The Alberton Record first reported on an alleged murder suspect’s arrest, who was hiding in South Hills and was linked to the death of an elderly woman whose decomposed body was found in Alberton North.
Details have since emerged about who the elderly woman was and how her body ended up being discovered on Radio Road in Alberton North, in November 2023.
The victim, Susan Gillian Murray, was 75 years old when she was killed. According to her death certificate, she died on November 3, 2023. However, it is suspected that Susan died long before that due to her corpse’s decomposing state.
At the time of her death, Susan lived on Oribi Street in Verwoerdpark.
The Alberton Record can reveal shocking details of an apparent failed cover-up attempt by the alleged killers.
Susan lived with her daughter at the time, her seven-year-old grandson, and the daughter’s boyfriend. They all lived together at Susan’s Verwoedpark home.
Once Susan had been murdered, her daughter allegedly engaged in numerous drugs and sexual acts at her mother’s house. Susan’s other children started getting concerned when they could not reach their mother every time they tried calling her on the phone.
On other occasions, Susan’s daughter would pretend to be the mother, by responding to WhatsApp messages sent to Susan’s phone. And whenever Susan’s son wanted to come visit, still pretending, the daughter would use Susan’s phone to message the son not to come by making up things like she is not at home, or that she is at church and other excuses why the son should not come.
Suspicions started getting much higher, and the remaining siblings were alarmed. One day, Susan’s son decided to go to his mother’s Alberton home unannounced. He found the house ransacked, and discovered that items in the home were pawned including household appliances, a bicycle, a watch, a Tablet and much more.
During this time, Susan’s body had been lying in a field for about a week before being discovered.
Confronted by her brother, the alleged drug addict sister confessed that she knew that her mother was murdered and where her body had been dumped. Police were called and later a murder docket was opened.
“For about three weeks, she pretended to be my mom even though she knew mom had been murdered,” said Gillian Elser, Susan’s daughter who lives in KwaZulu-Natal.
After its discovery, Susan’s body had been kept at the Germiston Mortuary under the name Jane Doe – a pseudonym usually used for unknown people.
Susan’s body was positively identified on November 27, 2023, by Gillian who had then been living and working in Oman.
Susan’s daughter and boyfriend were arrested days apart from each other, and have been behind bars ever since.
Their case has been mired in postponements since their arrests, with their next court appearance scheduled for April 1 at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
Bail was denied and they face murder, fraud, and assault charges.
ALSO READ: Murder suspect arrested after hiding in South Hills region
