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Three people appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court on Friday after seven family members between the ages of 20 and 83 were kidnapped and then murdered at their home in Newton in Newark, KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday evening.
Col. Robert Netshiunda, police spokesperson, says intensive investigative work of several role players in crime fighting led to the arrest.
“Information indicates that the (one) victim’s domestic worker saw on her arrival at the house on Wednesday morning that there had been a break-in. Seven people and a vehicle were missing.”
The Newark police were called to the scene and several police units were mobilized. A quick investigation led them to the Hlomendlini area where two suspects were arrested on Wednesday afternoon. One of them had a victim’s mobile phone in his possession.
Information led investigators to Dendetu in Sundumbili where the third suspect was apprehended. A firearm was found in his possession. The suspects had a total of 11 mobile phones in their possession.
The police determined that one of the suspects worked for the victims. He and the other accused apparently broke into the victims’ house, tied them up with ropes and raped a 20-year-old woman before driving with the victims to Melmoth, about 200 km from the scene.
Police have determined the suspect who raped the 20-year-old woman at home raped her again in Melmoth before demanding bank details and codes from three of the victims. After getting the bank details, they shot dead three of the victims and stabbed the other four.
The police determined that several transfers were made from the victims’ accounts on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. The victims’ bodies were found in Melmoth after the suspects led the police there.
The suspects are respectively 21, 26 and 28 years old.