In the early hours of Saturday morning, Tyrel Ekermans was stabbed to death.

The bodybuilder, hailing from Boksburg, was in Cape Town to “explore steroid business opportunities there”.

At least that’s what sources say.

Times LIVE reports that it is believed he had “upset many underworld figures in Johannesburg”, and speculation is rife that his stabbing was a “professional hit”:

In Cape Town, he was asked to attend a meeting where they could spell out the rules to him, but he “disrespected” the meeting request – and ended up dead a few days later.

Ekermans, 36, was stabbed in the neck on Arum Road‚ Table View, on Saturday morning at about 1AM.

Specialist forensic investigator Mike Bolhuis has been tracking the illegal steroid trade in South Africa and said that there are many “allegations that Ekermans was involved in a large steroid-smuggling network”:

His wife, Ciara, has however denied him being involved in a smuggling network, saying these were “false accusations”.

Of course she does.

However, Bolhuis said it appeared as if Ekermans was a senior player and was just “under” “Steroid King” Brian Wainstein.

Yes, the same Wainstein who was wanted by US authorities before being taken out while at home in his luxury Constantia home, sleeping next to his wife and child. Read about that first here and then here.

Bolhuis explained they have been “busy with ongoing investigations over the past two years and continuously investigating the steroid and drug trade, and Tyrel featured prominently here”.

But Bolhuis wasn’t the only source to suggest such antics. Several underworld figures also weighed in, alleging that the Boksburg-based nutrition expert was in Cape Town on “business”, which involved making deals for the sale of steroids and other “party drugs”:

Sources also said he was expected to meet a prominent underworld figure linked to a large nightclub extortion syndicate.

But this underworld figure, who asked not to be named, said he had wanted to meet Tyrel to explain to him “how things work in the Cape”.

“I wanted to see him because he made people angry (in Johannesburg), so I said to him: ‘Hey, pal, come here quickly, you’re in the Cape so let me quickly give you the rules of the town’,” said the source.

“Then he decided to disrespect me by not coming, and I don’t know if those people got him afterwards at the gym to just tell him what it’s about.”

He said he was asked by a prominent underworld figure in Johannesburg to meet Ekermans who had allegedly “caused kak” in Johannesburg.

“He said: ‘Listen here, the guy is in town, he caused kak up here, just explain to him so he doesn’t cause kak down here and finish what he started up there, and he needs to ask for forgiveness from the people up there.’ So that’s what I did,” said the source.

Although a senior police officer in the Western Cape heard “similar rumours”, the case is still being handled at a “station level”:

“We are not even at theories yet. He was killed and they are investigating. We are taking witness statements at this stage,” said the source.

Now, kids, we all know how terrible this life is, so I hope you’re all staying far away from it.

[source:timeslive]