Notebook with murder details found where mom murdered her toddler at Mile 108

A notebook detailing the brutal murder of a two year old toddler by the mom Zenobia Seas (32) will in all likelihood form a leading piece of evidence in court. Seas is accused of the murder of her daughter Ava Owoses on Monday afternoon and attempting to burn herself and the child in her car at Mile 108 after she wrote down the entire crime. She remains in custody.

Seas appeared in the Swakopmund Magistrates Court on Wednesday and had to be protected from the public. Many members of the community only managed to get a brief glimpse of her in court during her first appearance, after which she was immediately rushed off again. The case was postponed until 15 November for further investigations and for the accused to apply for legal aid. Bail was denied for a variety of reasons, amongst others to ensure her own safety.
The murder of the toddler has sent shock-waves across the country. It is alleged that the 32 year-old mother killed her two years and eleven months old daughter by pouring camphor oil in her mouth and then forcing her nose and mouth closed. She allegedly detailed this including the motive of the crime in a notebook found at the scene. The police reported that the cause of death was due to suffocation with a cloth.
The crime scene was discovered by Petrus Derks, a member of the Swakopmund Neighbourhood Watch. “We received an SMS at 16:40 on Monday stating that a woman and her child are missing,” he said to namib times. At 16:52 Seas sent an SMS to her ex-boyfriend, who is also the father of the child, informing him that she had killed their daughter. Three minutes later she phoned her sister to inform her of the crime. “We realised it was a serious matter and reacted immediately,” Derks said.
With help from the police the cell phone of Seas was traced to the area of Mile 108 north of Henties Bay. “I myself am a father and there was a child involved. I filled up my car and together with another member, Pine Pienaar, we drove towards Mile 108,” Derks continued. At about Mile 106 Derks saw the father of the accused standing next to the road. They all split up to look for her with Derks driving towards the fishing spot known as “Blare”. “I arrived there at about 23:00 and saw the car stuck in the sand,” he said. Seas was driving a dark blue Golf GTI.
Derks walked towards the vehicle and saw a woman lying inside sleeping next to a child. He knocked on the window and Seas climbed out with the child in her arms. “I said let me take the child and when I held the toddler in my arms the head fell over backwards. She was cold and stiff and I knew she had been dead for hours already,” Derks said. He phoned the father of the accused, who had searched for Seas at the spot known as “Winston” to come to the scene. “There were tracks around the vehicle and the toys of the child were also there. She had played in the sand earlier that day,” Derks said.
Shortly thereafter the 32 year-old mother climbed back into the vehicle, locked herself inside and started a fire in the vehicle, while the body of her daughter was lying on the back seat. She had packed wood in the front and lit some Blitz. Derks saw her throwing the toddlers blanket on the fire. “I rushed over to the vehicle, smashed the window, opened the door and put the fire out quickly,” Derks said. Shortly thereafter Seas attempted to light the fire again with matches she had hidden, but was unsuccessful yet again.
According to Derks the police arrived at the scene at 2:20 on Tuesday morning, more than three hours after his arrival. “We only came back to Henties Bay at 5:00 in the morning,” he said.
It is alleged that Seas overdosed on medication and fell asleep in the car. Derks showed concern, saying had he arrived later, Seas might have been successful by burning the car. According to him there was more Blitz and wood found in the boot of the car. “We also found a playdoll of the toddler,” he said.
At the crime scene a notebook was found, in which Seas allegedly detailed the entire crime. As a motive it allegedly states that there were relationship problems with the father of the child and her ex-boyfriend. It is understood that her ex-boyfriend has another girlfriend who was set to give birth this week.
Seas leaves behind another child. She was employed at Husab Uranium Mine.