder Alterskye and Susan also exchanged words.

At 05:50am Alterskye wrote to Susan: “Go wash your mouth.”

To which Susan replied in with an equally angry message, referencing sex acts between her husband and Alterskye.

Van Niekerk said according to the cellphone records Jason and Alterskye called each other regularly.

In March, 2016, Alterskye called Rohde 544 times; while he in April called her 222 times.



https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/new...1880513?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

It's interesting how these men complain of the obsessive, annoying wife and yet their mistress is just as obsessive. So it only becomes annoying when he's bored with them? JMO