Second suspect held for deaths at Schoenies
A SECOND suspect arrested yesterday in connection with the brutal murders of an elderly Schoenmakerskop couple was out on parole at the time of the double killing.
Police said the 37-year-old suspect had been tracked down to the Kirkwood Correctional Services Centre, where he was in jail for violation of parole conditions linked to a prior conviction.
The Walmer Township man had been arrested by late morning for the fatal attack on Ken Alexander, 76, and Elaine Allwright, 78, at their Schoenmakerskop home on September 26.
Police were unable to provide details of the man’s previous conviction, saying they were still awaiting reports.
The latest breakthrough comes only days after Vuyani Sifunda, 21 – also of Walmer Township – was arrested last week while already in custody for an unrelated burglary in the Paterson area on October 4.
Sifunda was arrested shortly after appearing in the Paterson Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. He appeared in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where he was charged with the Schoenmakerskop murders and the killing of Tyrone Plaatjies, 49, in his caravan home at the Forest Hill cemetery on September 23, as well as robbery.
Sifunda appeared again in the same court yesterday, and was remanded until November 7 pending further investigation.
Police insiders said Sifunda and the second suspect were apprehended together in Paterson for the alleged burglary, but because the second suspect was a parolee, he was taken to the Kirkwood jail.
Other leads are still being followed up as police believe more suspects could be involved. During their inves-
tigation into the savage attack in Schoenmakerskop, detectives found evidence suggesting Sifunda had also allegedly killed Plaatjies three days earlier, making off with R50, a cellphone and his car.
A hammer was used in both attacks.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said: “We can confirm the second suspect was arrested [yesterday].
“He was found to be in custody in Kirkwood for the violation of his parole conditions.”
Naidu said the man was only arrested for the murder of Allwright and Alexander, and robbery.
“Efforts are still under way to ascertain if he is linked to the other murder [of Plaatjies].”
Details of the parole violation and what he had been convicted of previously still needed to be determined.
Mount Road Cluster deputy commander Brigadier Keith Meyer – who assisted with the investigation – said the task team had been working tirelessly to track down and arrest the culprits.
“At this stage, we are still interrogating the two suspects.
“Only once we gather all the evidence will we know if more suspects are involved.”
Meyer said they were still waiting for forensic results from the bloodied clothes and a television set – possibly belonging to Alexander and Allwright – found in a Walmer Township house.
The second suspect will appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.