Woman's final photo shows her alleged killer, family claims

Minutes before Rachel Frans was fatally shot inside her Havana home last Friday, the 39-year-old allegedly took a photo of the man her family and friends claim would moments later pull the trigger.

That cell phone image, according to her eldest son, Aron Sondag Aron, allegedly shows her long-term partner, Benong Urikhob (41), pointing a gun at his mother. Aron says the phone has since been confiscated by the police who are investigating her case.

Frans and Urikhob had been in a relationship since 2019 and shared a young child, the family said.

Frans' Havana home was hushed when Namibian Sun visited on Monday, days after she was shot inside it. It was there that her eldest son shared what he says was a chilling discovery.

His mother's body was discovered by her 14-year-old daughter after she returned home from school. The teenager immediately sought help from a neighbour and close family friend, Mee Lavinia, who accompanied her back to the house.

"I went inside with her and found Rachel lying on the floor. At first, I thought she had fainted because there wasn't much blood. When I looked closer, I realised she had been shot in the chest," Lavinia told Namibian Sun.

She said she quickly led the visibly distressed teenager outside before returning to the house to call for help.

Shortly afterwards, she claimed she made a discovery that shook her.

"I fetched Rachel's phone so I could call the ambulance and inform the family. I gave the phone to her daughter to unlock it. While using it, I came across a picture of Benong pointing a gun at Rachel," she alleged.

"I say this without any fear: he killed her. He threatened to do it, and he carried out that threat. I know he did this. He took away my Rachel,” she claimed.

Lavinia described Rachel as someone who was kind to everyone.

“She didn't spend her time at shebeens or drinking alcohol. Whenever I had nothing to eat, Rachel always made sure I had something. That's the kind of person she was."

Urikhob has since been arrested and made his first appearance in the Katutura Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of murder and possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence. The matter was postponed to 8 September for a formal bail application, and he remains in custody.

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