Tragic tale of Rod and Rachel Saunders of Silverhill Seeds

[GordonT]

I just read a piece that was posted to the SRGC facebook page about the possible kidnapping of Rodney and Rachel Saunders(article is from the Daily Mail). What strikes me as odd is that I received an email from Rachel on February 22nd, concerning my first seed order from Silverhill Seeds. A quote from the  Daily Mail piece states:

"Horticulturists Rodney Saunders, 73, and his wife, Rachel, 64, went missing two weeks ago.

Police have arrested a man and a woman who have links to Isis fanatics on suspicion of kidnapping and possibly killing the couple in the remote foothills of the Drakensberg mountains on February 12."

Does anyone have further information on this?

[Maggi Young]

All we know is this article : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5431283/British-couple-feared-kidnapped-ISIS-South-Africa.html

Some odd info there but all we can do is hope that the Saunders, who are known personally to so many of us here, and who have supplied seed to many  via Silverhill, will be found  safe and well.

[johnralphcarpenter]

What strikes me as odd is that I received an email from Rachel on February 22nd, concerning my first seed order from Silverhill Seeds.

The email could have come from their office staff. More on this on the PBS site for those of you who are members.

[Karaba]

Very very sad news,  I cant't believe it. I really hope that this bad story will end safely for them.

[Rafa]

Dear friends,

I am very worry about this
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/british-couple-feared-kidnapped-isis-12084474
have anybody  recent news?

[P. Kohn]

There are numerous recent press articles, none of them at all optimistic. There vehicles has been found, covered in blood and money has been taken from their credit card accounts. What awful news. They were wonderful to deal with and their probable loss is a huge tragedy.

[Jeremy Spon]

The latest information is here:

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/its-my-fault-couple-are-missing-13575665

It sounds very pessimistic, and I completely endorse previous comments about what a huge loss it would be if Rod and Rachel are dead. I only met them once, but dealing with them by email was an absolute pleasure, and no-one I met who knew them had a bad word to say about them. Very, very sad.

[Tim Ingram]

This is awful news Jeremy. I never met them but had seed over the years and a wonderful book on the Proteaceae. Hard to take in and accept.

[YT]

Terrible... I bought SA native plant seeds from them many times.

[shelagh]

In todays Daily Telegraph there was the following item. "Kidnapping of British couple was 'Isil-inspired."

"The alleged kidnappers of a British couple who went missing in South Africa plotted to kill the "infidel nonbelievers in an Isil ispired plot a court has heard. Rodney Saunders 74 and his wife Rachel 63  went missing on Feb 12th in the north of KwaZulu-Natal province. Appearing at Verulam magistrates court yesterday, Bibi Fatima Patel 26 and her husband Sayfudeen Del Vecchio 38 and Themba  Xulu allegedly discussed the kidnapping in which they would kill the k*****" a term used for "infidels"

[GordonT]

It sickens me to think we have probably lost Rod and Rachel to this! I still pray they are found safe, but deep down fear the worst is most likely true.

[Maggi Young]

More developments but not  good news ....
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-03-23-fourth-arrest-in-kzn-terror-cell-and-missing-couple-mystery/

[Maggi Young]

More  unpleasant news  :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5542019/ISIS-kidnapper-dumped-bodies-British-couple-crocodile-infested-river.html

[GordonT]

My heart sinks, to read this! Although I imagine we all suspected that this wouldn't end well, to learn that the Saunders are gone, is heartbreaking news. Why? To what end? I simply don't understand the minds that could do this!  Deeply saddened by this development!!!

[Maggi Young]

YT posted photos elsewhere of this beautiful Moraea atropunctata grown from Silverhill Seeds.
It's a nice way to remember Rod and Rachel at this sad time, I think, showing the beauty they brought to others.

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