More than three years after their disappearance, there is still no answer as to the fate of British couple Anthony “Tony” Dinis, 73, and his wife Gillian, 78. They vanished in August 2023 from their home in the Middlerus area of KwaZulu-Natal.
Të lidhura
None found
Their daughter, Kate Anderson, believes her parents may have been kidnapped and killed in an event linked to rituals. According to her, the couple’s bodies may have been mutilated and their parts may have been used during such ceremonies.
“They were killed in a black magic ceremony, the killers are out there,” Anderson said.
These statements represent the family’s suspicions and have not been verified by authorities. The bodies of Anthony and Gillian Dinis have not been found, and the case officially remains unsolved.
According to their daughter, the last entry in Tony Dinis’s diary was made on August 27, 2023. The couple was reported missing a day later.
Although no clear signs of a struggle were found in the house, the fact that Gillian’s walking stick was left behind added to the family’s concerns. Relatives suspect she may have been taken by force.
About a week after the disappearance, the family received a demand for 2 million rand in exchange for the couple. Later, the requested amount was reduced to 50,000 rand. When family members asked for a photograph as proof that Tony and Gillian were still alive, they received no response.
Investigators focused on a gardener, who, according to the family, was among the last people to have contact with the couple.
He was found by police at a local church, and Gillian’s SIM card was allegedly being used in his phone. The gardener was arrested along with another person.
During the investigation, the gardener allegedly told authorities that he had taken part in the couple’s kidnapping and that Tony and Gillian had been killed. Based on this purported confession, parts of their bodies were to be used for ritual purposes.
The suspect, however, claimed that police had beaten him to force him to give this testimony. The court ruled the statement inadmissible as evidence, and in June 2024 the charges against the two suspects were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Kate Anderson fears that the people who may be responsible for the disappearance are still free and could commit other crimes.
She has asked authorities to reopen the case and conduct a more thorough investigation. According to her, her parents’ disappearance has not been handled with the seriousness it deserves.
The family has also raised suspicions about a possible link to practices known as “muti.” In South Africa, this term is used for traditional medicines and practices, mainly of plant or animal origin.
