Eersterust family in mourning after son killed in cold blood

An Eersterust family is devastated after their eldest son, Grant Hendricks, was killed in cold blood.

The 41-year-old’s body was found dumped in Mamelodi “as if he was thrown away like a piece of rubbish”, the family told Rekord on Monday.

The Hendricks family firmly believe that their son was killed on the evening of Sunday, July 11, but they are struggling to put the puzzle pieces together. They have a lot of unanswered questions about the circumstances of his death.

According to the family, he was shot in the back of the head and he was badly assaulted.

The family reported him missing on Tuesday, July 13 after Grant’s neighbour informed the family that she last saw him on Sunday.

“We went to Grant just after 18:00 on Sunday. He talked and offered us soft drinks, but he could not look us in the eye,” said his mother, Sandra.

She mentioned that her son said that someone was threatening him, but as she knew Grant, he did not talk about his personal affairs.

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Sandra suspects that her son was killed in Eersterust.

“Eersterust is a small community and according to Grant’s neighbours, they heard a shot being fired on the evening of July 11.

“Grant was not that type who got involved with the wrong people, but who knows? Had he perhaps been in trouble?

“We are not sure what happened that night – only the Lord, Grant and the suspects who committed the murder will know what happened.”

His brother, Jefferson, said that the day before they reported Grant as missing, he received a call out of the blue from a woman in Mamelodi.

“I have no idea where the woman got my number, because Grant did not have his phone or wallet with him.

“She also said to me that Grant shouted out his number, but how can anyone shout out a number when you are shot in the head? That is why so many unanswered questions grind in our heads,” he said.

“His body was thrown away as if he were nothing and no one.

“Although her call was strange, we are in a way grateful for her call. If she had not called me, we probably would still not have known what had happened to Grant’s body, we would still have been looking for him,” said Jefferson, adding the family was struggling to process Grant’s death.

“There have been many incidents in my life in which I have been involved in widespread violence,” said Grant’s father, Gerald.

“My father died in 1976, and my life changed in the blink of an eye. Now, 45 years later, I have lost my oldest son to death,” he said.

“We will cherish the memories of our son forever. His death is still unreal. Every now and then we hear a car pass by thinking it might be Grant. When our phones ring, we hope and pray that Grant’s name will appear on the screen, but the thought that it will never happen eats at us.

“We try not to show our emotions, but on the inside, we are broken,” said the family.

According to his family, Grant was a jolly person and lived for his children.

“He did not hesitate to help where he could. He had a heart of gold.”

Grant celebrated his 41st birthday on August 10.

He leaves behind his four children.

Police spokesperson Constable Lethabo Mashiloane said a murder case was being investigated.

“We are appealing to community members who witnessed the incident to provide police with information that can help resolve this case,” he said.