Facebook message leads family to son’s body in a BMW

The body of 24-year-old Llewelyn Arendse was found inside a car. The car was covered with a tarp. Picture: Solly Lottering

The body of 24-year-old Llewelyn Arendse was found inside a car. The car was covered with a tarp. Picture: Solly Lottering

Published Aug 15, 2023

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Cape Town police are investigating a case of murder after the body of a man was found in a car covered in a tarp in Kraaifontein.

According to a resident, the family of Llewellyn Arendse, 24, was alerted to his murder after someone said on Facebook that "there was a present waiting for them" in the broken-down white BMW that stood on the corner of Malva and Dahlia Street in Scottsville, Kraaifontein.

The victim was shot in the face and held a cigarette lighter in his hand.

Llewelyn Arendse. Picture: Solly Lottering

The resident, who did not want to be named, says after receiving the Facebook message, they went to the car and lifted up the black tarp to make the gruesome discovery.

"He was in the front passenger seat. If we didn’t get that message, we would never have found his body."

His heartbroken mother, Lizma Arendse, said her son was innocent and acted strangely before his death.

Llewelyn Arendse’s mom Lizma. Picture: Solly Lottering

"On Saturday night, he asked me to forgive him for any wrongdoing. He probably had a premonition that he was going to die.

"Someone came to call us on Sunday afternoon just after 2 pm to say they recognised him as the dead man in the car.

"On Saturday night, I had a nightmare of being shot myself.

"I cannot believe that my son had been killed so brutally. Hy was nie ‘n stoute kind nie [He was not a naughty child], and always assisted people with odd jobs. He didn’t have any children."

Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirmed the incident and said Kraaifontein police are investigating a murder.

“The motive for this attack is still under investigation.

“The unknown suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.”

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