South African hired hitman to shoot his unborn child

A South African man hired a hitman for £824 to kill his unborn child by shooting his former girlfriend in the stomach on Valentine's Day.

Published: 3:20PM BST 27 May 2010

Melissa Shelver, 27, had split with her partner David Best after discovering she was pregnant but he had agreed to support her and accompanied her to all her hospital appointments.

As the couple returned from the final scan, they were carjacked.

Their attacker drove them to remote scrubland where he shot Best in the shoulder before turning the gun on Miss Shelver. She pleaded with him to spare her unborn baby's life but he shot her twice in the stomach before fleeing.

Miss Shelver said that she never suspected Best was involved in any way. However, two weeks in to the investigation police officers discovered Best's wallet and mobile phone at the home of the man he had hired to carry out the killing.

Although in South Africa carjackings are common, Miss Shelver's case on Valentine's Day 2006 shocked the country because she was deliberately shot in the stomach in an attempt to murder her baby.

Speaking about the attack for the first time, Miss Shelver, of East London, South Africa, said: "There was blood all over the inside of the car," Melissa remembered.

"As soon as I realised I'd been shot, I started going into labour. The mix of the heat, the panic, the blood, it all seemed so unreal."

Best managed to drive Miss Shelver to the nearest ambulance station and she was taken to hospital.

Doctors rushed Miss Shelver in for an emergency caesarean but they were unable to save Jenna-May, who had been shot in the womb.

"My world stopped as the agony of what had happened sunk in," said Melissa.

"As I looked at my daughter's tiny face I could hardly believe she had gone. She was beautiful with thick curly black hair. But the nurse wouldn't let me unwrap her blanket because of her wounds.

"I was angry at the world because of what had happened to me. But I never imagined David would be behind it."

Best, 31, was arrested and his case went to trial the following year.

The court in Cape Town heard he had paid the gunman £824 to have the baby killed because he didn't want it.

Evidence also proved he had tried and failed to have Miss Shelver shot several times previously.

Best and the attacker Ludwe Mashupma, 25, were found guilty on 20 different charges, including attempted murder, robbery, perverting the course of justice and conspiracy to commit murder.

Best was sentenced to 21 years in prison, while Mashumpa, 25, will serve at least 15 years.

Miss Shelver said: "I had been through so much, I was grieving the loss of my daughter and then finding out it was David behind it, I just wanted to disappear into my bedroom and never come out again,"

Miss Shelver has now found happiness with her childhood sweetheart, who contacted her after finding out about the case. She and Jason Dyer are planning to get married and are hoping to have their own children.

"I have been told I should be able to have more babies if we have IVF," said Miss Shelver.

"We want kids and plan to start trying right away. Jenna-May will always be a part of me, but for the first time in years, I am looking forward to the future."

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/7771622/South-African-hired-hitman-to-shoot-his-unborn-child.html