Murder suspect in court

The 35-year old man who is being accused of murdering his parents at the family’s home in Valhalla on Friday will reappear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for a formal bail application today. According to the police, Herman Pienaar was arrested in Boksburg North along with a friend, who was in possession of an unlicensed firearm and a vehicle that belonged to one of the deceased.

Police spokesperson, Captain Agnus Huma, said the bodies of Herman (senior) and Christine Pienaar were discovered by their domestic worker when she came in to work. Huma said that at around 07:10 the domestic worker suspected something was wrong when her employers did not open the gate for her as they usually did. Her SMS to alert her employers of her arrival also remained unanswered.

A neighbour, who saw the domestic worker waiting outside, managed to open the gate, as he had access to the property. “When the domestic worker got into the house, she found the house ransacked and the bodies of her employers on the floor in the study. The couple’s son was not at home when the domestic worker arrived and there was no sign of forced entry, although several items had been stolen.” Ward 66 councillor, Ina Strijdom, said it was with great sadness that she heard about the incident. She said she hoped the police would arrest the criminals who committed the brutal murder and bring them to justice. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends and neighbours of the couple.”

Meanwhile, the accused posted the following message on his Facebook profile: “Hurt always comes back and that is what it is, hurt and pain and the death that goes with it, well I only take the lives that go with the pain, so here I go, taking the least number of lives.” The message has since been removed. It was also found that the accused changed his profile picture to one of him aiming a firearm.