- Content creator Bella Monsoon shared a video update on the Cameron Waldeck-Cooks murder case, raising serious questions about how investigators handled digital evidence
- The family of 17-year-old Cameron discovered disturbing material on her phone after SAPS allegedly returned it on the same day the bodies were found
- South Africans online questioned whether police take digital and psychological forms of coercive control seriously in GBV-linked cases
Source: Facebook
Cape Town-based content creator and mental health professional Bella Monsoon posted a video update on the Cameron Waldeck-Cooks case on 19 October 2026, raising fresh concerns about how investigators handled critical digital evidence.
Cameron, a 17-year-old pupil at St Stithians Girls' College, and her 19-year-old partner, Ethan Coetzee, were found dead at a lodge near Sabie, Mpumalanga, on 3 August 2026. Cameron had been on a hiking trip at the time. Forensic pathologists investigated, and SAPS upgraded their investigation to a murder case.
Family questions the handling of digital evidence
More than two months after Cameron's death, her family has raised serious concerns about the investigation. According to reporting by a News24 journalist, the family's attorney filed a formal complaint alleging that SAPS returned both teenagers' cellphones to their respective families on the very day the bodies were discovered, without downloading or examining any data first.
After receiving Cameron's phone, the family found deeply troubling material they believe points to severe gender-based violence and coercive control within the relationship. Retired Hawks colonel Tollie Vreugdenburg publicly criticised the scene management, noting the phones should have been seized immediately for forensic imaging. Experts have warned that the early return of the devices raises questions about whether key evidence remains legally admissible.
In her video, Bella Monsoon highlighted that coercive control can take many forms beyond the physical, including monitoring messages, demanding passwords, tracking online activity, and policing who a partner speaks to. She noted that digital evidence relating to control or intimidation becomes especially significant when a young woman loses her life under circumstances already being investigated as murder.
Cameron's family says they are still searching for answers about what truly happened to their daughter and whether every available piece of evidence was properly secured.
Watch Bella Monsoon's full update on the Cameron Waldeck-Cooks case here.
SA Weigh in
Viewers responding to Bella Monsoon's Facebook video had strong opinions:
@Monique Weich said:
"The police dropped the ball. Coercive control is a form of abuse. Both phones should have been searched by the investigators."
@Delana Dale Deponselle commented:
"Yes, of course, that is normally the best way to track anything. Just absolute negligence from SAPS and detectives concerned."
@Wayne Williams wrote:
"We first need to ask if they are properly trained in all aspects of crime scene investigations."
@Shoshanna Williams said:
"It depends on who is handling the case. However, today that's the first place I would check. Deleted chats would have to be retrieved."
@Eddie Cutting noted:
"Detectives should take every scrap of evidence into consideration; otherwise, they won't solve the more difficult cases most of the time."
@Mari Malan said:
"They don't, but should definitely."
@Jay Diamond simply wrote:
"The investigators aren't qualified."
More on the Cameron Waldeck-Cooks case
- Briefly News recently reported on the family of Cameron Waldeck-Cooks questioning police over how cellphone evidence was secured in the investigation.
- Cameron was honoured with the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment, which confirmed her as a Bronze Award holder and Gold Award participant.
- Cameron’s younger brother has shared emotional posts about sibling loss and grief as investigations continue.
Source: Briefly News
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