An elderly woman has been found murdered in her Elsies River home after a house robbery.
Cops say that 68-year-old Jeanette Scholtz was declared dead on the scene in Garden Street by medical personnel on Tuesday.
Her home had apparently been robbed in the middle of the night.
A resident, who did not want to be named, tells the Daily Voice that the Riverton woman’s lifeless body was discovered by her brother.
“It seems like it was a break-in, they gained access through the front window in the middle of the night,” she says.
“Her brother, who lives in the back of the house, woke up yesterday around 9am and went into the main house.
“He said he hadn’t heard from her and thought he should go to the house and check up on her as he did everyday.”
She says the mother of one, who lived alone in the house, was found tied up: “There was some material in her mouth, I guess to reduce the noise during the incident because no one heard her scream.
“She was in her bedroom on her bed with her face down. Her face was blue.”
It’s not clear how she was killed but there were signs of suffocation.
The neighbour says the boewe took almost everything in the house.
“They stole the TV, microwave and groceries, and many other things, they basically swept the house clean, which makes us think that there was more than one person.
“It is shocking how the woman who loved going to church was killed like this.
“She was such a kind person who was also well-known in the area.”
When the Daily Voice approached the family outside the house they said that they were not yet ready to speak.
A woman said: “We can’t speak right now, we are not ready to talk about it today.”
SAPS’ Joseph Swartbooi says: “The 68-year-old victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel.
“The unknown suspects fled the scene with utensils and are yet to be arrested.
“Elsies River Police are investigating a murder.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.