
Police say it looks like they had a disagreement and the man put his own parent aside.
Double-murder accused 41-year-old Mark Norris has shot dead his own mom before turning the gun on himself.
Norris was due to be tried at the high court sitting in Barberton for the 2017 murders of commercial farmer Luke Von Johnston (66) and his manager John Khoza (73) who were shot dead by him in the small town of Low’s Creek, Mbombela.
The dead bodies of mom and son were found Wednesday afternoon 2 October 2019 this week and cops said they are investigating what really led the man to shoot Sylvia, his mom, before ending his own life.
They lived on Tonetti farm. They lived in separate houses on the farm.
Police spokesman Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said one of the family’s employees narrowly escaped by hiding in one of the rooms when Norris was firing bullets at his mom.
Norris was supposed to be in court on 4 and 5 November 2019 for the 2017 murders.
“It is suspected that they had a family dispute and the man went to his mother’s house where she was attacked,” Hlathi said.

“Preliminary investigation indicates that the firearm belongs to the deceased’s wife as his licensed firearm is still in police custody pending the outcome of the case”.
Back in November 2017, at just after 7 one Tuesday morning, both 66-year-old Von Johnston and Norris entered into an ugly fight, which resulted in Norris pulling out his gun and shooting Von Johnston and Khoza dead at the gate of Von Johnston’s farm.
The two lived on neighbouring farms and Von Johnston had accused Norris of stealing giraffes and other animals from him.
Bullets were fired and both Von Johnston and Khoza were left dead on the ground.
Norris had apparently put up the fence on Von Johnston’s farm and wanted Von Johnston to pay him for the work before he could allow the giraffes to come this side of Von Johnston’s farm – the owner.
But when they couldn’t reach an agreement, Norris shot Von Johnston with one bullet that pierced him through the right temple and in the chest, shoulders and back. He was found dead near his bakkie.
Then when Khoza tried to run away to go alert the others on the farm, Norris shot him 3 times in the neck and two times in the back…
Norris was descendant of the Tonetti family that lived as neighbours with the Von Johnston family on the same farm since colonial times.
(edited by MLM)
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