Elderly man murdered in his Cresta home lost his wife only months ago

An elderly man whose body was found in a shallow grave in the back yard of his home in Cresta, Johannesburg, was a “very nice chap” whom everybody liked.

This is according to his tenant who lived on the same property for about 25 years. “He was very pleasant and hardworking,” he said of his landlord, asking not to be identified. 

Peter Richard Dobihal, 78, worked as an electrical and civil consulting engineer before he retired.

The tenant reported him missing over the Easter weekend after he had not seen Dobihal for a few days. Police later found his body buried in the garden after arresting four suspects — allegedly including his gardener and domestic worker.

His murder was painful, coming after Dobihal had only recently buried his wife, said his tenant. She died in November of illness.

They were shocked and disappointed that Dobihal, originally from Vienna in Austria, was ambushed and attacked in his home - the property was in a secure area with boom-gated entry.

They had trusted the gardener who is implicated in the murder, the tenant said.

After the murder, the suspects used Dobihal's vehicle and withdrew money from his accounts.

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said previously that the victim's car, a white VW Polo, had been sighted “moving around Johannesburg and the victim's bank cards were being used”.

The four suspects have made a brief court appearance and were remanded.

NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana confirmed two of the suspects were employees of the victim while the other two appeared to be friends of the employees.

They were charged with kidnapping, murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, fraud and defeating the ends of justice.

“It appears that he was hacked [to death]. One of his employees [ pointed out the makeshift grave]. They are in custody,” she said. 

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