Sleeping pills linked to murder

A Rehoboth family, whose daughter was shot dead by her husband, is furious at the police for allegedly not responding in time to their frantic phone call for help, but are also baffled by the killing, which happened after the suspect woke up from a sleeping pill-induced nap arround midday.
Franzelde ‘Zellie’ Beukes, 25, died on Monday, after being shot with a hunting rifle by her husband, who had apparently awoken in a zombie-like state, before heading to his safe to get his firearm, while claiming there was intruders in his house.
He faces a charge of murder, but cannot be named until he appears in the Rehoboth Magistrate’s Court today.
According to Sergeant SP Thomas of the Rehoboth Police’s Crime Investigation Department, there were no complaints of abuse reported by the deceased before her death.
According to him, the suspect took four sleeping tablets on the day he allegedly shot his wife.
According to the victim’s aunt, Eveline van Schalkwyk, they tried to contact the police when they returned home and found the suspect going berserk, identifying them as intruders.
“We contacted the police, but they were too busy with the Kuvukiland (land grab) drama,” she said.
Ironically, at the time of the murder, army and police officials were standing a few metres just down the street, where community members threatened to grab land.

Did not look good
The police arrived at the shooting scene minutes after the killing.
Rehoboth Police Chief Inspector Max Joodt said that the couple’s neighbour had reported the incident to him at the police station. He was not aware of any phone call linked to the incident.
“He (the neighbour) then drove in front of me, and I followed him. I am not aware of any calls that were made,” he said.
Van Schalkwyk related how the suspect woke up from his bed and headed to his safe, so he could remove his rifle and shoot the ‘intruders’.
The suspect was inside his house, which was locked.
He was with his father-in-law, who had also taken took two sleeping tablets, and his young child.
“His eyes did not look good… he stood up, but walked like a zombie, one could see he was not okay,” said Van Schalkwyk.
According to her, the deceased started panicking, because she saw her husband walking to his safe, where his rifle was locked inside.
“She was very worried and said to me ‘nannie, nannie he is going to get his rifle, and my father, he is going to shoot my father’. I then saw her eyes getting bigger and her tears started to roll,” said Van Schalkwyk.
“She then told me she is going in and said to me, ‘nannie, my mom loves you more, stay and console my mom’. I did not realise then what she meant,” she said sobbing.

Zellie’s parents’ eyes are tired and full of tears. It is clear they are struggling with reality.
Her last words to her mother Ronelle van Wyk, who left for South Africa for a short vacation last week was: “Mommy is now packing as if mommy is never returning to us.”
“My heart is torn apart today, maybe if I really see her in her coffin, I will really believe she is no more,” said another aunt, Eveline van Schalkwyk, who speaks on behalf of the family.

Father’s guilt
According to her father Fanie van Wyk there was no history of violence in his daughter’s household.
She had married the suspect in September last year.
“That must be a demonic thing… I would not have happened if I did not drink those pills. I have army training, I would have known how to handle the situation,” said her father, who narrowly escaped death when the bullet that killed his daughter grazed his head. According to him, the suspect was a well-mannered person, who was well-loved by his in-laws.
“He gets angry fast, but he is not a guy who just acts like that… something must have happened… he is the only son that I have… we do not have any bad feelings towards him,” said Van Wyk. According to him, the suspect gave him two sleeping tablets and offered to make him a cup of tea.
He said his son-in-law said the pills “will make me relax and that I would feel energised when I woke up”.
“I did not even read what was written on the container of the pills,” said Van Wyk. “Our hearts are sore, we are broken, but we are at peace. We know the Lord. We can also not judge him. He is our grandchild’s father after all,” said Van Wyk. According to the suspect’s friend and fellow rugby player Gordon Slamet, he is a family man who always wants his friends to take their children along to fun events.
“I never thought that he would do something like this. He was never a violent person. On the rugby field we are violent people, who do not see each other as friends, but off the field he was a wonderful and peaceful person,” said Slamet.
“He adored his wife. He did not want anything wrong to happen to his wife. What has driven him to this deed? That is a question only he can now answer.”
Slamet also said there was no history of violence between the couple, at least in public.
“Maybe inside, but outside there was nothing that indicated abuse,” he said.

JEMIMA BEUKES