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The Western Cape High Court sitting in Saldanha Bay heard on Friday, 7 March 2025, how Joshlin Smith's mother, Kelly, allegedly did not take part in many of the searches for her missing child. Pictures: Facebook and Gallo Images
It was an unprecedented search effort with authorities deploying drones, helicopters, dogs and vessels, with emergency services and community members scouring bushes and beaches for Joshlin Smith – but her mother seemingly showed little interest in the search.
This was revealed as the state’s fourth witness, Sergeant Meyer Milstein, took the stand on Friday at the Western Cape High Court’s sitting in Saldanha Bay of the kidnapping and human trafficking trial about the little girl who has been missing for a year.
Milstein was the first investigating officer in the search for Joshlin – who was six when she disappeared without a trace from the Middelpos informal settlement at Diazville in Saldanha Bay on 19 February 2024.
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In replying to state prosecutor Advocate Zelda Swanepoel’s question whether Racquel “Kelly” Smith had participated in any of the searches for her missing child, Milstein answered: “Ms Smith did not actively participate in any of the searches.”
The court heard that this was also the case with Smith’s co-accused.
Smith, her boyfriend , Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, and the couple’s friend Steveno van Rhyn are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking in Joshlin’s disappearance.
They all pleaded not guilty on Monday when the high-profile trial kicked off on Monday.
If convicted of the human trafficking charge, the trio could be sentenced to life in prison.
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The police officer also shared in his testimony the extent of the mammoth search operation in which more than 300 police officers, including 150 detectives and other specialised units in the Western Cape area participated.
Drones, helicopters, the K9 unit, members of the SA Navy, including divers, as well as law enforcement officers from the City of Cape Town were also roped in to assist the local police unit in their search for Joshlin.
Milstein, who is attached to Vredeburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit, also recalled interviewing Smith, Appollis, Van Rhyn and Lourentia “Renze” Lombaard as persons of interest.
Lombaard was initially the fourth accused, but the charges against her were withdrawn after she turned state witness.
She was reportedly the last person to see Joshlin before her disappearance.
Milstean told the court that the accused’s “stories kept changing” during the course of the interviews.
“At that stage, it became clear that neither person was completely honest. Their stories were inconsistent. Their stories kept changing… I had to let them go.”
When asked about Smith’s demeanour during the interview, he said: “She was relatively calm when I spoke to her. Not crying during the first interview”, while Appollis, he described as being “neutral”.
Milstein further testified that Van Rhyn told him at the time that Lombaard’s boyfriend, Ayanda Dyonashe, was apparently experiencing financial problems and that he [Van Rhyn] believed Dyonashe sold Joshlin.
However, a search of Dyonashe and Lombaard’s shack yielded no results.
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Sergeant Milstein said they uncovered some evidence at Smith’s shack during their initial search after Joshlin disappeared.
“We searched the residence and the biology dog identified a pillowcase and a bed sheet. We inspected it and it had stains that resembled blood. These items were collected by members of the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC).
“Upon further investigation, I also discovered a child-sized pink flip flop. It was relevant as it aligned with the clothing description of the child given by Ms Smith,” he testified.
The Citizen previously reported on the discovery of a child’s blood-stained clothing, a sheet and a knife on 2 March 2024 in an open field about a kilometre away from the shack where Joslin and her two siblings lived with their mother and Appollis.
The items were sent to the police’s forensic laboratory for DNA analysis. The results have, however, not been made public.
At the time of the discovery, Appollis denied that the clothes were Joshlin’s.
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