Jeanetha Christina Gunter

Jeanetha Christina Gunter (1934 - 1988)

Brief overview:

Jeanetha (54), and her husband Courtney Alexander Gunter (54), cattle farmers, were murdered on their Farm Grootgeluk, in Vryheid on 21st July 1988. Courtney was beaten to death with a hammer, pick and an axe. Jeanetha was bludgeoned to death with a hammer.

A farmer, Mr. Janse van Rensburg, who was checking up on their cattle, found their bodies in the outbuilding in an advanced state of decomposition.

"The Gunther couple had rented out the grazing on their farm and retained for themseives no more than a small orange orchard. Their sole occupation seems to have been the saie of oranges to passers-by. Their home consisted of a simple four-bedroomed dwelling which was separated from an outbuilding some 15 meters distant. The grazing on the farm had been let to a Mr Janse van Rensburg who used to visit the couple every Tuesday when he came to inspect his cattle. He saw the deceased alive on Tuesday 19 July 1988. On the following Tuesday, 26 July 1988, he visited the house and knocked on the front door. There was no response although he noticed that the kitchen window was open. The absence of the occupants was unusual; they always told him when they planned to be away. On the following Tuesday, 2 August 1988, he visited the house once more and again received no response. The kitchen window was still open. By now his suspicions were aroused. He tried the kitchen door, found it unlatched and entered the house. In the main bedroom he found the corpse of Mrs Gunter. He summoned the assistance of an acquaintance and then found the corpse of Mr Gunter in the outbuilding. Both bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition. The contents of the house were such as to indicate that they had not been tended for a long time. Post-mortems revealed that both victims had been severely injured by blows to the head administered with a substantial degree of force. Virtually each one of the blows would have had fatal consequences."

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
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • On 29th November 1990, Lucky Mduduzi Dlamini, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, of which 16 years imprisonment will run concurrently with the sentence imposed. This means that the effective period of imprisonment will be increased to 25 years.

Additional Biographical Information:

• Identity Number : 3407130021086
• Cause of death : Under investigation
• https://archive.is/uW2SJ

Links to Media articles:

• http://archive.fo/sYFBR
• https://archive.is/KaTTx