A South African court has convicted an ISIS-linked gang for the brutal murder of British botanists Rod and Rachel Saunders, who were stabbed, beaten, and then fed to crocodiles in 2018. The couple, aged 74 and 63, were ambushed while searching for rare gladioli flowers in the remote mountains of South Africa.
The Attack
Rod and Rachel Saunders, renowned botanists from Cape Town, were setting up camp near a forest dam in Ngoye Forest National Park when they were attacked. The gang, led by Sayefundeen Del Vecchio, tortured the couple for Rachel's gold credit card PIN and bank account details before killing them. Their bodies were then wrapped in sleeping bags and thrown from the Tugela River Bridge into the river below, where Nile crocodiles devoured them.
Discovery and Conviction
The bodies were found washed up, and identification required DNA and dental records. The gang's greed led to their capture after a spending spree using the couple's credit card. A suspicious shop assistant alerted police, who traced the card to the gang. The trio, including Del Vecchio's wife Bibi Patel and lodger Mussa Jackson, were found guilty of double murder, kidnap, robbery, and theft after a lengthy trial.
ISIS Links
Police found an ISIS flag and literature at the gang's home, and Del Vecchio had messaged his wife calling the couple "prey" and stating "the prey are in hellfire." Despite these links, no terrorism charges were filed. The case has raised concerns about terrorist threats to tourists in South Africa.
Victims' Background
The Saunders ran Silverhill Seeds, a mail-order company selling rare gladioli seeds worldwide. They had just finished filming a BBC Gardeners' World special with presenter Nick Bailey before their deaths. Their work on a gladioli book was completed posthumously by friends.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 19, with the gang facing mandatory life sentences under South African law.
