AC/DC-loving expat Karl Lauks, 73, was ‘life and soul’ of wine town Tulbagh before killer ambushed him in driveway and used his scarf as gag
A British engineer who fell in love with South Africa and made it his home for over 40 years has been brutally murdered in his car driveway – strangled with his own belt after returning from his local pub.
Karl Lauks, 73, described as the “life and soul” of the picturesque wine town of Tulbagh, was ambushed on Sunday night in what appears to be his FOURTH robbery in just six months – but this time the attack turned deadly.
The AC/DC rock fan, who locals say “lit up” several bars in the Western Cape town with his British humor and jokes, was found dead in his vehicle with a scarf stuffed in his mouth as a gag and his leather belt wrapped around his neck.
In a tragic twist, the police station investigating his murder sits on the SAME ROAD where Karl was killed – just yards from where the beloved expat drew his last breath.
‘ONE FOR THE ROAD’ – THEN DEATH
Friends revealed that on Sunday evening, Karl had visited his regular watering hole, Herholdt’s pub, where his usual seat now sits heartbreakingly empty.
True to form, the jovial Brit had ended his evening with his trademark phrase “one for the road” before heading home to “feed the crocodile” – his affectionate nickname for his pit bull Wally, bought for protection after being beaten in a previous robbery.
But as he pulled into his driveway on Piet Retief Street around midnight on June 3, a killer was lying in wait.
The retired engineer, who had been sent to the Western Province to work over 20 years ago but fell so in love with South Africa’s fourth oldest town that he never returned to Britain, didn’t even make it out of his Smart car.
SAVAGE ATTACK IN DRIVEWAY
Police sources revealed the horrifying details of Karl’s final moments:
- He was attacked before he could exit the driver’s seat
- His belt was ripped off and used to strangle him
- A scarf was stuffed in his mouth to muffle his screams
- His cellphone, house keys and belt were stolen
- He was left slumped in the vehicle
Karl’s cousin Tessa Muller, a chef at the Lodge Tulbagh where he was a regular for his full English breakfast most mornings, made the grim discovery.
When I arrived there and saw the security gate and his car door open, I knew it wasn’t like him and I feared the worst as I walked up and looked inside,” she told local media.
I knew he was dead at that moment when I saw the scarf in his mouth and eyes wide open and knew I shouldn’t touch anything and called the police.
SWIFT ARREST AS KEYS FOUND IN GARDEN
In a dramatic development, police arrested a 29-year-old suspect shortly after the body was discovered on Monday afternoon at 12:15pm.
Investigators made a crucial breakthrough when they allegedly found Karl’s stolen house keys discarded in the suspect’s garden – damning evidence that led to his immediate detention.
The unnamed suspect appeared in Tulbagh Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, with reports suggesting he and Karl may have had previous disagreements, pointing to a possible personal motive layered with robbery.
VICTIM OF CRIME EPIDEMIC
Shockingly, this was not Karl’s first brush with South African crime. Friends revealed he had been:
- Robbed of his phone THREE times in the past six months
- Beaten so badly in one attack that he broke his shoulder
- Forced to buy a pit bull named Wally for protection
A close friend and drinking companion said: “Karl’s ‘crocodile’ was a pit bull he bought called Wally for protection after he was beaten up for robbery for his phone last year and broke his shoulder.
BELOVED BY ALL – ‘EVEN FOR AN ENGLISHMAN!’
Despite the dangers, Karl had made Tulbagh his home and was adored by locals who appreciated his quintessentially British sense of humor.
“Karl lit up his place and several other bars in Tulbagh and now his usual seat is sitting there empty,” a heartbroken friend said.
His sense of humor and British jokes endeared him to everyone and he always ended up at the bar with ‘one for the road’ before ‘going home to feed the crocodile.
“Tulbagh loved Karl and he’ll be really missed – even for an Englishman! He’d like me to say that. But to be fair, he was one of us, a true local.”
LONDON TO CAPE TOWN: A LIFE TRANSFORMED
Karl had originally been sent to South Africa’s Western Province to work in engineering and textiles more than 40 years ago, swapping London life for the stunning wine valleys of the Western Cape.
But like many expats, he fell under the spell of the Rainbow Nation and never left, becoming a fixture in Tulbagh – a town known for its award-winning wines and mountain views.
Neighbors described him as a “quiet, well-liked figure” who had “contributed significantly to the area’s engineering projects during his career.”
The widower, who lost his wife to cancer 15 years ago, had lived alone since but remained a “rolling stone” who “just enjoyed being out and about and having a beer.
FAMILY ACROSS THE GLOBE
Police confirmed Karl apparently had no family in South Africa, though locals said he had a brother named Imants in Canada who is reportedly a well-known inventor with numerous US patents.
Friends at his local pub, where Karl was a beloved regular, expressed their shock: “This is a shocking incident and we hope that those who killed him will be brought to book.
TULBAGH IN MOURNING
The murder has sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community of Tulbagh, located 70 miles north of Cape Town in the scenic Witzenberg region.
“He was always kind, a true gentleman,” said one neighbor. “It’s hard to believe something like this could happen here.”
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirmed: “Police suspect that robbery was the motive for the attack… This wasn’t random. There are signs he may have been ambushed while inside the vehicle.”
APPEAL FOR WITNESSES
Western Cape police are urging anyone who witnessed the murder or has information to come forward.
They can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or report anonymously using the MySAPS app.
As Tulbagh mourns the loss of a man who embodied the best of British humor and South African hospitality, Karl’s empty bar stool serves as a haunting reminder of a life cut tragically short – and of the violent crime epidemic that continues to plague the Rainbow Nation.
His friends’ tribute rings especially poignant: “Your chair is empty. We’ll always remember – ‘take one for the road’. Rest in peace our friend.”
