Early Christopher

The incident occurred on July 15, 2010, at the couple's residential smallholding located on Woodgrange Road in Hibberdene, KwaZulu-Natal. Christopher, aged 69, and Jennifer, aged 62, were British expatriates who had moved to South Africa in the 1980s.The events began when the couple arrived at their property and stopped to open their driveway gate. They were ambushed by two attackers, Rouben Lochenberg and Mbongeni Nxumalo. Lochenberg confronted Christopher and demanded money in English. When Christopher reached into his pocket and drew out a personal firearm to defend himself, Nxumalo struck him in the head with a bush knife. Nxumalo then pinned Christopher to the ground and disarmed him. The attackers forced Jennifer inside the house at gunpoint, demanding cash. Jennifer attempted to fight back and physically struck out at the men, prompting Nxumalo to shoot her once using Christopher's stolen handgun. The men then searched the house and stole two cellular phones, a mini hi-fi system, and a second firearm found in the bedroom.To hide the crime, the perpetrators loaded the bodies of Christopher and Jennifer Early into the boot of the couple's white Volvo sedan along with the stolen electronics. Nxumalo attempted to drive the vehicle toward his home but lost control and crashed the car into a roadside ditch near Stick Farm. The killers abandoned the vehicle with the bodies still inside, took the stolen items, and hid in a nearby sugar cane field overnight. The following morning, they transported the stolen property to the home of an acquaintance, Mfanufikile Faku.Following a police investigation, law enforcement arrested Lochenberg and Nxumalo at Faku's residence on July 23, 2010. In September 2012, both men appeared before the Pietermaritzburg High Court and entered guilty pleas. They were convicted of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of illegal firearms, resulting in sentences of life imprisonment plus an additional 21 years.