Court hears how Saunders' employee was approached by cops
A woman who ran slain botanists Rodney and Rachel Saunders' plant seed business says she realised something was amiss when a detective showed up at the couple's Cape Town home a day before they were due to return.
The two disappeared while filming a BBC documentary on plants in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Three people are on trial in the Durban High Court for their murders.
The court heard the elderly couple left on the 4 February 2018 for the Drakensberg to begin filming their first-ever documentary.
They had told their employee to expect them back on Valentine's Day.
The woman told the court on the 13th a police officer knocked on the door, asking where Rodney and Rachel were.
Later, another Hawks officer phoned, telling her the couple had possibly been abducted, and instructed her not to talk to anyone.
The employee said she helped police put together DNA samples from hairbrushes and nail clippers.
A month later, she was brought in to identify some of the recovered items at the Richards Bay Police Station after the suspects were arrested.
She positively identified tents, mattresses and bags, telling the court she had packed them into the Saunders' Land Cruiser on the day they left.
On Wednesday, another witness testified about the accused's alleged shopping spree using the victim's bank card.
The court heard that after the trio bought a high-end drone, two-way radios and spotlights at Cape Union Mart at Pavilion Mall, a worker became suspicious and quizzed them about the card.
The court heard the suspects fled from the store with the purchased items.
The shop attendant phoned the bank and the card was blocked.
