Four foreign nationals from Malawi have been arrested and charged with the murder of a 78-year-old man from Cresta, Gauteng.
Malawi domestic worker linked to Cresta landlord murder
In a statement, police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed the last time the Cresta senior resident was seen alive was on Saturday 16 April 2022.
Neighbours grew concerned days later when the man, whose name was not released to the public, seemingly disappeared along with his white Volkswagen Polo.
“A tenant reported his landlord missing after not seeing him for few days. It was reported that the victim’s car, a white VW Polo was also not in the yard,” Colonel Masondo revealed.
An investigation led by Cresta detectives yielded fruits when it was discovered that the man’s vehicle had been spotted in and around Johannesburg.
Moreover, his banks cards were active. While this would have led investigators to rule that the man was alive and well, this was peculiar behaviour for a 78-year-old senior.
Following an intensive probe into the bank card activity and the vehicle’s movements, the man’s domestic worker and gardener were identified as prime suspects in his disappearance.
Upon questioning, the suspects confessed to killing the Cresta resident and identified two other males who were complicit in the murder.
“The suspects pointed a shallow grave in the victim’s backyard where he was allegedly killed and buried,” police confirmed.
The four suspects, all Malawian nationals, face charges of kidnapping, murder and defeating the ends of justice and are due to make their first appearance before a judge at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.