In Hazelmore, Kwa-Zulu Natal, a 33-year-old man was arrested this morning for the murder of his 72-year-old mother, marking a shocking incident in the community.
Mom killer in Hazelmore: Son arrested for gruesome matricide
Early on Friday, an off-duty policeman, residing in Hazelmore, contacted Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) concerning the disappearance of an elderly woman.
Upon arriving at the scene with Verulam SAPS, officers and RUSA paramedics discovered the decomposing body of Daw Kerr, aged 72, in a communal housing room.
Initially, the son claimed his mother died of natural causes. However, other residents, having last seen Kerr on Tuesday, grew suspicious due to her prolonged absence and a pungent smell from the room.
This led to their insistence on a wellness check and subsequent police involvement.
During interrogation, the son gave various conflicting accounts of the events leading to Kerr’s death.
Eventually, he admitted that after moving his mother from a specialised care home in South Beach, Durban, to visit him, an altercation occurred during a bath.
In a moment of anger, he pushed her, causing her to fall and suffer fatal head injuries.
After the incident, the son dressed his mother, cleaned the scene, and left her on the bed. He continued living in the same room with her body for three nights, leaving during the day and returning in the afternoon.
The suspect was arrested on the scene by officers without incident. The investigation is ongoing, with the son currently in police custody.