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MATRIC Farewell Photos
23 October 2015
Couple dead in suspected murder-suicide
Family members helped to load the body of the deceased woman onto a stretcher. Photo: Lizzy Bapela Lizzy Bapela A Bela-Bela man is believed to have murdered his wife and then committed suicide, leaving behind two suicide notes apologizing to their family and friends. The incident occurred in Extension 5 during the afternoon of Thursday, 15 October. Detectives’ Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Abel Phetla said that the police received a call from a woman who said that her neighbours had been
found dead in their home. The police rushed to the scene to find the 37-year old man hanging from an electric cable from the roof. His wife (39) was found lying beside him in a pool of blood. It appeared as though the woman had been beaten with a variety of implements before her death. The local Emergency Medical Services certified the couple dead when they arrived at the scene. The police found notes at the scene purporting to be from the man, containing apologies to the couple’s loved ones. One
of the notes appears to be an apology to the deceased’s children, as well as instructions for the care of the children. The other note is alleged to be an apology to the mother of the female victim as well as to the male victim’s colleagues. A family member who could not be named said that she had spoken to the couple on Monday, 12 October, and had noticed that there appeared to be some tension between them. She said that she has been worried since then, and commented that the couple’s children will have to live with these memories forever.
Another member of the family said that while she could see that the couple was having trouble, she had feared to intervene. “Anyone could see from a distance that they had problems, but it is hard to intervene when they do not share their problems, but keep them bottled up instead.” The deceased couple lived in the home of the man’s late uncle, who was reportedly involved in a murder-suicide with his wife several years ago. Lieutenant-Colonel Phetla said that a case of murder had been opened, and that the investigation continued.