Durban – A Durban caregiver and an accomplice were on Thursday arrested for the murder of a 59-year-old Montclair man.
It is believed the caregiver hired two men to kill his employer to benefit from the man’s R2million insurance policy. Police are still searching for the third man.
Graham John Garlick was stabbed several times in his home on Tuesday night.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said a vehicle tracking company found Garlick’s bakkie in P-Section, uMlazi, the next day.
Montclair police went to his home and apparently found the caregiver mopping up blood. He was arrested.
His alleged accomplice, said to have been recently released on parole after serving nine years in prison, was arrested in uMlazi.
It is alleged that the caregiver was employed more than two years ago by Garlick to take care of his frail father.
When his father died last year, Garlick had apparently continued to employ the caregiver, who also lived in the same house.
He apparently cleaned and cooked for Garlick.
It is alleged that during their working relationship, Garlick told the caregiver that he had a R2m insurance policy on his life with the caregiver as the beneficiary.
A police source said the caregiver then allegedly hired the hit men. On Tuesday, Garlick arrived home and shared a meal with the caregiver while the hit men hid in a bedroom.
After the meal, one of the men allegedly stabbed Garlick with a dagger.
It is alleged that one of the men handcuffed him and used a neck tie to bind his legs.
The three then apparently wrapped Garlick in a blanket and bundled him into his bakkie, which was later abandoned in uMlazi.
On Wednesday afternoon, a tracking company patrolling the area discovered the bakkie, and after checking the registration number realised it belonged to a man from Montclair.
Police were notified and tried contacting Garlick, to no avail. They found bloodstains in the bakkie.
They contacted their colleagues at Montclair police station, who went to Garlick’s house.
Police found the caregiver allegedly mopping up blood.
He was taken to the police station where he allegedly confessed to the crime, and then took officers to where the body was dumped in uMlazi and implicated the two other men.
On Thursday morning, police swooped on the home of the parolee in uMlazi and found the murder weapon.
The source said detectives also discovered that R4 000 had been withdrawn from Garlick’s bank account after the murder.
The men are expected to appear in court on Monday.
Garlick’s neighbours said they did not hear anything on Tuesday night.
They only realised what had happened when detectives and forensic services arrived at their quiet street to investigate the murder.
They described Garlick as a quiet man who kept to himself.