True Crime Commentator Shares How Messages Allegedly Continued After Breakup in St Stithians Case
- New reporting on the Cameron Waldeck-Cooks case revealed that Ethan Coetzee sent her roughly 22,000 WhatsApp messages in a single month
- Attorney Daniel Witz alleged that Ethan also insisted Cameron stay logged into Microsoft Teams while studying so he could monitor her
- Cameron ended the relationship in early July 2026, yet the messages reportedly continued right up until both teenagers were found dead
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Source: Facebook
New details have emerged in the case of Cameron Waldeck-Cooks, the 17-year-old whose death at a Sabie lodge on 3 August 2026 is being investigated as a murder. South African content creator Bella Monsoon shared a video breakdown of the latest developments on 26 October 2026, drawing on investigative reporting by journalist Marizanne Kok and statements from the family's attorney, Daniel Witz.
Cameron and 19-year-old Ethan Coetzee, both pupils at St Stithians College, were found lifeless at the Waterval Self-Catering Holiday Home near Sabie, Mpumalanga.
22,000 messages in a single month
According to Witz, data from Cameron's cellphone showed that in February 2026 alone, Ethan sent her approximately 22,000 WhatsApp messages. That works out to around 785 messages a day, arriving from early morning until late at night. The messages reportedly included declarations of love, persistent demands, reproaches and questions.
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Witz further alleged that Ethan insisted Cameron remain logged into Microsoft Teams while she was studying so that he could watch her remotely. He had reportedly told her he wanted her to behave like his wife and became unsettled when he felt she was not meeting that expectation.
Cameron ended the relationship in early July 2026, sending a message making it clear they were no longer together. Despite this, the messages allegedly continued. Ethan reportedly expressed worry about what his family would think if they learned the relationship was over.
Family calling for full inquest
Witz has stressed that while the digital history paints a concerning picture, the messages alone cannot explain what happened inside that room. The World Health Organisation recognises monitoring, constant contact demands and restricting a partner's autonomy as forms of coercive control within partner violence.
Critically, it was reportedly also revealed that nearly 88 days after the teenagers' deaths, SAPS had still not taken formal statements from Cameron's parents, Derrick Cooks and Claire Waldeck-Cooks. He further alleged that the teenagers' phones were returned on the day the bodies were discovered, without the data being forensically downloaded or preserved.
Cameron's family is calling for a thorough investigation and an official finding on how their daughter lost her life. The Coetzee family has declined to comment publicly while the case is ongoing.
See the full clip below:
SA reacts
South Africans responded with deep concern in the comments section on Bella Monsoon's Facebook post:
@Kim Venter:
"I am a bit confused. If they had broken up and she had ended the relationship in July? Why were they found together in a lodge far away from home?"
@Kimeshinie Reddy:
"The saddest part of it is that you will still find people in the comments trying to make excuses for his behavior and somehow blame the victim."
@Elizabeth De Abreu Ribeiro:
"This really is a lesson for us parents; please monitor your children's relationships. This is not normal behavior and warrants strong action as parents."
@Monique Schrade Swanepoel:
"That comes down to 40-50 messages an hour. Almost one a minute."
@Bridgette Human:
"WOW 785 a day."
@Corné Venter:
"Chilling to say the least."
More on the St Stithians case
- Briefly News recently reported on South Africa’s heartbreak over Cameron Waldeck-Cooks’ relationship tragedy as claims about the teen couple emerged.
- A St Stithians rower and a rugby player are at the centre of new claims, and police have upgraded their investigation.
- A look at the lives of Cameron Waldeck-Cooks and Ethan Coetzee before the tragedy.
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Source: Briefly News
