A 76-year-old resident was stabbed to death on May 31 when he ran into an intruder at his residence along Smit Street.
Danny Kellerman was working in the yard with his son Daniel when the incident took place.
According to Danny’s daughter, Sue Müller, her father wanted to use the bathroom at around 11:00. He went to the cottage on the premises where he and Daniel were staying.
Danny noticed an unknown man at the door of the cottage. He shouted at the intruder, asking what he was doing there.
At that point, the man lunged at him with a sharp instrument and stabbed him in the neck.
According to Sue, the stab wound extended into Danny’s chest.
The knifeman then ran away and jumped over a wall. Daniel attempted to chase after him but was advised otherwise.
Sue rushed to the aid of her badly injured father. When she saw the extent of the injury, she fetched a cloth to apply pressure to the wound. The injury was so severe that Sue could not get the bleeding under control.
She tried to walk with her father to her vehicle, but he collapsed.
With the help of family members, they managed to get Danny into the vehicle. Sue rushed her father to the Life Suikerbosrand Hospital.
Personnel at the casualty unit immediately assisted to get her father out of the vehicle. Despite many efforts to save Danny’s life, he succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards.
Danny leaves behind three children, Lisa Burger, Sue and Daniel, and four grandchildren.
He was a pillar in the community, a drummer in the Methodist Church and led a prayer group.
Sue thanked everyone who assisted the family in their time of need.
“We are especially grateful to Crime Stop, who went beyond the call of duty in assisting and cleaning up the scene afterwards, The family appreciates this gesture,” she said.
The funeral service for Danny will be on June 9 at 14:00 at the Methodist Church in Heidelberg.
The perpetrator is still at large. The Heidelberg SAPS are investigating.
