As the trial into the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith entered its 18th day, the court heard further testimony from Captain Wesley Lombard, who continued outlining the police’s investigation into the days and hours surrounding Joshlin’s disappearance.
Joshlin Smith trial today: Here’s a breakdown of what happened
His evidence revisited interviews conducted with Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis, Racquen, and others, revealing inconsistencies in their stories, emotional outbursts, and moments that appeared to shift the course of the investigation.
Key moments from this phase of the trial are detailed below.
Crucial developments Captain Lombard made between 20 and 26 February 2024
Captain Lombard resumed his account by clarifying that, during the February interviews, neither Kelly Smith nor Jacquen Appollis had been formally arrested, though both were treated as suspects.
The officer retraced their February 20 statements, highlighting conflicting timelines and behaviour that raised suspicions.
Kelly claimed she returned home at 13:50 that day to find two of her children at home, while Jacquen was reportedly not there.
She said she began searching for Joshlin shortly afterward. However, Jacquen’s account was different—he said he saw Joshlin walking away from their home at 14:00 after feeding her and that she had become upset when he told her to get out of the sun.
According to him, that was the last time he saw her.
Racquen’s version added more confusion.
He recalled that Kelly had returned home to eat lunch before going back to work and said Jacquen gave both him and Joshlin food after she left.
That afternoon, Racquen went to visit Brother Louw, only returning home around 18:00. He said Kelly asked him then whether he knew where Joshlin was.
Captain Lombard pointed out the contradictions: if Kelly returned at 13:50, as she claimed, and found two children at home, the assumption is they were Joshlin and Racquen—yet Kelly said she started looking for Joshlin after that.
He described this as a critical inconsistency and one that undermined the credibility of the timeline presented by the accused.
The moment that made Kelly Smith sick to her stomach
Captain Lombard described Kelly’s demeanour during interviews as dismissive and irritable.
When asked where Joshlin was, she reportedly said, “Joshlin is not here anymore,” and insisted she had to move on with her life. According to Lombard, Kelly also made the comment: “Joshlin made me famous,” followed by what he described as a bizarre grin.
Later in his testimony, the captain recounted confronting Kelly after Jacquen and Steveno van Rhyn told police they should “ask Kelly” about Joshlin.
Upon hearing that the two men had implicated her, Kelly became hysterical.
Lombard told the court that she began screaming profanities, shouting, “How can Boeta do this to me? I trusted him! I loved him!”
Lombard admitted telling Kelly, “You’re worried about Boeta, but not Joshlin,” a comment he said triggered her breakdown.
She reportedly shouted, “What must I do? The child is gone!” before turning on her own family and blaming them for her situation.
This emotional eruption spilled into court proceedings.
After hearing parts of this testimony, Kelly reportedly became ill and was rushed out of the courtroom. Proceedings were paused to allow her to receive medical attention.
How Jacquen and Steveno betrayed Kelly Smith
Captain Lombard told the court that on 4 March 2024, after a day of questioning at the FCS offices, both Jacquen and Steveno separately indicated they wanted to tell the truth.
Initially, they had both urged police to “ask Kelly” about Joshlin’s whereabouts. But then they shifted focus, each independently identifying a woman they claimed would know where the missing girl was.
The woman was brought in for questioning, and although her connection to the case remains unclear, Lombard said Kelly appeared to recognise her children when the family arrived at the station.
No direct link between the woman and Joshlin’s disappearance has yet been established.
After the woman’s interview, Lombard told Kelly that the two men had named her.
He testified that this confrontation caused Kelly to break down, leading to a heated exchange in which she reportedly used racial and gender-based slurs before shouting at Jacquen when they crossed paths:
“Why did you do me like that?” According to Lombard, Jacquen responded, “It’s you! Tell the police.”
Following these developments, police formally charged and detained all three suspects—Kelly, Jacquen, and Steveno—on kidnapping charges.
This took place in the early hours of Tuesday, 5 March 2024.
The trial is at a crucial stage: Here’s what happens next
With the court poised to examine whether key parts of the police’s investigative procedures were lawful, a trial-within-a-trial will begin next.
One central issue will be whether the suspects were informed of their rights at the appropriate time during the interviews.
Captain Lombard admitted that they were not advised of their rights at the outset, which could influence the admissibility of their statements.
Kelly Smith will not be involved in the upcoming phase, as the focus will shift to the interactions between investigators and co-accused Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn.
The cross-examination of Captain Lombard will likely feature the majority of proceedings on Friday, 28 March 2025, with the court expected to kick off the trial within a trial on Tuesday, 1 April 2025.
