SECUNDA – No letter was left behind to help family and friends understand why a kind family man would kill his own mother, his disabled son who was exceptionally bright, and his beloved wife.
Mr André Naudé (50) was his friendly self where he was washing his car in the driveway of 4 Constantia Street on Thursday afternoon, 16 January.
“We chatted for a while and I did not notice anything amiss,” a shocked neighbour told Ridge Times on Friday morning. He said Mr Naudé was an avid gardener.
“I did not even hear the gunshots late at night, only loud music flooding in from somewhere and dogs barking,” the neighbour said.
It is believe that was the time Mr Naudé shot his mother, Ms Tina Naudé (83), his wife Lizelle who turned 52 years old on Christmas Day, and their 17-year-old son Henko, before turning the gun on himself. It is alleged that the victims might have been drugged before the time.
Not until the next morning did anyone realise something was desperately wrong.
Also read:
Family of four found dead in house in Secunda, Police release names
When Ms Lizelle Naudé, a beloved teacher at the Marietjie School for learners with special educational needs, did not arrive at school and did not answer her cell phone, Ms Annaretha Fourie, a close friend and colleague, decided to check up on her.
Mr Andries Lee, operational manager at Roman Alarms, said all was quiet when he arrived at the house.
“The car was in the driveway and the wooden front and back doors were wide open. Only the safety gates were locked and no one answered when their names were called.”
Mr Lee and Mr Allen da Souza from Langamed South ambulance services managed to grab hold of a key off a hook on the kitchen wall and were then able to enter the house.
The fans in the house were switched on.
“From experience of my years in the police and working with crime scenes, I instinctively knew something was very wrong and I told everyone to remain outside.”
Mr Lee found the body of Ms Tina Naudé, who recently came to stay with the family and would have celebrated her 84th birthday in June, in the first room. Ms Lizelle Naudé was on her back on a bed close to the door in the second room. Henko was in another bed in the room.
All three appeared to have been asleep in bed when they were shot in their left temples.
The bed in the third room appeared to have been slept in on Ms Naudé’s side.
Mr Naudé’s body was found in a sitting position in a pool of blood. Police believe he had shot himself in the mouth. A 9mm short pistol was found next to him.
Capt Gerhard Elmes, police spokesman for Secunda cluster, confirmed that no letter was found in the house.
Several friends of Mr and Ms Naudé claimed that Henko’s deteriorating health was taking a toll on his parents.
He was an academic achiever at Hoërskool Secunda where he had just began his matric year, but he was in need of constant care.
Henko, who would have turned 18 years old on 7 March, was in a wheelchair and had a caretaker to help him during the day and his parents were by his side at night, because he had to be turned often during the night.
He suffered from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a fatal genetic disorder that mostly affects boys.
The average life expectancy of a DMD patient is early 20’s.
Ms Naudé allegedly last week confided in a close friend who wants to remain anonymous, that she was extremely tired and drained.
Henko was rapidly getting worse and her mother-in-law was also ill.
Messages of condolences were streaming in after news of the family tragedy became known and the palisades of the Naudé house were stacked with wreaths and flowers by Saturday morning.
Mr Ben and Ms Amanda Naudé, brother and sister-in-law of André, did not yet want to talk to the media on Sunday.
The Naude family’s funeral will be held in Secunda (NG Rondekerk) on Thursday, 23 January at 12pm. Ms Tina Naude’s service will take place later in Vryheid.
