Pieterse killing: Cops hunt two

2002-03-25 11:39

Nelspruit - Two men have been identified in connection with the murder of playwright Pieter Pieterse, police said on Saturday.

Captain Amelia Smith said the two suspects were identified by witnesses after they had been seen carrying suspected stolen goods near the scene of the attack earlier in the week.

According to Smith, the pair fled when they were approached.

An axe, presumably the murder weapon, was also recovered at the bottom of Pieterse's swimming pool on Saturday after police decided to drain it in a search for further clues.

The weapon has been sent for forensic tests.

Pieterse's decomposed body was found by his wife on Thursday at their farm in Mpumalanga.

Jenny Pieterse had been away for a week visiting relatives in Cape Town. On arrival home she discovered that the house had been ransacked and items stolen. Her husband's body was discovered close to the pool.

Police said Pieterse's body had been sent to Witbank for a post mortem on Monday and his remains would be cremated.

A funeral service for Pieterse will be held at the Dutch Reformed Church in Fontana, Pretoria, on Monday.

- SAPA