Cape Town - A Woodstock resident was found murdered a week after last being seen outside his work place and after a missing person’s flyer on him had been distributed.
Erich Poll, 46, who co-owned a wood and metal furniture design company in Woodstock, was initially reported missing earlier this month.
On Tuesday, Woodstock Community Police Forum chairman Howard Smith, confirmed Poll had since been found killed. He said an arrest or arrests had been made and commended police for their work.
On Tuesday, provincial police did not respond by deadline to questions about Poll’s murder.
It was unclear where and when Poll’s body was found, how and where he was killed and if anything had been stolen from him.
According to a missing person’s flyer, Poll was last seen on April 9 at his business premises in Albert Road, Woodstock, at about 4pm. Poll had been on his way to meet a friend and was driving a white Ford Ranger.
“He wore black work shorts and hiking boots and carried a black laptop bag. He has not been seen since,” the flyer said.
Another flyer, by Missing Children SA, said Poll’s cellphone was switched off.
Two days ago on the Missing Children SA’s Facebook page, it said Poll’s body had been found and police con-firmed he had been murdered.
On Tuesday, Lizeth Venter, who had worked with Poll, said it was “an extremely difficult time” for her and Poll’s friends.
“It’s unreal… At this point we don’t know everything from police,” she said.
“He was my best friend. He was such an inspiration,” Venter said.
Poll’s Facebook page said he lived in Cape Town and was from Aachen, Germany. On Facebook, one of his friends wrote: “Our hearts are broken…”
Cape Times