Tycoon tells of 'terrible tragedy' after wife's death

15 August 2016 - 02:08 By NASHIRA DAVIDS

Cape Town estate agency boss Jason Rohde has spoken about the difficulty of dealing with the loss of his wife, Susan, who died under mysterious circumstances at a wine estate last month."During this terrible and tragic time my focus is, and will continue to be, on the care of my three daughters, who have lost their mother," said Rohde. It was first reported that Susan Rohde had committed suicide on July 24.But days later police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said the investigation had become a murder inquiry after a postmortem.Susan Rohde's body was found in the bathroom of the couple's suite at the Spier estate, in Stellenbosch. Jason Rohde reportedly called for help when he could not open the bathroom door. He is CEO of Geffen International Realty Franchises, and the couple were attending a company function at the time of her death . His lawyer, Daniel Witz, said last week the couple had had an argument the night before her death."The argument was about ending the night and returning to their room to go to sleep ... She said everyone had had enough to drink," said Witz."I have and will continue to give the police my full co-operation in their investigation," said Jason Rohde. "My legal team will deal with any matters while I support my family." Witz said he and his client were waiting for the outcomes of a second postmortem and of "further forensic testing".Samantha Bartlett, spokesman for Sotheby's International Realty, said trauma counselling had been offered to employees who had attended the Spier estate event."The company and its staff are co-operating with the police investigation, and all operations at Sotheby's are running smoothly," said Bartlett...

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