Man arrested in Okahandja teen’s murder
The Okahandja police have confirmed the arrest of a 24-year-old man in the murder of 16-year-old Clara Frederick.
Frederick was fatally stabbed on 29 September 2023 and succumbed to her injuries in hospital in Okahandja. According to the Namibian Police Force, the incident occurred around 01h50 in the Nau-Aib informal area. The suspect, according to Otjozondjupa Region crime investigations coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Edna Nawa, was arrested on Friday. He has since been identified as 24-year-old Ebson Otto.
Otto was denied bail when he made his first appearance in the Okahandja Magistrate’s Court on Monday, with the State citing the seriousness of the offence and public interest. Initial reports suggested that the deceased was pregnant at the time of her death. Nawa however indicated that the police is unaware of it.
‘We will only be able to confirm after the post-mortem has been conducted,’ Nawa told Nampa.
It is alleged that the deceased was coming from a bar and as she approached her mother’s h
ouse, the suspect approached her, stabbing her with an unknown sharp object.
‘Frederick screamed out loud and her mother came outside and found her daughter lying unconscious in a pool of blood. Upon hearing Frederick’s mother coming out of the house, the suspects ran away and this made it impossible for her to establish how many suspects had attacked her daughter,’ the police said at the time.
Source: Namibia Press Agency