Families seek closure as guesthouse owner faces sentencing for double murder gas leak deaths

The sentencing of guesthouse owner Kevin Pretorius, found guilty of murdering a young couple through negligence, marks the final legal chapter in a case that has haunted two families for more than five years — but their grief remains raw.

Mari Hoon (28) and Jean Vosloo (25) had set their wedding date when they booked a romantic weekend at Kliphuis guesthouse near Kareedouw in the Eastern Cape, in April 2020. Their trip ended in tragedy when their lifeless bodies were found in the bathroom of the guesthouse.

Toxicology reports confirmed that the Hoon and Vosloo died from carbon monoxide poisoning, most likely due to a gas leak from a faulty gas geyser.

After a protracted trial, fraught with prolonged postponements, the owner of the guesthouse, Kevin Pretorius, was convicted on two counts of murder earlier this year as the faulty geyser had been reported to him on multiple occasions, but his inaction ultimately led to the couple’s untimely deaths.

While the defence argued that charges against Pretorius should have been culpable homicide, the State in turn successfully argued that his action constituted dolus eventualis in that he knew his actions could ultimately put lives in danger.

“Every time the next court date approaches, the loss of our loved ones lies heavy on our hearts. We are a very close family, we talk on a daily basis, and this loss still impacts us every single day,” said Sune Hoon-Pretorius, Mari’s older sister.

“We didn’t just lose our baby sister. We lost a younger brother in Jean, and we lost our parents as we knew them. They have not been the same since receiving the news of Mari’s death.”

“My elder sister (Michelle) and I didn’t just lose our baby sister. We lost a younger brother in Jean, and we lost our parents as we knew them. They have not been the same since receiving the news of Mari’s death.”

According to the State’s case before court, the gas geyser installed at the guesthouse did not have a flue pipe that would be used to draw harmful gases, like carbon monoxide, out of the room and away from the inhabitants.

Carbon monoxide affects the body’s ability to absorb oxygen. From the testimony before court it was evident that the gases from the geyser rendered Hoon and Vosloo unconscious, and they ultimately died due to a lack of oxygen caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

In the months leading up to the couple’s visit, at least three other guests had reported gas smells, nausea, headaches and even seizures — all symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure. Each time, they reported the issue to Pretorius.

In her judgment in January, Magistrate Vusiwe Mnyani said Pretorius had been made aware of the gas exposure, yet had opted not to bring in an expert to inspect and rectify the cause of the gas leak.

The magistrate said his attempt to shift the blame to the manufacturer of the geyser was not enough for an acquittal, and his inaction, despite several reports, put the lives of his guests at risk.

Mnyani found that State prosecutor Johan Jansen proved his case beyond a reasonable doubt, and subsequently convicted Pretorius of double murder.

The matter was postponed to Friday, 25 July 2025, for sentencing proceedings in the Gqeberha magistrate's court, including presentencing reports from the State and defence counsel.

Hoon-Pretorius recalled that when the court case initially started, she and Michelle felt sorry for Pretorius as he entered the dock.

“He seemed so vulnerable. But as the matter drew on, and we saw more of him, he came across as very arrogant. Even after the court found that he was directly responsible for Mari and Jean's deaths, he still showed no remorse.”

She said at the time of their engagement her sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law had been together for about four years. They worked and lived in Tsitsikamma — he as a farm manager and she for a forestry company.

Wedding plans were already in motion and a date had been set for March 2021. Unfortunately, their untimely deaths came 11 months before their nuptials.

Case taking its toll

“Emotionally our family is struggling a lot. On the one hand, the drawn-out case is taking its toll, and it becomes increasingly painful as each new court date approaches.

“On the other hand, I am grateful the case is taking the time it needs. It tells me that the investigation and the court officials are being very thorough in securing justice for my sister and our family.

“Still, the grief is unrelenting.” 

She said her father, normally a cheerful person, had become withdrawn and quiet, while her mother often suffered emotional episodes and cried inconsolably.

“My mother is in regular contact with Jean’s family as well. She didn’t just lose a daughter, but a son as well.”

She said that when the court handed down judgment earlier this year she had hoped it would bring their family some closure and that they would slowly heal from their trauma, but it seemed they would never fully recover.

When asked about the couple and how they would be remembered, Hoon-Pretorius laughed and recounted some lighter moments they had shared as a family.

“My sister loved to sing at the top of her lungs. Unfortunately, she could not carry a tune to save her life. Sometimes it was painful to hear, but she did not care.

“And Jean was our barefoot boerseun. He was always wearing flip-flops and sometimes took them off and told my mom he was saving them for later.

“They were lovely, happy people. Their deaths have left an unfillable hole in our lives,” Hoon-Pretorius said. DM