Tiffany Meek, accused of her son's murder, appeared at Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on 14 July 2025. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi) 
Tiffany Meek appeared at the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court in Johannesburg on Friday, 18 July. She was seeking bail, following the alleged murder of her son, 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek.
Meek, 31, told the court that she would plead “not guilty” and that she had an alibi.
“I am going to leave no stone unturned to fight the charges and to indicate that the allegations are inaccurate and cannot be true,” said Meek.
“I believe that the course of justice will prevail.”
Jayden-Lee went missing on 13 May 2025. The state says that Jayden-Lee died from blunt force trauma and alleges that his mother covered up the crime.
Meek faces at least four charges, with the first being murder. She is also charged with obstruction of justice after she reported her son missing to the police.
“I am confident that the moment that there was blood, his clothes and school bag was found, I would have been arrested immediately. And not almost two months later” — Tiffany Meek
His body was discovered in the stairwell of the complex where the Meeks lived on 14 May, and blood was later allegedly found in their Fleurhof flat on Jayden-Lee’s bed, school bag and clothes. A multi-disciplinary police team investigated the case and worked closely with the NPA.
Meek also faces the charge of attempting to obstruct the administration of justice in that she is alleged to have placed her deceased son’s dead body in the passage of the apartment they occupy in Fleurhof.
She also faces a charge of crimen injuria in that she accused a Mr Khumalo, scholar transport driver of her murdered son, of being behind his disappearance.
Read more: Attacks on children — the scourge of violent crime affecting SA’s most vulnerable
In her affidavit, Meek set out her case for release on bail.
“I fail to understand how I could be charged with the murder of my son when I was the person fighting for answers from the police and doing everything possible to ensure that my child’s killers were found,” Meek told the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning.
“I report that I will plead not guilty to the charges.”
She told the court that she had not been told what evidence the state has against her. However, the state’s evidence was described as circumstantial.
“I deny any wrongdoing and any involvement in any of the allegations,” Meek said.
The search
She told the court that Jayden-Lee was normally dropped off after school by his scholar transport between 3pm and 4pm.
Meek said that on 13 May 2025, her son had failed to return home from school by 4pm, which is when she finished work.
She said that at that time, she checked with her mother but found out that Jayden-Lee had not returned. Due to not having airtime, she asked her mother to contact the transport owner and driver to ascertain if Jayden-Lee was dropped off, and if there was an accident or delay.
“My mother contacted the transporter, but she was informed that Jayden was dropped off at about 2.40pm,” she said, adding that she started to panic and search for him in their complex.
“It was getting closer to 5pm and he had still not returned, and could not be seen in the common area,” Meek said.
She then approached the day shift guards, who informed her that they could not recall if Jayden-Lee entered the complex. But a neighbour confirmed having seen the boy enter the complex.
“My mother said she was preparing to collect me around 7pm with a motor vehicle, and we all went to Florida Police Station to report Jayden-Lee as missing,” Meek said.
Meek said the police said she needed to wait 24 to 48 hours to report him missing, and they also wanted a printed photograph before opening a docket. (Missing children can be reported at any time, despite some in the public and police believing there’s a waiting period.)
Read more: SA’s missing kids and the agony of parents who never stop hoping
She said two police officers initially agreed to come back to her complex and they met four on the way, bringing the total to six officers. Meek said they refused to go door to door and search for Jayden-Lee.
“They first told us that it was too late to search the neighbours as it was around 9pm that evening, and then after told us that they don’t have a search warrant,” said Meek.
She said her brother and father went to a few units to search, but the next morning, she received a call saying Jayden-Lee had been found at the apartment complex.
Meek said her son was found at around 6am but that the family was only contacted at approximately 6.50am.
“No one wanted to call the ambulance, and had it been called earlier, he could have still been alive,” Meek said.
Police ‘failed’ her in search
Meek claimed the police failed her and that the family would enlist the services of a private investigator.
“The police refused to assist us on the night of the 13th May 2025 and kept telling us that Jayden is probably with friends, or got lost coming home,” she said.
“They asked us to drive around the neighbourhood and look for him, which we did, and also had the assistance of the Community Policing Forum,” Meek said.
“The first group of police arrived at around 9am to conduct investigations on the 14th May 2025, “ she said.
Meek said that at approximately 10am on the same day, her sister Simone opened her flat and allowed the police in, who searched the flat.
“It should be noted that Jayden’s school bag and school uniform was not found inside my flat on the 14th May 2025,” Meek said.
“The sniffer dogs followed Jayden’s scent to the flat where the security guard was living, but the police refused to enter this place and we were once again informed that the police had no search warrants and could not enter the guard’s flat,” Meek said.
Evidence ‘inconsistencies’
She told the court that members of her family, the community and activists were in and out of her flat on 14 and 15 May 2025.
“On the 16th May 2025, we were contacted by the police and informed that they were unable to gather evidence on the 14th May 2025 and had to search the flat a second time. And this was where the entire case took a turn, and I was accused for Jayden’s murder,” Meek said.
Meek said she was informed that items including his school uniform and blood-stained underwear were found on 16th May 2025.
“It is highly improbable and impossible for the police to have not seen or found these items on the 14th of May 2025,” Meek told the court.
“I am confident that the moment that there was blood, his clothes and school bag was found, I would have been arrested immediately. And not almost two months later,” she said.
“I was even informed that Jayden-Lee’s underwear was found in the bathtub on the 16th May 2025, which is impossible, as we had so many people use the bathroom on 14 and 15 May 2025,” Meek said.
She was arrested on 11 July.
Meek’s personal circumstances
Meek said she was married but had been separated from her husband since 2022. She said she had another child when she was 18, but the child passed away two days later.
She told the court that since her son’s death, she has been living with her mother and brothers, whom she provided for financially. She further disclosed her monthly income of R17,400.
A letter of her conduct in her workplace was also read to the court. It revealed that she conducted herself well at work. She said she could raise money for bail and would not attempt to evade trial.
“I would like to record at this early stage that if the state persists with the charges against me, I wish to stand my trial.
“I have been the person asking for proper investigations into the death of my child and we believe that the police have failed in their duties,” Meek said.
“I do not have any disposition to commit any violent crimes. I am a first offender before this honourable court, and my record shows that I have no tendencies to commit any offences.
She said if released on bail, she would go and stay with her father in KwaZulu-Natal. She told the court that she believes she must clean up her tarnished name and that of her family.
The magistrate postponed the matter to Monday, 21 July 2025. DM