R100 000 reward in murder hunt

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Cricketer JP Duminy pays his respects to John Comminss daughter, Donne Commins, at the funeral. Picture: Ross Jansen

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Cape Town - It’s been almost two months since former Western Province cricketer John Commins was killed in his Newlands home, yet there have been no arrests.

Commins’s family is now offering a six-figure reward to anyone who can help track down his killers.

The 71-year-old was killed last month in a break-in by three men.

Commins and his wife, Cherie, were tied up. The robbers stole cash, traveller’s cheques and jewellery out of a safe. They also took the rings off Cherie’s fingers and her watch and tanzanite pendant.

After they left, his wife found Commins’s body tied to the bed. Police said at the time they had found no visible signs of injury.

The family’s private investigator, Christo Herselman, believes the killing might have been an accident and the plan had been just to rob the couple of cash and jewellery.

Commins, who played for the Western Province Cricket Union in the 1960s, was the youngest brother of Western Province CEO Kevin Commins and the uncle of former Proteas cricketer John Commins.

His daughter, Donne Commins, agent to former cricketer Mark Boucher and cricketers JP Duminy and Albie Morkel, said her family recognised that the police needed the support of the community in following up leads.

They are offering a R100 000 reward - part will be covered by the police - to anyone with information leading to the conviction of the killers.

“Finding the killers will not bring back our father but it will help us and those who have been affected by this tragedy to move forward, to prevent another tragedy and to believe that crime does not pay,” Commins said.

“Our family is still shattered… because of the violence and untimeliness of his death. We could pack up and leave as so many have suggested or we can stay and do something, as our father would have done.”

Four unique items of jewellery were stolen during the robbery, including a tanzanite pendant, a gold and silver Rolex, a diamond ring and another ring with the inscription “D Deh B . E C”, that could help track down the killers.

“Someone, somewhere, has come into contact with this jewellery,” said Donne Commins. “Someone, somewhere knows something and we appeal to these people to contact our private investigator or investigating officer at Claremont police station.”

The Claremont police confirmed that they were still handling this case as a priority.

* Contact the private investigator Christo Herselman at 079 026 1267 or the investigating officer Mkhusili Ngqiyana at 073 305 4763 if you have any information that could help with the case.

kieran.legg@inl.co.za

Cape Argus