A family from a Hartswater farm was abducted and murdered on Monday evening, police reported.
Renowned microblogger @crimeairnetwork, first reported the incident on Twitter, noting that an elderly couple and their daughter were abducted from their Hartswater farm, situated in the quaint agricultural town that sits on the edge of North West and the Northern Cape province.
Hartswater horror: Farmhouse family abducted and murdered
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Mohale Ramatseba, Rhino Security & Armed Response officials were alerted of an active robbery at the farmhouse, on Monday evening.
It’s believed four armed suspects entered the property and attacked an 83-year-old man, his-79 year-old wife and their 50-year-old daughter.
At this time, it is not known if any valuable items were taken from the farmhouse. However, Hartswater police confirmed that the family was abducted and two of their vehicles — a Nissan Micra and a silver Mazda CX-5 — were stolen.
Suspects arrested, one of three bodies recovered
Soon after the incident was reported, Hartswater authorities put out an all-points-bulletin, in search of the two missing vehicles. The Micra was found abandoned 30 kilometres away in Majaneng Village, Taung.
The APB on the silver CX-5 with registration number YMY 664 GP yielded great results as the suspects were caught travelling on the N18 in Pudimoe, North West, about 20 kilometres from where the Micra was abandoned.
According to @crimeairnetwork, the suspects, after an intensive interrogation, confessed to killing the family. However, only one body was recovered in an undisclosed area, in Taung.
At the time of publishing this article, Hartswater authorities were still in search of the remaining missing bodies.
This is a developing story.