Xena Colleen Allen

Xena Colleen Allen (1955 - 1984)

Brief overview:

Xena (29), and her husband, Barry (34), were attacked in their home, in a suburb of Pietermaritzburg, on 16th December 1984. Xena was stabbed in the left forearm, right shoulder and left breast. Barry jumped out of bed and ran after the perpetrator, he was stabbed several times; in the left hand, the left forearm and, superficially, in the chest. Xena was taken to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The post mortem examination found that her left lung had been punctured. Barry survived the attack.

The perpetrator, Solomon Msuthu Shabalala, had gained access to the house through the bathroom window, by using a knife, or similar instrument, to remove the window pane. It was the same knife that he used to stab the victims.

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
  • 1
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
  • Solomon Msuthu Shabalala
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • The trial court, with justification, convicted the appellant on the basis of dolus directus. The appeal was dismissed.

Additional Biographical Information:

• Cause of death : PENETRATING WOUND OF LUNG
• ID Number : 5504190195186
• Xena married Barry Michael on 07/06/1975
• https://www.gendatabase.com/deceased-record.php?q=3659409&r=XENA%20...

Links to Media articles:

• https://archive.ph/fvqUe (Court papers)