A private cremation service was held for retired East London businessman Marshall Kirsten at the Cambridge crematorium on Wednesday.
Kirsten (82) who shot and killed his wife and handicapped son last week before turning the gun on himself in what a family member described as a ”mercy killing”, died at the St Dominic’s Hospital on Tuesday.
He was admitted to the hospital with bullet wounds to his head and chest.
After undergoing emergency surgery, Kirsten was placed in the hospital’s intensive care unit where he died at 2pm on Tuesday.
A post-mortem conducted by Dr Basil Wingreen found the cause of death was a result of the bullet wounds.
Family, however, believe that Kirsten’s age and the poor condition of his lungs due to emphysema contributed to his death.
Kirsten’s daughter Jill Thompson said it was a relief her father had passed away.
”It’s what he planned and wanted. If he had survived we doubt whether he would ever have come to terms with the fact that he murdered his wife and son.
”The police investigation would also have added to his misery, and as crude as it sounds, he did not want to carry on living without his loved ones,” Thompson said.
Kirsten, the former owner of Kirsten Office Suppliers, shot his virtually blind wife Doreen (82) and their mentally handicapped son, David (49) while they were asleep in their luxury apartment, Kennaway Court on the beachfront Esplanade last Thursday.
According to a family member, who described the incident as a ”mercy killing”, Kirsten was in poor health and suffering from depression and chronic emphysema.
”He was concerned about what would happen to his wife and son should he die and committed the killings as a deed of compassion out of concern,” the family member said.
Inspector Stephen Marais said two murder cases relating to the case would be closed and an inquest opened. – Sapa