How Kim White Towne's family is fighting to bring her home after her murder in the US

Kim White Towne's family is fighting to repatriate her remains after she was allegedly murdered in the US by her husband.

They have launched a BackaBuddy campaign to cover the costs, with Lauren Delcarme writing on behalf of the family: “The process of repatriating a loved one’s remains is both complex and costly. Expenses possibly include cremation, documentation, and international transport. The estimated cost to bring Kim home ranges from $4 000 to $6 000.” 

Towne, 32, died on 25 May, with her husband Alexander Towne simply telling emergency services in a 911 that he doesn’t think “she’s with us any longer.”

Inside their home in West Virginia, authorities found the lifeless body of his wife, Kim. She had been strangled, while their toddler son was in another room. 

Kim, originally from Parklands, had visible upper body trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Delcarme wrote further as part of the campaign to repatriate her body: "We are reaching out to our community and beyond to ask for your support in raising the funds needed to reunite Kim with her family and homeland. Your generous contribution will go directly toward covering the costs of her repatriation and memorial in South Africa."

At the time of writing, they have raised R102 134, about 95% of their R108 000 goal.

Of the incident, Kim's brother Jason White says: “Kim was in love. Then she found out she was pregnant. In Dubai, having a child outside of marriage is a big issue, so they got married in December 2021.”

After the wedding, the couple relocated to South Africa, first settling in Milnerton before moving to Gordon’s Bay. When their baby turned three-months old, Alex returned to the US to secure Kim’s visa, which would allow her to move and join him there.

Jason recalled: “When he was in Cape Town, he seemed calm, almost shy. He was supportive during her pregnancy and kind to our whole family. But it was all a facade. Behind closed doors, he was abusive to my sister. We knew it, but she loved him. We tried to see it from her perspective.”

The situation was all the more painful because of the siblings’ past, with Jason saying: “Our own father was abusive. Kim knew the signs. We begged our mom to leave our dad and it took years. 

“It was awful. So for this to happen to Kim is devastating.”

Eventually, Kim made the decision to leave Alex. But she wanted to try one last time, for the sake of her child.

 “She wasn’t back long before the fights started again. She would call us in tears, locked in the bathroom or her bedroom while he shouted and banged on the doors. We told her, ‘Come home, Kim...

Of the incident that led to her death, Alexander, a US military veteran, told police that an argument had escalated and he had fatally choked his wife, according to reports. He was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder. He is currently being held without bail.

Weekend Argus