The Murder
Leigh was abducted from the parking lot at her college. Shortly after her kidnapping, local police embarked on a large-scale hunt, which caught the attention of the South African media. Shortly after the kidnapping, a ransom demand of R50,000 was made to Leigh's father, who dropped off the money. He was able to hold a short telephone conversation with her after that; it was to be their last communication.
Leigh's body was discovered by a grass-cutter in Walkerville, Johannesburg on 21 July 2004. An autopsy revealed that whilst she was found naked, save for some earrings, she had not been raped or sexually violated in any way. She had been found with a single bullet wound to the back of her head. Further investigation showed that it was possible that she had been 'frozen' or refrigerated, although this was never proven in court.
The seemingly senseless murder sparked a nationwide and international outrage, with posters of Leigh Matthew's photo becoming common around the country.
Read more about this topic: Leigh Matthews (South Africa)
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