Tiffany Meek Charged With Murder of Son, Jayden-Lee, Community Outraged During First Appearance

• Tiffany Meek made her first appearance in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court, charged with the murder of Jayden-Lee
• Angry community members gathered outside the court and vilified Tiffany during her appearance in court as well
• Tiffany cried throughout the proceedings, especially after she was told that the matter would be postponed

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – Tiffany Meek, the mother of Jayden-Lee, has officially been charged with his murder.

The 11-year-old was found dead on 14 May 2025, a day after he was last seen. His body had multiple bruises and showed signs of severe trauma.

His body was dumped on the stairwell outside his apartment, with his family claiming that he never came home after school on 13 May 2025, despite his transport confirming that he was dropped off at the Swazi apartment complex in Fleurhof, Johannesburg.

Meek makes her first appearance in court

The 31-year-old mother made her first appearance in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on 14 July 2025, charged with his murder. She was arrested on Friday, 11 July 2025. She is also charged with defeating the ends of justice and crimen injuria, and obstructing the course of justice.

Meek appeared with a mask on but was ordered by the magistrate to take it off. Community members who gathered inside the court also demanded that she show her face. She had no legal representative, as her lawyer did not appear.

The matter has been postponed until 18 July 2025 for further bail information to be gathered and for a bail application to be held. Meek cried throughout the proceedings and got more emotional being told that the matter would be postponed. She will remain behind bars until her next appearance.

Police outraged by mother’s actions

Speaking outside the courtroom following Tiffany’s first appearance, Deputy Police Minister, Polly Boshielo, said they could not rule out the possibility of more arrests in the matter as investigations continued.

She also expressed frustration with the mother’s conduct during investigations, as she often criticised the way police handled the matter.

“The very same mother used the community to protect her. She even came to Parliament, to the Portfolio Committee," the deputy minister noted.

She added that it was painful to see how the mother acted like a victim following the murder, while noting that she didn’t believe that the crime was committed by one person alone.

Police upgrade inquest to murder docket

Briefly News reported in May 2025 that the police were treating Jayden-Lee's death as a murder.

The police originally opened an inquest docket while investigations got underway into the 11-year-old's death.

The youngster's body was found on the doorstep of his home in Fleurhof, Johannesburg, a day after he went missing.

Source: Briefly News