Free State farmer, family found murdered

[camouflage762]

Free State farmer, family found murdered

2010-12-02 14:22


Bloemfontein - A Free State farmer, his wife and three-year-old daughter were found murdered on their farm in the Lindley district, police said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Majang Mosupa said police were informed about the killing, on the farm between Lindley and Steynsrus, at 08:45 on Thursday.

It seemed the farmer, in his 40s, was stabbed, while his wife and daughter were shot.

Free State Agriculture CEO Henk Vermeulen confirmed the "senseless" murders and condemned the act.

- SAPA

[G-force]

Only a paragraph or two for this poor family.Look at the coverage other high profile murders get.It makes me sick.May they rest in peace,especially the little girl.

[shooter]

In the AFR edition it is said he was chopped in the head with a panga, not just stabbed and that the wife and girl were executed with gun.


http://www.nuus24.com/Suid-Afrika/Nu...oor-20101202-2

Jana van der Merwe, Volksblad-verslaggewer wat tans op die toneel is, sê die man is vermoedelik by die huis se agterdeur met ’n panga oor die kop geslaan.

Van der Merwe het vertroulik verneem die vrou en kind is met ’n vuurwapen tereggestel.

May these POS killers die a very slow and painful death.

[claassdj]

It becomes really difficult not to hate and to react

[ArnoG26]

If people that lives on small holdings and farms don't realize they must start to arm themselves, train, and carry weapons 24/7 then they will be at the bottom of the food chain forever. They are going to become extinct. It is shit irritating to carry two blades, my tact light and I can imagine my G26 with 2 extra mags will also not be pleasant. But hell we are at WAR!!! In a war you carry weapons, and you need training to fight better than your enemy. It is not nice to be armed to the teeth, but I'm not prepared to be slaughtered like a pig.This morning I had to do some business close to Wonderboom Airport. There are small holdings without gates and broken fences. The people I met had 3 bull terriers as security.

This is a shameless act and my heart goes out to the family. RIP.

[G-force]

There is a small photo gallery on mweb.co.za.The poor little 3 year old could have been left to live.These satans need to die a very slow painfull death.I would gladly do it.

[FrankH]

Farm murderers leave chilling note

2010-12-03 09:46


Attie Potgieter and his wife Wilna, who were murdered on their farm along with their 3-year-old daughter. (Volksblad)




Jana van der Merwe and MJ Lourens, Volksblad



Lindley - A chilling message written in Sotho on a piece of cardboard saying "We have killed them. We are coming back", was found on the gate of the farm where three people were brutally killed on Thursday.

The victims of the murders were Attie Potgieter, 40, his wife Wilna, 36, and their 3-year-old daughter Willemien. It was suspected that little Willemien was shot so that she wouldn't be able to identify her parents' killers.

Three farm workers were arrested on Thursday. Later, in townships in the area, three more suspects were arrested. According to early information, one of them is only 17 years old.

The Potgieters were murdered on their 11th wedding anniversary.

Shock

Arno Potgieter from the neighbouring farm, Van Tondersrust, spoke about the murders of his brother, sister-in-law and Willemien: "It is still half unreal. It was a terrible, terribly big shock."

After her mother was killed, little Willemien was presumably taken to an outside room and shot in the back of the head.

The body of Willemientjie, as she was called, was then apparently carried to her mother's body in the main bedroom. Her mother had also been shot in the back of the head.

Willemien's body was found with a little pink ribbon still tied in her hair.

In the house, a plate of food was still in the microwave.

Potgieter's body was found outside the house, next to a fence at the back door.

He was presumably surprised and hit on the back of the head with a sharp object, possibly a panga.

He was also stabbed with a garden fork.

When reporters arrived on the scene on Thursday, his body was covered by a pink blanket, on the spot where he had died.

Salary money withdrawn

Potgieter was believed to have withdrawn R7 000 from the bank on Wednesday afternoon to pay salaries.

According to information, the suspects arrested in the townships had paid the farm workers R500 each for information about the family's movements.

Wilna, who had worked at OVK's Arlington branch for many years, was assistant branch manager at the time of her death.

Her husband was a manager on the farm Tweefontein for Alex Macaskill, who lives in Marquard. He also ran cattle on a nearby farm, where his brother Arno lives.

Christiaan van Tonder, son of their neighbour, Colyn van Tonder, met three workers coming from Arlington on Thursday who told him that their employer was lying dead outside the house.

The suspects were arrested after swift action by police members of several Free State units.

Credit cards covered in blood as well as a 9mm firearm, which was also covered in blood, were found in a shack near Lindley. Another firearm was found on the scene.

- Volksblad

[Tweety]

The low intensity genocide continues.

[camouflage762]

Grim details of Lindley murders emerge

2011-05-25 22:11





http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...merge-20110525


Bloemfontein - Wilmien, the 2-year-old daughter of Free State farmer Attie Potgieter, had a cut to her head caused by a sharp instrument and then she was shot dead.

This was the evidence the Free State High Court heard on Wednesday when six men accused of killing the Potgieter family on their farm near Lindley in December 2010 appeared in court.

The men, aged between 18 and 33, pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder one of robbery with aggravating circumstances and other charges relating to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

The six are Stemmer Mofokeng, 23, Tapa Mofokeng, 34, Paulus "Vusi" Khumalo, 23, Tshokolo Lelala, 19, Telleko Seekoei, 20, and Diphapang Motaung, 18, all from Lindley.

151 wounds

Giving testimony, pathologist Dr Robert G Book said that Potgieter, 40, had 151 stab and laceration wounds when he examined the body.

Potgieter’s wife, Wilna, 36, had several deep lacerations to the head and a gunshot wound to the neck.

Indications were that the woman and child were shot at close range, he said.

When asked by State prosecutor Jannie Botha on his first impressions of Potgieter’s body, Book said: “The deceased “had been tortured to death.”

Testifying on the autopsy done on Potgieter, Book said the injuries could have been caused by tools such as a garden fork, panga, spade or sharp knife, while other injuries could have been caused by a brick or stone.

The State alleges the six attacked Potgieter outside his house with knives, a garden fork and a panga, killing him.

They then attacked the woman and child inside the house and shot them, the State alleges.

Threatened

On Wednesday Motaung, who was a minor at the time of the murders, entered a plea explanation. In it he indicated that he had been on the farm on the day the Potgieters were killed, but claims he had no knowledge of what was planned or going to happen.

In his plea, which was read into the record by his lawyer Leona Smit, Motaung said after a sleepover at Khumalo’s house on the farm the night before, he was called to the farm house the next morning.

He was forced, and threatened with a firearm, to help move a man covered in blood, while a woman and child were present.

He ran away after the woman and child were taken away and heard two shots, which he thought were fired at him for fleeing.

He was later given R500 to keep quiet and was again threatened to be killed if he identified those involved, he claims.

The State called policemen to testify about what they found at the scene and how some of the arrests were made.

State prosecutor Jannie Botha was expected to call forensic experts to testify on Thursday.



- SAPA

[camouflage762]

Farm murder suspect given R700 for drinks

2011-06-07 22:30
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...rinks-20110607





Bloemfontein - Lindley farm murder accused Tshekolo Letlala was given "drinking money" of R700 the night of the killing, the Free State High Court heard on Tuesday.

Letlala told the court his brother-in-law and co-accused Paulus Khumalo gave him the money and told him they would use it to get drunk two days later, over the weekend.

Letlala, Khumalo and four other men, aged between 18 and 33, are accused of killing Attie Potgieter, his wife Wilna and their 2-year-old daughter Wilmien on Wednesday, December 1 2010.

The others are Diphapang Motaung, Stemmer Mofokeng, Tapa Mofokeng and Telleko Seekoei, all from Lindley

Potgieter was hacked and stabbed to death with a panga and knife. His wife and daughter were shot.

In his defence, Letlala testified that he was probably on the farm when the attack happened, but that he was not part of the crime.

He told the court he brought fish oil and sugar to Khumalo the day before the attack and took flour and milk back to town on the day of the murder.

Palm print

Under cross-examination by Motaung’s attorney, Letlala said he was not sure how his palm print came to be on a door frame of an outside storeroom.

"It surprises me as well," he testified through an interpreter.

Letlala also testified that he was good friends with the other accused in the case.

"Yes, they gave you R700 drinking money for the weekend," said State prosecutor Jannie Botha.

Botha asked him why the three farm workers Stemmer Mofokeng, Tapa Mofokeng and Khumalo would tell the court they saw him fight with Potgieter on the day of the murder.

Letlala said the three men did not want to go "down" alone and he did not know why.

Earlier, Khumalo testified that the plan had been to get Potgieter's wife to open the house and safe during a robbery which was planned by all.

Khumalo testified that those carrying out the robbery should have held on to Potgieter, and asked his wife to open the house and safe.

"I cannot answer," Khumalo replied when Botha asked him what the plan had been should the farmer and his wife not co-operate.

"Why not? You can do better than that," Botha said.

"I do not know," Khumalo said through the interpreter.

Khumalo testified that he did nothing when he saw two of the accused fighting with Potgieter, even though the farmer was covered in blood.

No plan to kill

He said from the start the plan was to rob the farming couple and the "plan was running smoothly" at some stage.

"No, no plan to kill," he testified on the reason for the presence of a firearm during the robbery.

Khumalo confirmed that the child would have known him and the two other farm workers who were co-accused in the matter.

However, he denied the State's allegation that the child was killed to protect their identities.

"There was no reason. Ask the one who did it," Khumalo answered.

Khumalo and Letlala closed their defence on Tuesday.

The six men face three counts of murder, one of robbery with aggravating circumstances and charges relating to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

They have pleaded not guilty.

The case continues.



- SAPA