In 2004, Donovan Moodley kidnapped and murdered Johannesburg student Leigh Matthews. Now, 17 years later, he is hoping to be granted bail.
DONOVAN Moodley, the man who kidnapped and murdered university student Leigh Matthews in 2004, is hoping to be granted parole.
Moodley’s parole hearing takes place today at the Johannesburg Correctional Services facility.
However, Matthews’s parents, Rob and Sharon, maintain that Moodley is a dangerous man and has never shown remorse for his actions. They are contesting Moodley’s parole.
Matthews, a student at Bond University, was abducted from the university’s parking lot on July 9, 2004. Moodley made contact with the family and demanded R50,000, which Rob dropped off near the Grassmere Toll Plaza.
Despite receiving the money, Moodley shot Matthews and dumped her body in an open field near the R82 highway in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg.
He had shot her four times. Her body was discovered by a municipal worker.
Investigations led officers to Moodley, also a student at the university. He was arrested and charged with Matthews’s murder, kidnapping and extortion.
Speaking to the SABC, Rob and Sharon said the family was struggling to find closure over their daughter’s death.
He said the court case and today’s hearing was a tough one for them.
“We need to tell the parole board about the lies that Moodley has continued to tell through the last 16 or 17 years. He has shown no tangible remorse. He is a dangerous individual. He is a dangerous and devious individual. We hope the parole board can see that,” he said.
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