Vandekeere handed himself over to the police after he had been on the run since 9 September 2013, as he failed to appear in the Delmas High Court for the start of his trial.
Barnard was found raped and murdered in Brentwood Park, Benoni on 1 April 2011, after she went missing earlier that day.
According to the Citizen these are the timeline of events:
April 2011: Vandekeere allegedly raped Barnard and slit her throat before cleaning her body. Her mother discovered Chantelle’s body when she entered the house and saw Jurgen with bite marks and his hands in bandages. A few days later, the accused was due to appear in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court, where he was expected to face charges relating to Chantelle’s murder.
December 2011: Vandekeere was denied bail in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court and appealed the decision to the high court.
January 2012: Vandekeere got released on R20 000 bail.
September 2013: A warrant of arrest was issued for Vandekeere, who was accused of raping and murdering Barnard after he failed to appear in the Delmas High Court.
November 2013: Vandekeere was spotted at Maputo International Airport, Mozambique, but wasn’t caught.
January 2020: Vandekeere handed himself over to the police.
