Key Points
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Son-in-law, Brent Williams, hired two men to kill his in-laws.
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Hashim Dennis was killed, and his wife, Kulsoem, survived by pretending to be dead.
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CCTV footage and evidence led to the conviction of one attacker, Reagan Davids.
In Cape Town, a shocking murder-for-hire plot led to the death of 75-year-old Hashim Dennis and the serious injury of his wife, 70-year-old Kulsoem Dennis.
The attack was planned by their son-in-law, Brent Williams, who hired two men to kill them. The attack happened on January 31 at their home in Northpine, Cape Town.
Brent Williams had been facing troubles in his marriage to Ibtisaan Dennis, and tensions in the family led him to hire hitmen to murder his in-laws.
Williams lived in the same house but in a separate area from his in-laws. He drove the two men to the Dennis home, gave them the house keys, and left them to carry out the attack.
A brutal assault on the Dennis couple
The Dennis couple had started their morning prayers when the two intruders arrived. While Hashim was in the bathroom, Kulsoem was sitting on their bed, quietly reading the Quran.
Suddenly, she was attacked from behind. The men hit her on the head, neck, and chest with a gun. Kulsoem screamed out “Allahu-Akbar” with every blow before falling to the floor.
Pretending to be dead, Kulsoem lay still as her attackers ransacked the room. When Hashim returned, he was also brutally beaten by the assailants.
Despite his injuries, he did not survive the attack. Kulsoem, severely hurt, survived by pretending to be dead and hoping the intruders would leave her alone.
Meanwhile, Ibtisaan, Williams’ wife, faced the attackers but managed to lock herself and her children in a room, escaping the same fate.
Evidence links the attackers to the crime
Though Williams and one of the attackers, Reagan Davids, denied their involvement, CCTV footage provided strong evidence.
The footage showed Williams driving the two hitmen to the house and waiting for them. After the attack, the assailants were seen running back to Williams’ vehicle.
In court, Judge Gayaat da Silva Salie noted that the severity of the attacks on both victims indicated that the attackers intended to kill.
The intruders had ransacked the flat but only took cell phones, which suggested they were disturbed and had to leave in a hurry.
A knife used in the attack was found discarded, along with a sock from the victim’s clothes.
Reagan Davids was convicted as one of the attackers, but the third man involved has not been identified.
