Marthinus Jacobus Uitenweerde

Marthinus Jacobus Uitenweerde
Also Known As:	"Thinus"
Birthdate:	February 06, 1956
Death:	July 31, 2011 (55) Reitz, Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, Free State, South Africa (Farm Attack)
Immediate Family:	Son of Arnoldus Janse Uitenweerde and Private Husband of Magritha Wilhelmina Uitenweerde Brother of Nicolaas Jacobus Uitenweerde
Occupation:	Farmer

Managed by:	Private User
Last Updated:	today

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About Marthinus Jacobus Uitenweerde

Thinus Uitenweerde (1956 - 2011)

Brief overview:

Thinus (55), was found with his hands tied up with black shoelaces, feet bound with nylon rope, and a scarf around his ace, stoned to death, and dumped in a shallow grave, on his farm Alliesrust, on 31st July. The police called for the tracker dog unit and launched a search for the farmer after Mr Uitenweerde's son Martin, who lives in Bethlehem, tried to phone his father and grandmother. They found his body 100 metres from the homestead near a ruin where the attackers had tried to hide the grave with leaves and sticks.

When Martin arrived police were at the scene, he heard his mother calling for help from inside the house. It was 22 hours after the attack, that they found Thinus's disabled wife Magritha Wilhelmina Uitenweerde (57), and his mother Bella (84), both who had been brutally assaulted and then tied up, and Bella raped.

Magriet, who was a quadruplegic died seven months later from the traumatic injuries she sustained.

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
- Two teenagers (16 and 17) from Petsana township were arrested the same day as the attack, and appeared for a preliminary inquiry at the Reitz Magistrates court. One of the boys apparently worked on the farm a few days earlier. Under the new Child Justice Act, which came into effect in March 2010 minors are entitled to a preliminary inquiry. “There was a consultation conducted in a private room, where they checked the boys are indeed minors,” Sergeant Mmako Mophireng said. Legal, social and police workers meet family representatives and a magistrate, who then decide whether to refer the case to a court or divert the individuals to a programme for minor offences. They remained in custody until the bail hearing in Bethlehem.
Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
Trial/Conviction
- 2012-02-20 Kroonstad Magistrates Court (Reporter Marlene Jordaan, Volksblad Daily) - Judge Albert Kruger, Adv Jannie Botha public prosecutor, Adv Pieter Nel represents the two youths. SAPS detective-captain Schweppes Moshuaduba testifying. The youths may not be identified, and must be tried as 'children' for the horrendous crimes. They were charged with two counts of murder, on charge for rape, three counts of assault, and one for armed robbery. They denied guilt for the murder of Thinus, and also the fatal assault of Magriet, as well as the rape of 85 year old Bella. The two youths claimed in their plea-explanation before judge Albert Kruger that five unknown, armed males had shown up on the farm and ordered them to carry out their deeds.
- Martin Uitenweerde broke down in court when he was asked to identify his father's bundle of keys. SAPS detective-captain Schweppes Moshuaduba testified that these keys were pointed out to him with some tools, meat and a bottle of small coins by one of the two suspects. They also pointed out two sports-bags belong to the murdered farmer. Two cellphones and a wallet belonging to the Uitenweerde couple also were found beneath a mattress of one of the two male youths.
- In February 2012 the two minors who were found guilty of the murder of Thinus, still to be sentenced. They were also found guilty for the sexual assault of Bella. One of the two was acquitted of assaulting Uitenweerde's wheelchair-bound wife Margriet while the other was found guilty.

Additional Biographical Information:

Links to Media articles:

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Marthinus Jacobus Uitenweerde's Timeline

1956	February 6, 1956	Birth of Marthinus Jacobus Uitenweerde
2011	July 31, 2011 Age 55	Death of Marthinus Jacobus Uitenweerde Reitz, Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, Free State, South Africa

Marthinus Jacobus Uitenweerde

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