Answers hard to come by in family slaying

MAJOR depression has been cited as the probable reason for Hannes Thorburn killing his wife, daughter, son-in-law and eventually himself at his townhouse in Windhoek on Saturday.

The 63-year-old pensioner first shot one of his twin daughters, Lientjie White (28), a teacher at the Moria Private School at Outjo, and her husband, Michael White (32), while they were sleeping. He then turned the gun on his wife, Heleen Thorburn (52), who was getting ready for work at their home in the Barcelona complex in Olympia at around 06h00.His daughter was three months pregnant.Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu of the Police Public Relations Division says there have been no further developments in the case, and that it has been accepted that depression led to Thorburn’s actions.The family’s domestic worker, Agnes Jossob, told The Namibian she was finding it difficult to accept what happened, even though at times Thorburn seemed to believe that his own family was plotting to kill him.”They were like my parents.My future looks bleak.They were really very good people.They would stand by me for anything,” she said.Despite his depressive bouts, Jossob says she would never have believed that Thorburn could gun down his family in cold blood.”I just keep thinking, why could he not just leave the children.”Jossob has worked for the Thorburn family for six years and before that, for Heleen’s family at Keetmanshoop.One of Thorburn’s twin sons, Kobus, says his father received treatment and medication for his condition, but could not comment on how severely it had affected him, or whether he was being treated at the time of his death.But he firmly ruled out that his father’s depression was as a result of any financial, family or any other stress-related problems.”We just accept what has happened.We will never really know what has happened.We will just remember the good times,” he said.Hannes and Heleen Thorburn will be buried from the NG Church in Suiderhof at 15h00 tomorrow.A memorial service will be held for Lientjie and Michael White at the AGS Church in Pioneerspark at 11h00 tomorrow.On Tuesday, Lientjie’s twin sister Juanita was in Outjo to collect some of her sister’s personal belongings.She said her father’s depression “could have been part” of the reason he went on the rampage, but declined to elaborate.Lientjie, a Grade 10-12 accounting and business economics teacher, had a close relationship with her students.School Principal Hugo Vermeulen told The Namibian that the school’s 138 pupils would travel to Windhoek for her burial.”It is unbelievably tragic news for the school and the community,” he said, noting that Lientjie was deeply religious and very involved in church and community activities.Psychologist Claire Hearne says if depression was a reason for the shootings, it had to have reached the point of Thorburn experiencing psychotic episodes, and even paranoia, for him to kill his family.In her opinion, he might have turned the gun on himself out of remorse, or while still in a phase of psychotic behaviour.He then turned the gun on his wife, Heleen Thorburn (52), who was getting ready for work at their home in the Barcelona complex in Olympia at around 06h00.His daughter was three months pregnant.Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu of the Police Public Relations Division says there have been no further developments in the case, and that it has been accepted that depression led to Thorburn’s actions.The family’s domestic worker, Agnes Jossob, told The Namibian she was finding it difficult to accept what happened, even though at times Thorburn seemed to believe that his own family was plotting to kill him.”They were like my parents.My future looks bleak.They were really very good people.They would stand by me for anything,” she said.Despite his depressive bouts, Jossob says she would never have believed that Thorburn could gun down his family in cold blood.”I just keep thinking, why could he not just leave the children.”Jossob has worked for the Thorburn family for six years and before that, for Heleen’s family at Keetmanshoop.One of Thorburn’s twin sons, Kobus, says his father received treatment and medication for his condition, but could not comment on how severely it had affected him, or whether he was being treated at the time of his death.But he firmly ruled out that his father’s depression was as a result of any financial, family or any other stress-related problems.”We just accept what has happened.We will never really know what has happened.We will just remember the good times,” he said.Hannes and Heleen Thorburn will be buried from the NG Church in Suiderhof at 15h00 tomorrow.A memorial service will be held for Lientjie and Michael White at the AGS Church in Pioneerspark at 11h00 tomorrow.On Tuesday, Lientjie’s twin sister Juanita was in Outjo to collect some of her sister’s personal belongings.She said her father’s depression “could have been part” of the reason he went on the rampage, but declined to elaborate.Lientjie, a Grade 10-12 accounting and business economics teacher, had a close relationship with her students.School Principal Hugo Vermeulen told The Namibian that the school’s 138 pupils would travel to Windhoek for her burial.”It is unbelievably tragic news for the school and the community,” he said, noting that Lientjie was deeply religious and very involved in church and community activities.Psychologist Claire Hearne says if depression was a reason for the shootings, it had to have reached the point of Thorburn experiencing psychotic episodes, and even paranoia, for him to kill his family.In her opinion, he might have turned the gun on himself out of remorse, or while still in a phase of psychotic behaviour.