A young Cape Town family is struggling to make sense of the loss of 23-year-old Shanice Chante Rudolph, whose body was found in a shallow grave at Klip Road Cemetery in Grassy Park. She had been missing since 4 December and was four months pregnant. Police have arrested a 42-year-old man as the investigation continues.
Pregnant Woman Found in Grassy Park: What the Family Saw and Felt
Relatives reported Shanice missing to Steenberg police after she failed to return home on 4 December. They last heard from her in Ouboet Street in Retreat, where she had been seen earlier that day. When the evening passed without any sign of her, the family’s concern grew into fear. Her sister, Rushaan Muller, said she sensed something was wrong before the night was over.
“By nine, I was anxious. By eleven, I felt something had happened,” she said. “That next morning, while I was hanging washing, I started crying. I could not feel her presence.”
Shanice was expecting her first child. Her family had already begun planning Christmas lunch and preparing for the new arrival.
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Klip Road Cemetery Discovery: Police Confirm Details of the Case
The search ended on Tuesday, 9 December, when officers discovered her body buried in a shallow grave at Klip Road Cemetery. She had been reported missing for four days. According to police, the area had drawn attention after a tip-off led investigators to the cemetery. A man was seen entering the grounds through a gap in the fence before the grave was uncovered.
Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed that a murder docket has been registered and said the circumstances of her death remain under investigation. Steenberg SAPS will handle the case. A 42-year-old suspect has been taken into custody and is expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court once formally charged.
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For Shanice’s sister, the loss feels unreal. She described Shanice as gentle, warm-natured, and full of humour.
“She always had a smile. She liked to laugh. She was soft-spoken and loved to be around family,” Muller said. “When I look at her photos, it feels like she is still here. My emotions are mixed. Everything I see reminds me of her.”
The news that Shanice was expecting her first child deepened the family’s heartbreak. Muller said her sister had been in a relationship for a few months, but often spoke about tension and controlling behaviour.
“She complained about him being insecure and obsessive. When I met him for the first time on Friday, something felt off. But we were still hoping she would come home.”
The family had imagined a very different December. Instead of holiday plans, they now face a shared grief that has left them, in Muller’s words, “broken.”
Community Impact: Shock as Cemetery Becomes Crime Scene
Residents in Grassy Park say the discovery has unsettled them, especially as Klip Road Cemetery is one of the few active municipal cemeteries serving the southern suburbs. The grave site is used daily by grieving families, and many described the incident as deeply disturbing.
The Faith and Hope Missing Persons Unit, which assisted during the search, expressed sorrow after the discovery. Founder Veranique “Benji” Williams said the case shows how gender-based violence continues to claim lives, even during periods meant to highlight the issue.
“This happened during 16 Days of Activism,” she said. “Who harms a woman who is pregnant? We call for justice every day, not only during campaigns.”
Wynberg Court Proceedings: What Happens Next in the Shanice Rudolph Murder Investigation
Police are gathering further evidence and collecting witness statements. According to an investigative source, Shanice’s body was found in a decomposed state, and it is believed she was between three and five months pregnant at the time of her death. A forensic examination is underway.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Steenberg SAPS or Crime Stop. Officers say community assistance will help them complete a full timeline of events.
Shanice’s family hopes the investigation brings answers, but for now, they are holding on to the memory of a young woman whose life was marked by warmth, humour, and a quiet kindness that those closest to her say they will carry for years.
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