A visibly distraught family mourned the murder of their defenseless grandfather after his body was found with multiple stab wounds in the family home study.
The 71-year-old John Bloor was stabbed with a kitchen knife in his home in Blairgowrie around 2pm on 22 November. He was home alone when suspects broke in through the security gate at the back of the house.
Step-daughter, Karen Edwards, confirmed he had been stabbed several times in his stomach and lower abdomen. The suspects removed the safe, which held the family passports and other documents, as well as their laptop, where all the family photographs were stored.
Wife of the victim, Cathie Bloor had taken her granddaughter to swimming lessons and then had been to the shops to buy items for John. It was when Cathie returned with her granddaughter to the house, that her granddaughter noticed the back door security gate had been bent upwards. Cathie called her next door neighbour, George Cox, for help.
Cox told Randburg Sun he had been in Emmarentia when he received a phone call from Cathie. He responded to the call and got to the house as soon as he could. “When I looked into the house I saw John on the floor in a pool of blood.”
Cox could see no signs of life and called the police. “The mind plays tricks on you and I waited a few more moments to see if there was any sign of life,” he said.
The family started to arrive and the fire brigade’s medics confirmed John’s death, said Cox. Police and forensics scoured the scene and took statements, while the family waited for the mortuary van to arrive.
“I don’t understand why they would take a knife from the kitchen and stab him. He was so defenseless,” said Cathie. John was deaf after he was diagnosed and treated for TB meningitis and also needed a walker to move around. “Yesterday was my 71st birthday. Why didn’t they break in yesterday when we were both out.
“He had so much to live for. He always said he would live till he was 88,” Cathie explained.
Captain Balan Muthan, the police spokesperson, confirmed the incident and said the victim was stabbed three times. The police have not arrested any suspects yet.
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