'It was killing him'
It was love. They loved each other for 62 years in life and now in death."
These were the words of a Pretoria family as they described how their father's love for his ill wife drove him to kill her in an apparent mercy killing before he committed suicide.
The charred remains of Bettie Herbst, 79, a chronically ill diabetic, were found on Friday in the Pretoria North family's gutted Toyota Conquest on the banks of the Bon Accord Dam.
A frantic search throughout the weekend led police on Monday to the body of Herbst's husband, Hans, 87, who was found floating in the dam where he had drowned himself.
It is believed that instead of taking his wheelchair-bound wife to her doctor's appointment at Montana Hospital on Friday, Herbst drove her to her death.
Driving along a gravel road for about 50m, Herbst allegedly parked their car in an open spot before locking his wife in the car and setting it alight.
Apparent blisters on his hands indicated where the flames had scorched his flesh as the car burnt. It is not known whether he had had a change of heart and may have burnt himself while trying to free Bettie from the inferno.
With his wife burning to death, the frail Hans walked to the bank and into the water, his body surfacing three days later.
In a four-line suicide note addressed to his eldest son, Dries, which was found in the couple's flat on Friday, Herbst asked his family and God for forgiveness.
His horrified sons, Dries and Johan, on Monday helped police to identify his body after it was pulled from the water.
Dries Herbst, fighting back tears, said he did not expect it.
"Mom was so sick and had been slipping in and out of a coma. She was on a dialysis machine every second day and had been severely ill for more than a month, going into intensive care in hospital for two weeks.
"My father was under a lot of pressure and was battling. It was really difficult for him to watch the love of his life, his wife of 62 years, die like this.
"It was love. They loved each other for 62 years in life and now in death."
Herbst said the family had begged, pleaded and threatened his parents in an effort to persuade them to move into a frail-care home.
"Dad said the only way we would get him out of the house was if we carried him out feet first.
"We believe that dad did this because of mom's illness.
"I cannot believe that it has happened. I never thought that they would do this. It is tragedy, a nightmare that I can't wake up from," he said.
Herbst's daughter, Elise Bloem, said her father had been tired.
"It was killing him. He was slowly losing the fight in trying to help mom and it got too much for him," she said.
Murder and inquest dockets have been opened. …
These were the words of a Pretoria family as they described how their father's love for his ill wife drove him to kill her in an apparent mercy killing before he committed suicide.
The charred remains of Bettie Herbst, 79, a chronically ill diabetic, were found on Friday in the Pretoria North family's gutted Toyota Conquest on the banks of the Bon Accord Dam.
A frantic search throughout the weekend led police on Monday to the body of Herbst's husband, Hans, 87, who was found floating in the dam where he had drowned himself.
It is believed that instead of taking his wheelchair-bound wife to her doctor's appointment at Montana Hospital on Friday, Herbst drove her to her death.
Driving along a gravel road for about 50m, Herbst allegedly parked their car in an open spot before locking his wife in the car and setting it alight.
Apparent blisters on his hands indicated where the flames had scorched his flesh as the car burnt. It is not known whether he had had a change of heart and may have burnt himself while trying to free Bettie from the inferno.
With his wife burning to death, the frail Hans walked to the bank and into the water, his body surfacing three days later.
In a four-line suicide note addressed to his eldest son, Dries, which was found in the couple's flat on Friday, Herbst asked his family and God for forgiveness.
His horrified sons, Dries and Johan, on Monday helped police to identify his body after it was pulled from the water.
Dries Herbst, fighting back tears, said he did not expect it.
"Mom was so sick and had been slipping in and out of a coma. She was on a dialysis machine every second day and had been severely ill for more than a month, going into intensive care in hospital for two weeks.
"My father was under a lot of pressure and was battling. It was really difficult for him to watch the love of his life, his wife of 62 years, die like this.
"It was love. They loved each other for 62 years in life and now in death."
Herbst said the family had begged, pleaded and threatened his parents in an effort to persuade them to move into a frail-care home.
"Dad said the only way we would get him out of the house was if we carried him out feet first.
"We believe that dad did this because of mom's illness.
"I cannot believe that it has happened. I never thought that they would do this. It is tragedy, a nightmare that I can't wake up from," he said.
Herbst's daughter, Elise Bloem, said her father had been tired.
"It was killing him. He was slowly losing the fight in trying to help mom and it got too much for him," she said.
Murder and inquest dockets have been opened. …
