KAMARTIN – A 24-year-old woman and her two young sons died after allegedly ingesting a poisonous substance in a suspected murder-suicide.
The tragic incident, which has left the KaMartin community in shock, is believed to have occurred Thursday morning at KaMartin, under the Lugongolweni. However, the bodies of the woman and her two sons, aged two years and one year, were only discovered at about 6pm after a concerned mother went to check on them.
Preliminary information gathered at the scene suggests that the woman allegedly administered a poisonous substance to the two children before ingesting the same substance herself.
The incident reportedly followed an argument over the phone between the woman and the father of her one-year-old son. The name of the woman is known to this publication, but cannot be revealed at this stage pending police investigation into the incident. The boyfriend’s identity will not be revealed as well, for the same reasons.
When the mother entered the house, they allegedly found the three lying motionless on a bed. The house reportedly had a strong smell of poison, leading those at the scene to suspect that the family had died several hours before they were discovered.
A member of the area’s community police forum who attended the scene and requested anonymity, said the woman had allegedly left behind a suicide note.
According to the officer, the note indicated that she had decided to end her life because she believed the father of her one-year-old child had been unfaithful to her. “The letter stated that she was killing herself because her boyfriend was cheating on her,” the community police officer alleged.
The officer further revealed that the woman had reportedly telephoned her mother earlier that day and confided in her about the challenges she was facing.
According to the witness, her mother lived nearby because she worked in the area. Earlier in the day, she allegedly contacted her mother and informed her that she was hungry.
Concerned by the conversation and later being unable to reach her daughter, the mother reportedly went to the house, where she made the heartbreaking discovery. The community police officer said the mother found her daughter and the two children lying lifeless on the bed.
Meanwhile, the bereaved family has appealed for privacy as they mourn the devastating loss.
In a statement released to this publication, the family said they were fully cooperating with investigators, while allowing police to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths.
“We are devastated by the tragic loss of our loved ones, my niece and her two children. We are cooperating fully with the police as they conduct their probe. As their cause of death is currently under active police investigation, further details can be obtained directly from the Royal Eswatini Police Service,” reads the statement.
The family further noted that they will not be making any further statements. “We respectfully ask for privacy at this time to mourn our loss,” reads the statement.
The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) has since launched a formal investigation into the deaths, which are being treated as a suspected double murder-suicide.
In a statement, police confirmed that officers from the Siteki Police Station are investigating the incident. “Police have launched an investigation into a double murder-suicide incident that occurred at KaMartin, an area under the Siteki Police Station precinct,” the statement read.
Police said the two boys, aged two years and one year, were allegedly killed after ingesting a poisonous substance. “On July 2, at about 6:15pm, the children were allegedly forcibly fed a poisonous substance by their mother, a 24-year-old woman of KaMartin,” said the police.
According to the police statement, preliminary investigations indicate that the incident followed an argument between the woman and the father of the younger child. “According to information gathered, the incident followed an argument between the mother and the father of the one-year-old child,” reads the statement.
Police further stated that all three victims were rushed to hospital, where they were certified dead on arrival.
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