Free State farmer faces murder charges nearly a decade after fatally shooting robbery suspect
A farmer appears in court for the alleged murder of a man fatally shot during a suspected robbery on a Free State farm.
Image: File
Brandfort farmer Carl Christian Gutter, 78, has finally appeared in court nearly a decade after the fatal shooting of Sonnyboy Segalo, who was accused of attempted robbery on Gutter’s farm in 2016.
Gutter appeared before the Brandfort Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, after being arrested and processed by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit. His arrest follows a lengthy investigation and inquest ordered by the court in July 2024.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli said the case dates back to August 29, 2016, when police responded to an incident reported as an attack on Gutter’s farm near Brandfort.
"They found four suspects who had been arrested by a group of farmers and farm workers," Mohobeleli.
Segalo was discovered face-down with a gunshot wound to his back and later died from his injuries.
“The firearm claimed to belong to the suspects was discovered three days later, not far from the scene. This firearm and another belonging to Gutter were both handed in for ballistic testing,” Mohobeleli said.
Segalo succumbed to his injuries, and his three co-accused were later acquitted of attempted robbery.
Despite no immediate arrests for Segalo’s murder, a 2024 inquest eventually led to the court’s decision in March 2025 to charge Gutter with the killing.
He was released on R2,000 bail, and the case was postponed to 29 May 2025 for transfer to the Brandfort Regional Court.
Free State Hawks Head, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, praised the investigators for their persistence.
“This is evidence that the arm of the law is indeed long,” said Bokaba. “Although we may appear to have reached a dead end in the beginning, new evidence can always surface, which resuscitates the investigation.”
“This will not bring the deceased back, but it gives the family of Sonnyboy Segalo a shot at closure and justice,” Bokaba added.
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