A Gqeberha family is in mourning after discovering that the body found on Hobie Beach on Monday night was that of their loved one.
On Thursday, the body was positively identified as that of 19-year-old Eduvos student, Linda Linda of Fairview.
Linda's devastated parents received the news on Thursday morning and visited the scene on the sand at the beach, where their daughter took her last breath.
Police had initially investigated a murder, but further investigation could determine that Linda had taken her own life.
Her father, Thabiso, 59, told Algoa FM News that his daughter had left their house at around 9 am on Monday and promised him that she would be home by midday.
"When she left home, she told me she would collect her academic transcript at Eduvos, but she never came back.
"I gave her R40, in addition to the R250 I had given her previously.
"When I tried to phone her at around 4 pm her phone was off."
Thabiso said she smiled when she left the house.
When asked about his daughter's suicide, alleged to have been committed with his firearm, Thabiso said when she left the house he noticed her carrying a bag.
This seemed mysterious because Linda had turned away from him, in a manner to obscure the bag, Thabiso said in hindsight.
He said his firearm was always kept in his locked safe.
Thabiso did not realise that it had been missing until Thursday morning, because there was never a need to take it out to use it.
On Monday when Linda did not return home, Thabiso did not go to the police station immediately.
On Wednesday afternoon, he received two phone calls from the college, asking him if he was aware of his daughter's whereabouts.
He went looking for his daughter at a friend's home at a townhouse complex in Summerstrand but returned empty-handed at the gate upon realising he did not know in which unit number her friend lived in.
Even though he reads the newspaper religiously, he did not purchase a paper on Tuesday and Wednesday.
He is also not active on social media.
"The news dawned on us when the police told us and when my brother and I identified her body in the mortuary."
Thabiso said Linda has an older brother as well as a younger brother and sister.
Linda's traumatized mother, Ntombizandile, was also at the scene.
According to Thabiso, Linda loved the beach.
He further described his daughter as a deep thinker who was always bubbly and happy.
In Matric last year, she excelled in English and Mathematics.
Police spokesperson, Captain Andre Beetge said: "The investigation was initially done as a murder case, but various leads have been leading police to suspect that she has in fact shot herself ( committed suicide ).
"Her father has indicated that his firearm is missing from his safe at home and suspects that it was his firearm that she used."
Beetge confirmed that the firearm was not found next to Linda's body.
"Police are still looking for the firearm and are suspecting that a passer-by might have removed the firearm and her handbag from the crime scene," said Beetge.
Police have warned the community that it is a criminal offence to tamper with a crime scene and to be in possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Linda's family will now inform the rest of their family and make funeral arrangements.
