Farm Grünfeld murderers convicted
Sentencing process scheduled for June
Eight years after the brutal double murders of Armin and Brunhild Riedel, two men have been found guilty in the Windhoek High Court.
Bernadus Afrikaner (37) and Salathuel Unaeb (49) were found guilty of the brutal murders of Armin Riedel (68) and Brunhild Riedel (66) by High Court judge Naomi Shivute on Wednesday.
The court found that the two men, who faced nine charges, murdered and robbed the elderly couple on 20 January 2018 at Farm Grünfeld in the Gobabis district.
The victims' bodies were discovered burned beyond recognition after the accused set the farmhouse on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence and cover up the killings.
The pair were found guilty of murder, robbery, arson and unlawful possession of a firearm.
However, Shivute acquitted both men of rape, ruling that the State had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charges of rape.
The case was postponed to 17 June for pre-sentencing procedures.
Brutal attack, deaths
During the trial it emerged that Afrikaner and Unaeb, both former farmworkers employed by the Riedels, attacked the couple in what appeared to be a planned robbery.
Afrikaner allegedly demanded money from Brunhild Riedel. When she said she had no cash, she was forced into a bedroom and killed. The cause of her death remains unclear. Armin Riedel died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The accused then ransacked the house, stealing various items including a pistol, knives, bedding and cutlery, before setting the home on fire.
Afrikaner was later found attempting to sell the stolen pistol in Gobabis. Their arrests followed in August 2018, nearly seven months after the murders, after further investigations linked them to the crime.
Stolen items
Loretta Hoases , an acquaintance of Afrikaner, told the court during her testimony that she and her former boyfriend, Riaan Rooi, visited the accused Afrikaner while he was in custody in Gobabis on a stock theft charge in 2018. During the visit, Afrikaner reportedly asked her if Rooi had received the "properties".
Later, when she met Rooi in Witvlei, he showed her several items, including duvets and pillows with matching covers, cash and a gold armband. Upon questioning him about their origin, Rooi allegedly told her they came from the farm where the Riedels had been murdered in January 2018.
The killing spree and robbery resulted in damages estimated at over N$500 000.
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The court found that the two men, who faced nine charges, murdered and robbed the elderly couple on 20 January 2018 at Farm Grünfeld in the Gobabis district.
The victims' bodies were discovered burned beyond recognition after the accused set the farmhouse on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence and cover up the killings.
The pair were found guilty of murder, robbery, arson and unlawful possession of a firearm.
However, Shivute acquitted both men of rape, ruling that the State had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charges of rape.
The case was postponed to 17 June for pre-sentencing procedures.
Brutal attack, deaths
During the trial it emerged that Afrikaner and Unaeb, both former farmworkers employed by the Riedels, attacked the couple in what appeared to be a planned robbery.
Afrikaner allegedly demanded money from Brunhild Riedel. When she said she had no cash, she was forced into a bedroom and killed. The cause of her death remains unclear. Armin Riedel died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The accused then ransacked the house, stealing various items including a pistol, knives, bedding and cutlery, before setting the home on fire.
Afrikaner was later found attempting to sell the stolen pistol in Gobabis. Their arrests followed in August 2018, nearly seven months after the murders, after further investigations linked them to the crime.
Stolen items
Loretta Hoases , an acquaintance of Afrikaner, told the court during her testimony that she and her former boyfriend, Riaan Rooi, visited the accused Afrikaner while he was in custody in Gobabis on a stock theft charge in 2018. During the visit, Afrikaner reportedly asked her if Rooi had received the "properties".
Later, when she met Rooi in Witvlei, he showed her several items, including duvets and pillows with matching covers, cash and a gold armband. Upon questioning him about their origin, Rooi allegedly told her they came from the farm where the Riedels had been murdered in January 2018.
The killing spree and robbery resulted in damages estimated at over N$500 000.
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