Murder!

[Charmain Meier (Heusdens)]

Dalene

The investigating officer at the Crime and Intelligence Section at Security was Roger Burchell.  He did the investigation on this case.  It was rather gruesome, I was working at Security at the time and saw the dossier.  The photos were horrible.  Roger's wife, Bev Burchell is also on site.

Charmain

[Dalene Steenkamp (Coetzee)]

Hi Charmain, 

Although I cannot remember all the guys from security and their investigation branch, I do know that Security dept and the Police worked closely in all cases and the investigation thereof, and they used to share dossiers for the relevancy of info that was used for both departments.  It was actually very nice in those days to be able to work like that and not have all the red tape schlep like you have nowadays.

Do you remember that his "defence" at that stage was that the guy had made a 'come-on' on him, but he also mentioned that he had killed before and no one had ever questioned him about it.  It came to light, that years before, him and some other kid had been in a brawl.  Apparrently he had overturened a wheelbarrow full of wood on the kid.  Some weeks later the kid had died.  All the years he thought he had killed the child.  Meanwhile that child had cancer and died due to that - nobody had ever informed him about the actual cause of the child's death and he had just assumed that he was liable for it.  But I still ask myself:  can something like that still make it easier to commit the actual fact of murder, and in such a horrible way.   I am speaking under correction, but was'nt it something like 12 stabwounds and some other injuries as well?

[Charmain Meier (Heusdens)]

Dalene

I cannot remember the amount of stab wounds Grant gave the guy, but whilst driving he still turned back to the guy on the back seat and gave him a few more.  I never heard what the final outcome of the court case was, but Grant must have had a couple of screws loose to do something like that.  The photographs were horrific.

Charmain

[goofy]

HI
I REMEMBER THAT I WAS TALKING TO HIM IN THE SPORTSMANS THE MORNING AFTER HIS HAND WAS BANDAGED UP THEY ARRESTED HIM SHORTLY THERE AFTER
MALCOLM

[SandyB]

 Charmaine  .. My dear  friend  Ronelle   gave one    gave it  all  one  coining phrase ...

" a heart  as  cold as  sin "    we rest it  there  ..   If  you read  up  in  the  " green  spot  posting    you will  get  a  bit more info ...

                       Sandy

[wayne wilson]

HI malcolm.WAyne Wilson here.I believe i am right when i say your surname is Aiken.We spent years causing as much trouble in o,mund as we could but never did anything to harm anybody .I can remember the story about Grant van Eden,that was many moons ago.i was shocked at the time,but after 26 years in jo,burg where it is a daily occurence one can not really believe that at that time in our small town that something like that would have happened.We were all freinds with Wayne and Mark van eden and Syrina who i went out with at one stage they were such a stunning family.anyway nice to know you are still alive and kicking.Where do you stay at the moment.regards WAYNE.

[georg ruf jr.]

Hi Wayne.
I knew Grant to. What happened to him. I think he lived in second avenue near the GMs house.
By the way. I'm sure we met to. There were so many Waynes around...
Georg.

[Florrie van Zyl (Muir)]

Grant was my age. 

[Yvette Kroukamp (Biccard)]

I visited Courtney van Heerden in Plumstead around the early 80's.  Havent seen or heard from her since. 

Not sure if this was a rumour but heard that Grant attacked and murdered a warden whilst in prison?? Stories were the one thing that were often exaggerated. Not an unusual pastime in small towns.

[Dalene Steenkamp (Coetzee)]

 

Yvette, you heard right.  I was in the police force in Windhoek at that stage.  Lucky for him (Grant) the murder was committed after the death penalty was no longer imposed.  I presume that he still is behind bars in Windhoek in Max Security today - that is if he is still alive.   

Rotten to the core...............     

[georg ruf jr.]

Hi Wayne.
I knew Grant to. What happened to him. I think he lived in second avenue near the GMs house.
By the way. I'm sure we met to. There were so many Waynes around...
Georg.

Sorry guys.
Didn't realise the topic had changed in this direction. Terible thing there with Grant. I'm just surprised (according to Dalene) this happened 1978. I only left in Feb. 1979.

[Clive Symes]

I remember that night because it was the only time that I ever bought Grant a drink. He came into the bar late with his hand bandaged and looking quite shakey. Since he had no money I bought him a drink.

There is a further storey, that while in jail in Windhoek he supposedly, stabbed a female warden and killed her. Now if that happened, I doubt that he is out of jail.

[SandyB]

yes  Grant  is out .. bumped into  him a  few  years back  .. below  my posting  from  " the green  spot "

Ok  name  mentioned ..  Grant  .. yes  he  is  out  ..  I  was  walking  down  Roodebloem   road  to  our  local   one  evening   and bumped  into  him ..  quite   uneasy  about it ..   he  used  to  hang around  Sportsmans  and  was  always  sort of  hanging  around  me  , kept  him  at distance , just  felt  uneasy ,, later  on  in  time   saw  him  hanging  out  with the  victim   .. the  rest  we  all know .. A  love  triangle  in  Oranjemund ?? think there  were many  .. working  behind a  bar  gave  one  a   fly on the  wall  aspect  of  things .. hey  it happens  everywhere  just that its  a  small  town and  everybody  sort of knows  everybodys  business .... 

[Clive Symes]

Hi Sandy, how are you doing.

You are right, working behind the bar real allowed on to take in what was happening and with who. Just wish I had had a bit more experience in reading body language.

[Bev Burchell]

Hi Charmain etc

I remember the murder well.... Grant was at the police cells when my ex brother in law and I did our learners licences ... it was only in 1980.  He was so cool about the whole thing ... it is SICK!!  Once again.... Rog has the photos still and yeah it was about 12 stab wounds!  One seriously sick bunny that one.  It was tragic about his sister .. I read the article.

ok stay well