A police officer told the Johannesburg High Court sitting in Palm Ridge on Friday that murder accused Tiffany Meek showed “no panic” during the search for her missing 11-year-old son, Jayden-Lee Meek.

The Tiffany Meek trial continued with evidence from Police Sergeant Rito Koveni, who joined the midnight search at Swazi Place in Fleurhof after Jayden-Lee was reported missing on 13 May 2025.

Officer describes midnight search at Swazi Place

According to IOL, Sgt Koveni testified that she was searching for a missing child at the Swazi Place complex when she spoke to the security guard on duty. The guard allegedly told police that Jayden-Lee had entered the premises after being dropped off by school transport.

Koveni told the court the guard also said he later saw the child again inside the complex. The search took place around midnight, after Jayden-Lee failed to return home after school.

When asked about Meek’s demeanour, Koveni said the accused appeared calm. She told the court that, based on her experience with missing persons, most relatives show concern or panic during a search.

The officer said Meek’s conduct made her suspect that the mother knew something about the child’s disappearance. However, Koveni testified that she did not act on that suspicion because she did not want to victimise Meek further.

Defence questions police approach

The court also heard that officers knocked on some neighbours’ doors, but not every door in the apartment complex. Koveni said Meek had told police that Jayden-Lee did not have friends in the complex, which affected how officers approached the search.

The defence questioned whether there was a correct way for a parent to behave when a child is missing. Koveni responded that, if it were her child, she would not have been calm.

The defence also challenged the timing of Koveni’s statement, saying it was only made in September 2025, after Meek’s arrest attracted media attention. Koveni said she had already told the lead detective about her concerns on the night of the search.

“I am not a detective; the detective is the one to take it further,” she testified, according to IOL.

Background to the Tiffany Meek trial

Jayden-Lee Meek was reported missing on 13 May 2025 after he failed to return home from school. His body was found on 14 May 2025 near a staircase at the Swazi Place complex, metres from the front door of his home.

Meek was arrested on 11 July 2025. She has remained in custody since then after a failed bail application.

Earlier reports by The Citizen and IOL said Meek pleaded not guilty to murder, defeating the ends of justice and crimen injuria. The Tiffany Meek trial is continuing before the Johannesburg High Court sitting in Palm Ridge.

Responses and next steps

Meek has denied the allegations against her through her legal representatives. In earlier plea proceedings, she maintained her innocence and chose not to testify in person when her plea explanation was read in court.

The State is expected to continue leading evidence as the Tiffany Meek trial proceeds. No finding has been made against Meek, and she remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.