Gas station owner killed in house | Rhewal

Gawie and Mary-Anne Marx. (Photo: Provided)

The owner of the Total filling station on Morgenzon in Mpumalanga was attacked and killed in his home on Friday while his wife sustained multiple injuries.

Jannie Kasselman, owner of Kasselman Security Services, says Gawie and Mary-Anne Marx were waited on by four men at their home at around 19:00. They were in Ermelo earlier in the day and have just returned. The couple are believed to be in their 60s, but their exact ages have yet to be confirmed.

“The aunt says she just put the kettle on to make coffee for them, when the men suddenly stood there,” he told Rhewal on Monday.

The couple were then tied up and assaulted in different rooms of the house.

The Total filling station on Morgenzon. Gawie Marx was murdered at their home next to the petrol station. (Photo: Provided)

By the time Mary-Ann was able to untie herself in the bathroom the next morning to call for help, her husband was presumably already dead. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of his death is not yet known.

Kasselman says the couple’s house borders the Total gas station in Steyn Street, of which Marx is the owner. Mary-Ann had to go from home to this gas station to push the panic button which was connected to an armed response system.

According to Kasselman, the company received the alarm from the panic button at 01:04, after which response officers were called to the scene. The police were also on the scene soon after.

Kasselman says the suspects are still being sought and that, among other things, jewels, firearms and cash are missing. Marx’s driving license was meanwhile picked up near a farm in the area.

The security company has offered R20 000 for anyone who can provide information that can lead to the arrest and prosecution of the suspects.

Rhewal has made inquiries to the provincial and local police, but has not yet received a response.