It is my daily task to report on crimes and accidents. Normally you keep a safe emotional distance, but it is difficult when such a tragedy strikes your family – in this case, my brother, Pieter du Plessis (52).
My son Jean (23) went back last Wednesday morning where he lived with my brother after he had been with me at Vaalweekblad’s offices. According to Jean he started looking for his uncle Peter when he noticed that his car was there but Peter was not in the house. He found my brother’s blood-covered body in the back room. Jean immediately rushed to his cousin Peter du Plessis Jr.’s (19) room and contacted me.
I immediately contacted the emergency services and drove to my brother’s house.
At the scene, I took my brother’s pulse but he was already dead. ER24 ambulance staff confirmed it a few minutes later. Upon further investigation by paramedics a deep wound on Peter’s throat was found and the cause of his death and murder.
The police, forensic teams and dogs of the biological fluid unit combed the scene of crime for five hours.
Several DNA samples were taken at the scene and detectives from Johannesburg were used two days later to do a blood spatter analysis and searched the scene for more clues.
Jean, Peter jr. and Marinus Else (24) son of Peter’s girlfriend Esther, was questioned because all three of them were at home at the time of and after the murder.
According to documents that were found at the scene, my brother went to an ATM in the morning. That could have made him a target of crime. According to the investigating officer a lot of questions will be answered after all the forensics, autopsy report and scene photos are available.
Anyone who can provide more information can call to Warrant Officer Francois Alberts (016) 910 9021 or myself at 082 653 2273.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
