A 32-year-old woman from Cape Town has been killed by her husband in what police are calling a domestic violence incident in the US state of Virginia.
Kim White, originally from Cape Town, was found dead at her home in Chantilly on Saturday evening after her husband Alexander Towne called police to report he had killed her.
Towne, also 32, told a police dispatcher that he had choked his wife during an argument, according to court documents. “I don’t think she’s with us any longer,” he reportedly said during the 911 call.
Officers responded to the domestic incident at 7:48 pm on 24 May at a residence on Bromall Court in Chantilly. Police found White suffering from trauma to the upper body and she was declared dead at the scene.
The couple’s three-year-old son was in the home at the time but was unharmed, police said. The child has been placed with family members.
Towne was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder. He is being held without bail at Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
White, who was known as Kim White Towne after her marriage, had attended Bloubergrant High School in Cape Town before moving abroad. She had lived in several countries including Bahrain before settling in the US with her husband and young son.
Malcolm Pedro, principal of Bloubergrant High School, described White as “a vibrant and valued member of our school family” who served as a prefect in her final year.
“Her passing is a deep loss, not only to those who knew her personally but to all who were touched by her presence,” he said in a statement.
White’s brother Jason told local media that the family had been concerned about her safety for some time. He said their mother had frequently spoken to Kim on the phone while she was “crying and locked in her room” as Towne could be heard “banging on her door”.
“My mother begged her to come back home many times,” Jason White said. “It is only when you are in close proximity to your friends and family that you can feel the security and comfort of being safe.”
Court records show that Towne worked as an analyst for the Defense Health Agency and was a military veteran who received monthly disability payments. Neighbours said the family had moved to Virginia from California just a few months ago.
Police said that based on their preliminary review, they had not been called to the residence before for any domestic incidents.
The family now faces a potential custody battle over the couple’s young son, who has been orphaned by the incident. Jason White said the family’s main priority was to have his sister’s body returned to South Africa “so we can have closure to this horrible nightmare”.
The case has sparked widespread reaction on South African social media, with users expressing grief and outrage over another case of gender-based violence affecting a South African woman abroad.
Fairfax County Police continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the killing. Towne is due to appear in court in July.
