On 16 March 2005, the bloodied body of a twenty-two-year-old woman was discovered in her Stellenbosch apartment. She had been brutally bludgeoned and stabbed to death.
Her name was Inge Lotz.
Lotz was an only child, doted on by her parents – she was exceptionally talented, both musically and mathematically. She excelled academically in her actuarial science classes at the University of Stellenbosch, and it was there that she first met her boyfriend, Fred van der Vyver.
Van der Vyver cut a handsome figure, he was tall, intelligent, and quietly confident, and the pair made a striking couple. They had been dating for less than a year, but their future seemed clear – Lotz had already prepared her parents for their imminent engagement.
The seemingly fairytale-like courtship came to a devastating end on a hot and humid Wednesday, which marked the cruel end of Lotz's life. It would also mark the start of a fight that would last for more than a decade, as police focused on Van der Vyver as their only suspect.
In this gripping podcast series, Catherine Rice and Matthew Brown meet an FBI expert, a painting forgery sleuth, and uncover a shocking confession.
EPISODE 1
In the first episode of The Inge Lotz Story: A Miscarriage of Justice, producers Matthew Brown and Catherine Rice delve into the murder of 22-year-old Stellenbosch University student Inge Lotz, who was brutally murdered in her apartment 16 years ago. Police immediately zoned in on her boyfriend, Fred van der Vyver. Investigators believed somebody close to Lotz must have killed her because of the excessive force used and the fact that there were no signs of forced entry.
EPISODE 2
In the second episode of The Inge Lotz Story: A Miscarriage of Justice, Matthew Brown and Catherine Rice take a journey through Stellenbosch, the picturesque university town that was shocked by the murder of 22-year-old Inge Lotz in March 2005. Lotz had a disagreement with her boyfriend, Fred van der Vyver, shortly before her murder, and police believed the final letter she wrote to him provided a motive.
EPISODE 3
In the third episode of The Inge Lotz Story: A Miscarriage of Justice, Matthew Brown and Catherine Rice unravel the timeline of events that followed the murder of 22-year-old Inge Lotz, the arrest of her boyfriend Fred van der Vyver and his family's fight to clear his name. After the police revealed their evidence against him, Van der Vyver's family consulted globally respected experts in a bid to find the truth.
David Klatzow | Forensic Scientist
David Klatzow | Forensic Scientist
Bill Bodziak | Retired FBI Special Agent
Bill Bodziak | Retired FBI Special Agent
Fred van der Vyver | Former murder accused
Fred van der Vyver | Former murder accused
Pat Wertheim | Latent fingerprint examiner
Pat Wertheim | Latent fingerprint examiner
Terry Price | Defence lawyer
Terry Price | Defence lawyer
EPISODE 4
In the fourth episode of The Inge Lotz Story: A Miscarriage of Justice, Matthew Brown and Catherine Rice analyse a key piece of forensic evidence against Fred van der Vyver. Police believed a blood mark on Lotz's bathroom floor was made by the sole of Van der Vyver's shoe. But internationally renowned shoeprint expert Bill Bodziak disagreed.
The original bloody mark on the bathroom floor.
During the investigation, an appendage had appeared on the mark.
The appendage.
EPISODE 5
In the fifth episode of The Inge Lotz Story: A Miscarriage of Justice, we investigate who Werner Carolus is and why his claims of involvement in the murder were ultimately rejected. He not only confessed to involvement in Lotz's murder but also implicated five other people. By 2005 he had a lengthy criminal record, including 29 housebreaking charges.
EPISODE 6
In the sixth and final episode of The Inge Lotz Story: A Miscarriage of Justice, News24 searches for the man who confessed to his involvement in the Inge Lotz murder, and we question why, as some believe, police framed Fred van der Vyver. We also speak to Van der Vyver, who was acquitted of murder in 2007.
The investigation into Inge’s death is still open. Anyone with information can call Crime Stop on 0860010111.
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