Pages

20091030

Afrikaans couple shot dead for no reason

 

Oct 30 2009 - Leon and Hetta Steyn, owners of the rural Artist’s Cafe at the restored Hendriksdal railway station near Sabie in Mpumalanga,  were shot dead inside their home by an R5 military assault weapon. Two unknown black men were seen leaving the scene shortly after the shooting. Mr Steyn’s .38 handgun was still in its holster. Nothing was robbed.

    Hetta and Leon Steyn Murdered with R5 military assault weapon ArtistCafeHendriksdalOct292009

    Buks Viljoen  of Beeld newspaper reports from Nelspruit that the popular restaurateurs were discovered by neighbour Martin Boulton after he heard shots fired. When he knocked on the front door and called to them, the two murderers fled from the back door – one carrying an R5 military assault weapon.

    The couple was murdered at around 7am. Mrs Steyn, a former kindergarten-teacher from the West-Rand, was lying propped up against the refrigerator in the kitchen, with a gaping wound to the head.

    Mr Steyn’s body was lying next to his bed in the main bedroom. His .38 revolver was still inside its holster on the bedside table. He was shot through the chest. Both were still in their bedclothes.

    Earlier reports yesterday claimed the couple was shot with a shotgun and that their home had been ‘burgled’. However this report clearly was inaccurate, said police: they picked up  six empty R5-bullet shellcasings and an R5 round inside the house.

    Police inspector Whitey Nel of the Sabie police said the motives for the execution-style murders are murky: nothing was missing from the house. The White River police dog team started tracking the attackers’ shortly after the double murders and followed them for about an hour through neighbouring forestry-plantations. They had to stop the search when a heavy rainstorm hit the area, which washed out the tracks, said Capt Phil Liebenberg of the dog-unit.

    The Artist’s Café and its tiny guest house is located in a rural area inside the restored Hendriksdal railway station and the station master’s historical home. It’s hugely popular among foreign tourists.

    Beeld reports that a total of 147 military-attack carbines of the R5 variety went missing from the SAPS storage depots last year. The Transvaal Agricultural Union has called on the government to ‘carry out a proper audit of all the state-owned arms, because far too many crimes are carried out with firearms such as the R5.’

    Mrs Steyn leaves her son from a previous marriage, Mr Dirk Nel, 24.  People with any information may call inspector Nel, telephone 013-764-9960 http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/a3a7ea28303b4f629525d120b9603373/30-10-2009-01-01/Egpaar_vir_niks_geskiet

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.