Crime

Pretoria man reported missing found murdered and buried on smallholding

PrimeTime News Desk Published 4 September 2026

5 min read

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The decomposed body of a 53-year-old Pretoria man who went missing in late August has been identified as Allan Whelan. His remains were recovered from a shallow grave on a smallholding in the Boskraai area of Pretoria North.

Whelan was last seen in the Pretoria North area between midnight on Friday, 21 August, and approximately 03:00 on Saturday, 22 August. Akasia police opened a missing-person case after his disappearance.

On the morning of Wednesday, 2 September, Pretoria North police received information at about 08:00 concerning a body believed to have been buried at a smallholding in Boskraai. Search-and-rescue dogs were deployed and indicated a specific area. Excavation of the site revealed the decomposed remains of a man.

A witness identified during the preliminary investigation confirmed the location of the grave. The same witness also confirmed that the deceased had visited the smallholding in his vehicle. Further information indicated that the vehicle was later sold in Pretoria West.

Police have stated that the man, reported missing from Akasia, was allegedly hijacked and that his Nissan Sentra was also reported missing. The vehicle was subsequently recovered after being sold in Pretoria West. Detectives are investigating the buyer of the vehicle for possible receiving of stolen property.

One suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder. The suspect was identified by the witness. An accomplice remains at large. The arrested suspect faces a murder charge and a possible hijacking charge.

Tshwane district police commissioner Major-General Samuel Thine confirmed that investigators made a breakthrough after a witness came forward. He stated that the body found in the shallow grave belonged to the man reported missing from Akasia approximately two weeks earlier, and that the vehicle had also been missing. Thine noted that forensic investigations and a post-mortem examination will determine the exact cause of death.

Pretoria North police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk earlier confirmed the discovery of the body and the role of the search dogs and the witness in locating the grave.

A reliable source close to the investigation separately confirmed Whelan’s identity and the arrest of one person, while noting that police were still searching for another individual who may be linked to the case. The source also confirmed recovery of the vehicle on Thursday, 3 September. Official police statements at the time did not yet confirm the arrest or vehicle recovery in detail.

The murder investigation remains active. Police continue to follow all available leads.

Body recovered as search continues for second man after Strand Beach tragedy

A body washed ashore at Strand Beach in the Western Cape on Thursday morning, 3 September 2026, one day after two men disappeared in the surf while attempting to rescue a colleague. The recovered body is believed to be that of the 39-year-old man from Mfuleni, while police divers continue searching for the second missing man, a 22-year-old from Belhar.

The incident occurred around 1:43 pm on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, near the Lourens River mouth in the Helderberg Marine Protected Area. A group of men from a local business were spending a day off at Strand Beach when one of them got into difficulty in the water. Two of his colleagues entered the sea to assist him. Both were caught in rip currents and disappeared in the surf zone.

A local surfer intervened and brought the original man in distress safely to shore. Paramedics treated him at the scene, and he was released without needing further medical care.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Gordons Bay crews responded immediately after receiving reports of a drowning in progress. The alert came via an NSRI crewman’s family member who works at a nearby coffee shop. Rescue craft, including Zelda and Spirit of Surfski, were launched. A multi-agency operation followed, involving NSRI rescue swimmers and boats, Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) police divers, Western Cape Government Health EMS teams and drones, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, Law Enforcement’s Marine Unit, and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter. Extensive searches covered the air, sea, and shoreline, including free-dive efforts in the surf zone, but no sign of the two missing men was found on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, NSRI Gordons Bay was alerted to reports of a body discovered on Strand Beach in the Helderberg Protected Marine Area near the Lourens River. Police, WPDS divers, Western Cape Government Health EMS, and NSRI Gordons Bay crew responded. Police divers, assisted by NSRI and EMS paramedics, located and recovered the body of an adult male. He was declared deceased at the scene. The body was handed over to police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

Authorities believe the recovered body is that of the 39-year-old man from Mfuleni (Blue Downs). Formal identification by his family is under way in cooperation with police and Forensic Pathology Services. An inquest docket has been opened by police. Somerset West police confirmed they attended the scene where a body of an unknown male washed out at the shore around 08:22 am on Thursday.

WPDS police divers remain on scene and are continuing the search for the 22-year-old man from Belhar. Families of both men are being assisted as the recovery operation continues.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon confirmed the sequence of events and the ongoing efforts. Condolences have been conveyed to the family of the man whose body was recovered. The NSRI stated that its thoughts remain with the families, friends, and colleagues affected by the incident.

The two missing men had entered the water specifically to help their colleague who was in difficulty. Both were then swept out by the rip currents and vanished in the surf. No further details on the men’s identities beyond ages and places of residence have been released. The search for the second man continues.