Robbers shoot man watching TV
2008-04-22 09:29
Middelburg - Robbers shot an unsuspecting man execution-style through a lounge window before breaking into the farmhouse.
Johan Myburgh jun, 33, was shot in his father's lounge chair in front of the television.
His arm was still lying behind his head, his one leg folded beneath him and next to him stood a cooldrink when his grandfather discovered his body on Saturday morning.
He was hit in the back of the head by a single shot and died instantly. There were believed to have been two attackers.
According to inspector Kgeredi Moela of the Groblersdal police station, the attackers had then entered the house by breaking a bedroom window and climbing through the window.
Stole guns, money
They sawed open the safe and fled with R50 000 and three firearms - a .22 gun, a pistol of unknown calibre and a .38 Special revolver.
"It is terrible and so unnecessary," said Myburgh's grandmother, Joey Myburgh, 77, on Monday.
Her husband, also Johan, 84, discovered the body.
Myburgh junior lived with his parents, Fanie, 55, and Petro Myburgh, 51, on their farm Rietfontein.
The farm is about 25 km outside Groblersdal on the Middelburg road.
According to Petro her grandson was alone at home on Friday evening because his parents were attending a caravan get-together in Witbank.
Earlier on he had dinner at his grandmother's, who lived one and a half kilometres from them, but then returned home.
The police suspect him to have been killed between 20:00 and 22:00.
Petro said that they only discovered on Monday morning that her grandson had been shot.
"Some of the farmworkers came to us early that morning and said there were many footprints around the house and that the doors were standing open.
"My husband immediately went over and found Johan. The place was covered in blood".
"I did not go. I was shaking too much to even telephone the police. My husband had to do it. It is terribly cruel."
The deceased ran a business with his father Fanie, erecting palisade fences and roofs.
His father also farms with cattle, sheep and goats on the farm.
According to Moela the post-mortem will be held later this week.
A man was questioned by police on Monday, but ruled out as a suspect and allowed to go.
About a week ago a neighbour's house had been broken into and a revolver stolen.
This weapon was possibly used to kill Myburgh jun.