The body of a 65-year-old woman has been found in a suitcase hidden under her bed at a block of flats in Strand, Cape Town police said today.
"We suspect that she could have been murdered on Sunday, because her body, which was recovered yesterday [Tuesday] was about to decompose. The preliminary investigation indicates that she could have been choked," Inspector Olebogeng Tawana said.
The corpse was found around 4.30pm on Tuesday after residents at the Welgeleegen flats got worried and called police, as they had not seen or heard from her since Saturday.
Her name could not be released as her family had not yet been informed.
"She was a well known pianist in the Welgeleegen flats. A day could not have passed by without her playing nice music from her piano. The murderer took her life away... now she is making beautiful and harmonious music in heaven," said Tawana.
The flat had been ransacked. The drawers and doors of wardrobes and cupboards were open and clothes and linen strewn across the floor.
A 25-year-old woman who used to live in the flats was found in the dwelling. She allegedly told police she was house-sitting as the owner had gone away. She was arrested after allegedly trying to cash a cheque for R2000 apparently bearing the victim's signature.
"Police were called to the bank before the body was discovered, but she was not arrested at the time," said Tawana.
Police suspected the woman had gone to the flat to try and remove the body.
She would appear in the Strand Magistrate's Court on charges of murder, theft and fraud soon.
Police said they would see if she could be linked to other crimes committed in the Table View area.
It was not immediately known if items had been stolen from the woman's flat except for gold rings missing from her fingers.
Rots is to easy....
