A Mitchells Plain father has received devastating confirmation that the burnt body discovered at a Tafelsig dumping site is that of his missing daughter, Donelle Links.
Private DNA testing returned a 99% match, confirming Links’ identity nine days after her disappearance sparked a desperate search by family and friends. Her father, Donald Fortune, spoke to News 24.
He said detectives had advised the family to pursue private testing in the hope of obtaining answers sooner. Fortune says that he was torn between relief at finally having closure and anger at the brutal manner in which his daughter died.
Links, who lived independently, remained close to her family and was in daily contact with her father. Concern grew when her phone calls and messages went unanswered and relatives found her home locked.
The family reported her missing on 16 October with assistance from the Faith and Hope Missing Persons organisation. The following day, community reports emerged of a burnt woman’s body being found at a dumping site in Tafelsig.
