WC police probe arson case after Kelly Smith’s home torched
A woman has been taken in for questioning after a fire burned down the house from which Joshlin Smith went missing.
The Middelpos home of Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, was allegedly set alight just hours after she was convicted of human trafficking and kidnapping related to Joshlin’s disappearance.
Six-year-old Joshlin disappeared in February last year and has still not been found.
Police in the Western Cape have confirmed a case of arson has been opened following the blaze that gutted the Kelly’s Smith home on Friday night.
#sapsWC Saldanha #SAPS in the Western Cape registered on Friday evening a case of arson for investigation after Kelly Smith’s Middelpos dwelling was destroyed in a fire. An adult female has been taken in for questioning. ME pic.twitter.com/NDwGIJK5qp
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) May 2, 2025
During court proceedings on Friday, community members attending the trial at the Saldanha Bay multipurpose centre erupted into cheers when Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and Stevano van Rhyn were found guilty of orchestrating Joshlin’s disappearance.
READ: Kelly Smith, co-accused guilty in Joshlin kidnapping case
The court found that Smith, Appollis, and Van Rhyn conspired and sold the child for exploitation or similar reasons.
The trio is expected to return to court for sentencing proceedings next Friday.
