Schoenies murder victim beaten to death
A SCHOENMAKERSKOP resident who died during a home invasion was so savagely beaten that police initially believed he had been shot.
Police said yesterday Ken Alexander, 76, had, in fact, been brutally bludgeoned to death.
A postmortem on Alexander, who was found dead on his kitchen floor in the early hours of Tuesday, showed he had died from blunt-force trauma to the head and face, virtually obliterating his jaw.
Alexander’s partner, Elaine Allwright, 78, was also badly beaten on the head, but managed to escape by climbing through a window of the house and contacting resident Rheta Taylor, who flagged down patrolling Neighbourhood Watch member Greg Kerr.
After emergency services arrived, a bloodied Allwright was rushed to hospital with severe head injuries.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said police were not yet sure what Alexander had been bludgeoned with.
Alexander was killed outside his house after getting up to investigate a noise in the garden. His body was then dragged into the house and left on the kitchen floor, according to officials on the scene.
“Originally, due to the severity of the wounds, it was believed that he had been shot,” Naidu said.
“However, the coroner’s report has revealed that the cause of death is blunt-force trauma.”
She said detectives were still waiting for a forensics report.
The Trio Task Team from the Walmer police station was handling the investigation.
Schoenmakerskop resident Gail Brown, after a visit to Life St George’s Hospital where Allwright remains in the intensive care unit, said Allwright was recovering steadily.
“She has improved since [Tuesday],” Brown said.
“However, she has quite severe fractures of the skull and there is some bleeding on the brain.
“The doctors said she will remain under observation in ICU until Monday at least.
“But she is conscious and responding to us now, so she is improving steadily and, hopefully, will continue to do so.
“It is a positive sign, though, and very reassuring to have her responding again.”
Due to the severity of the wounds, it was believed he had been shot