Sydney Skrywer, who was held in custody for allegedly killing a man, whose burnt body was found in the city’s Southern Industrial area nearly four months ago, has allegedly committed suicide in the toilet at the Windhoek police station yesterday morning.

Skrywer (40) was arrested in April this year and appeared before Dawid Mukuyu in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on counts of murder and violating a dead body.

He had been reportedly suicidal after his rearrest on Saturday when he escaped from police custody after being taken to the hospital to collect his chronic medication. 

He escaped on 5 July and was rearrested on 8 July. 

Confirming the suicide incident, regional crime investigations coordinator Chrispin Mubebo said the suspect committed suicide in the morning. 

Mubebo also confirmed that the inmate pretended to be sick and was taken to the hospital last week, where he escaped. 

He said he was re-arrested in Groot Aub at a relative’s home on Saturday.

“I can confirm that the inmate was being prepared to be escorted to court for his appearance of a case of escaping from police custody. He sneaked out to the toilet and hanged himself with a shoelace. We do not know where he got the shoelace from and how he got it,” said Mubebo.

A police source said, “A colleague was waiting for him to go with other inmates to court. His name was called severally, and there was no response. He went to collect him – just to discover that he hanged himself in the toilet”. 

When he was arrested for murder charges, he was accused of killing Julio Albertos (46), who worked with him at a business in Windhoek’s Southern Industrial Area, robbed him by stealing his cell phone and afterwards setting Albertos’ body on fire.

Alberto’s burnt body was found in a riverbed in the Southern Industrial Area on 6 April.

It is suspected that he died after he was stabbed in the chest and sustained a skull fracture. 

- ljason@nepc.com.na