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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter—
POLICE have arrested a man from Binga’s Crocodile Farm for allegedly killing his wife of 51 years and reporting her death as having been due to natural causes. William Brain Kendall, 75, was arrested after a post-mortem report showed that his wife had died as a result of head injuries. Kendall has worked at Crocodile Farm as a mechanic since 1984.

Farleys Funeral Parlour in Bulawayo recommended a port-mortem after Kendall asked to have the body cremated. Kendall, who was represented by Thulani Nkala, was charged with murder when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Sharon Rosemani on Friday.

He was not asked to plead to murder charges and was remanded out of custody to March 31, on $300 bail. As part of his bail conditions, Kendall was ordered to report fortnightly at Binga Police Station, reside at his given address in Binga and not to interfere with witnesses.

His wife’s name and age were not revealed in court, but the couple had been married for 51 years. “While at Farleys Funeral Parlour he signed for the body to be cremated and it was then referred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals for a full post-mortem because no body can be cremated without full post-mortem,” said the prosecutor Onias Nyathi.

“He was issued with a Form 231 to sign for the body to be placed in a mortuary.” Nyathi said Kendall allegedly committed the crime on February 6 at Crocodile Farm. The reasons why he allegedly killed his wife were not given in court.