Taegrin suspect 'cleared'

The family of the man who appeared in an identification parade related to the death of Taegrin Morris, who was dragged alongside a car for kilometres after a hijacking, says he has been cleared.

"He has been involved in gangsterism but has never been into hijacking," said a family member, who did not want to be named.

Taegrin's mother, Chantel, attended an identity parade at an undisclosed police station yesterday.

Neither the Morris family nor the police would comment yesterday on the outcome of the parade, but a member of the man's family said he had been told by the police that he was not identified in the line-up. He is due to be released today.

Some of the Morrises' neighbours in Reiger Park, in Boksburg, on the East Rand, have threatened to burn the man's house down.

But his family said they were not afraid because he would be cleared.

Taegrin died on Saturday night when at least two men held up his mother as she was buckling the four-year-old into the back seat of the family car.

She tried to release her son but the men sped off in the car, dragging Taegrin along entangled in the seat belt.

The car was found abandoned at Boksburg Lake with Taegrin's body close by.

The man the police suspected is believed to have been identified by Chantel on Sunday night after an appeal was made at a community meeting for information. People came forward with photographs of likely suspects.

"I heard that when Chantel saw his photograph on Sunday night her words were 'That's the guy'," said family spokesman Grant Esterhuizen.

Several sources said that they were told that the man had gone to Reiger Park police station three times, either to hand himself over or to give his side of the story. The man is known to the family as a beggar.

On Monday night, after news broke that the man had been taken to the police station, about 200 angry residents gathered.

Last night police spokesman Lieutenant Noxolo Kweza said that the police investigation was at a "very critical" stage.

"We are appealing to the community not to take the law into their own hands but to work with the police," said Kweza.

The police have increased the reward for information leading to an arrest to R100 000.

A memorial service for Teagrin will be held tomorrow. His funeral will be on Saturday.