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Spier murder accused back in court

Cape Town – Real estate executive Jason Rohde, accused of killing his wife Susan at an upmarket hotel, is expected back in the Stellenbosch Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

He was kept in custody at the weekend after the State was granted a postponement for further investigation.

The court was expected to be updated on outstanding evidence, which included DNA analysis and cellphone and laptop data.

The State also wanted to finalise information on Rohde's finances before deciding on a bail amount to reduce his flight risk possibility.

His defence argued that they had already provided all of this information willingly.

The businessman was arrested a week ago for his wife's death on July 24. Initially thought to be suicide, an inquest docket on her death was opened after the post-mortem indicated foul play might have been involved.

Signs of strangulation

Rohde, the CEO of Geffen International Realty Franchises, commissioned pathological and forensic reports after a murder docket was opened by police.

These suggested that Susan, 47, had committed suicide.

But prosecutor Carine Teunissen said that according to two State pathologists, it appeared the cord found around her neck was applied after her death.

Part of the State's case was that she appeared to have been strangled, with signs of smothering and asphyxia.

Rohde, during his first court appearance on Thursday, said in a statement he intended pleading not guilty, and had co-operated with police from the start.

He married Susan in 1993 and they have 16-year-old twin daughters and an 18-year-old daughter.

The couple had been going for counselling together and Susan had mentioned a few times that she was feeling suicidal, he said.

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