A 26-year-old woman has been arrested in Limpopo for allegedly conniving with her girlfriend in the murder of her husband, which took place in October last year at a farm outside Groblersdal.

The two disguised the crime as a farm attack only to be unearthed after elaborate police investigations.

“What was initially thought to be a farm attack was unearthed by rigorous police investigations as an alleged blatant and orchestrated murder of a 36-year-old man,” said Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo.

“Police investigations brought to light the allegation that the suspect and her female companion conspired to murder her husband in an incident in which the victim was shot and killed in the manner that the suspects reportedly made it look like a farm attack.”

As extensive investigations by the South African Police Service went on, a 23-year-old female suspect, Patricia Lee Smith, who was reportedly a girlfriend of the 26-year-old widow, was then arrested on 27 October. She was later released on bail.

“It is also alleged that the deceased’s wife (had earlier) attempted to kill him on 09 May 2020 by food poisoning. The victim was admitted at the hospital and later discharged,” said Mojapelo.

“The two suspects are expected to appear in the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 13 August 2021, facing charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition attempted murder, and defeating the ends of justice.”

Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the arrests and the extensive work by police to crack the complex case.

Hadebe applauded the investigating team for “potentially uncovering what might have happened during this incident and ensuring that the involved suspects were arrested”.