Probe into death of Gonubie couple

AN ELDERLY East London couple was discovered dead inside their Gonubie home, sparking suspicions of a possible murder-suicide.

The bodies of the man, 65, and woman, 68, were discovered by police in their 18th Avenue Gonubie home on October 16.

They had gunshot wounds to the head and it was suspected they had been dead for a few days.

The incident shocked residents, with many community members declining to talk about it.

The Daily Dispatch was only alerted to the shooting when a reader phoned in last week to ask why the matter had not been reported on.

East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said an inquest docket had been opened to investigate what appeared to be a suicide.

“The couple lived in a back flat inside a property in Gonubie. The owner of the property went to investigate when he did not see them for three days,” Mqala said.

“He found the flat locked and summoned members of the Gonubie SA Police Service. The members managed to gain entry into the flat and discovered the two bodies on the floor.”

Their bodies were taken to the Woodbrook state mortuary where postmortems were conducted.

While police have notified the woman’s sister of her death, Mqala said police were still trying to get hold of the couple’s son, who it is understood is in England.

Asked whether the couple owned a firearm, Mqala said their investigation was ongoing.

The woman was well-known in the community as she had previously worked as a receptionist for a local doctor.

The Dispatch was reliably told that the man had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and had previously sparked a community search after disappearing.

He was later found at the Fish River Sun after his vehicle ran out of petrol.

He was said to have been in a state of confusion and was then driven back home.