Top forensic sleuth to investigate Mark Minnie's death

A top South African forensic sleuth is in Port Elizabeth to investigate the mysterious death of Mark Minnie, the co-author of The Lost Boys of Bird Island.

Dr David Klatzow arrived in the city on Thursday night at the request of Minnie’s family, DispatchLIVE reports. He has worked on a number of high profile South African cases including the death of MK operative Ashley Kriel, the assisted suicide of mining magnate Brett Kebble and the Helderberg plane crash

Minnie, 58, was found dead on Monday night at a friend’s Theescombe smallholding on the outskirts of the city with a gunshot wound to his head.

The gun found lying next to Minnie’s body is believed to belong to his friend and former colleague, Brent Barnes, who is also the owner of the smallholding where Minnie died.

A suicide note was discovered at the scene.

Klatzow said he is approaching the case with an open mind.

Earlier this week a friend and former police colleague of Minnie's, who declined to be named, said they had planned to meet at the weekend.

“He believed in this case and said that he had more info that would shock everyone.

“I do not believe he would have taken his own life."

Minnie's death is the third linked to the case. In 1987 Port Elizabeth businessman and diver Dave Allen and apartheid-era environmental affairs minister John Wiley were found dead within weeks of each other with gunshot wounds to the head.

This was shortly after Minnie‚ then a policeman‚ arrested Allen for allegedly having sex with minors and being in possession of child pornography.

The book claims that Allen “sang like a canary” and named a “very powerful cabinet minister”.