Godfrey Donald Sutherland

Godfrey Donald Sutherland (1934 - 1998)

Brief overview:

Godfrey (64), an evangelist of Carletonville who worked on a smallholding in Cullinan, was shot dead at the Zonkolol road cafe in Cullinan on Saturday evening 19th September 1998.

One of the three suspected killers was released from prison on parole just five days before the murder.
The suspect had two days before the murder believed to have stolen weapon a from a farmer whom he also attempted to murder. It was apparently with this weapon that Sutherland was shot.

Sutherland, a celebrity in wrestling circles and evangelist who for years had preached in several townships around the country, was shot dead barely an hour after family members had been there for a visit.

Earlier in the day he had preached in Bronkhorstspruit and White River. He was with his sister-in-law in the Zonkolol road cafe when two men pretended they wanted to buy cigarettes. While the sister-in-law went to get the cigarettes, one of the men took the evangelist and shot him in the chest without warning.

Insp. Gideon Thessner, a police spokesman in Pretoria, said the 29-year-old suspect was released on parole on the previous Monday. He had been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for burglary and
theft.

A spokesperson for the Pretoria murder and robbery unit, said the man had apparently robbed an elderly farmer in the Bronkhorst creek area on Thursday of his 9mm pistol and had also shot at him.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
  • The attackers fled empty-handed.
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
  • Detectives from the Pretoria murder and robbery unit have since the murder worked unceasingly and the night before yesterday arrested a 29-year-old man together with two youths of sixteen and seventeen years in the Cullinan area.
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • The 29-year-old suspect was to appear in the magistrate's court in Cullinan.
  • The two youths appeared briefly in court. They remained in custody until they will apply for bail.

Additional Biographical Information:

Shared by Godfrey's son on a discussion forum:

"My father Godfrey Donald Sutherland was murdered on the 19 September 1998, they wanted to murder more of the family but luckily the gun he was shot with didn’t go off more than one time because the bullets got stuck."
POSTED BY VIVA | JUNE 17, 2016

• Identity Number : 3401115005081
• Official cause of death : Unnatural causes
• https://www.gendatabase.com/deceased-record.php?q=2483653&r=GODFREY...

Links to Media articles:

• https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000192893033838