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The SHOCKING ISIS link in the brutal murder of Rob and Rachel Saunders

The deputies found pamphlets relating to the Islamic State terrorist group, along with an ISIS flag at the residence of the defendants

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA: The alleged killers who brutally murdered an elderly British couple and threw their bodies in a river infested with crocodiles in 2018 had suspected links with ISIS, claims a media report.

Globally renowned botanists Rod Saunders, 74, and his wife Rachel, 63 were searching wild mountains and forests for rare seeds in South Africa when they were kidnapped, beaten to death, and tossed into a river infested by man-eating reptiles in February 2018. Their brutally devoured bodies were located by local fishermen. The bodies were packed in their sleeping bags which made it hard to locate them.

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The couple had been making a documentary with the BBC at the time of their death. But when the filming crew failed to contact the couple, they immediately reported to the local police. The investigation led to the arrests of four suspects. But the alleged killer identified as Sayefundeen Aslam Del Vecchio, 39, his wife Bibi Fatima Patel, 28, and their lodger at the time Mussa Ahmad Jackson, 35, all deny kidnapping, murder, robbery, and theft.

Now it has been revealed the deputies found pamphlets relating to the Islamic State terrorist group, along with an ISIS flag at the residence of the defendants, local reports say, according to The Times. Besides, investigators found messages on their WhatsApp and Telegram accounts in which they discussed plans of ‘killing the kuffar [non-believer] and abducting their alias, to destroy infrastructure and put fear in the heart of the kuffar'. In one such message, the suspects described Rod and Rachael Saunders as 'prey' who were ripe for a 'hunt'.

Moreover, Del Vecchio, who converted to Islam, and Patel, whose father is a Muslim cleric, have been included on the South African security force's watchlists. Del Vecchio was even caught watching planes at Durban's King Shaka airport more than two years before the horrific murder of the Saunders couple. However, the charges that the four alleged killers have links with Islamic State have yet to be submitted to the Durban high court.

Meanwhile, the fourth suspect, who was found to have bought mobile phones belonging to Saunders and was not involved in the kidnap and killing, was handed a suspended sentence.

In the initial hearing, the court was told, "It is alleged that between February 10 and 15 at the Ngoye Forest the accused did unlawfully and intentionally kill Rachel Saunders and between the same dates did unlawfully and intentionally kill Rodney Sanders. On March 23 the third accused Mussa Ahmad Jackson was arrested and he made a statement to the effect he was woken by Patel at their home on February 10 and told to meet Del Vecchio on the road. Del Vecchio in the Land Cruiser and Patel and Jackson followed to the Tugela River Bridge where they helped him remove sleeping bags from the back of the Toyota and they threw them with human bodies inside into the river."

The couple, whose fun adventure trip turned into a traumatic accident, last contacted an employee at their workplace on February 08, just three days after they started the adventure with the BBC documentary crew. Rachel’s body was recovered by the local fishermen on February 14 while Rod’s body was found on February 17. The brutally devoured bodies were sent to morgues after the deputies failed to identify them. Months later, when police failed to find a trace of the British couple, officials ordered all unclaimed bodies in morgues to be DNA tested, which led to Rod and Rachel being identified. The court also heard that the suspects had made a withdrawal of £37,000 ($42,000) from various ATMs after they arrested the couple.