Sister launches appeal to fund brother’s exhumation after unexplained death

A sister has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to fund the exhumation of her brother after his death in South Africa left his family searching for answers.

Justine Connelly hopes to raise £11,500 to pay for an independent forensic examination of her brother, Marc Isaacson, 41, as well as legal representation, specialist investigators and other expert costs.

According to the family’s fundraiser, they are seeking an independent investigation after Marc was buried without an autopsy, toxicology tests or a forensic examination. They also say the doctor who attended Marc declined to certify his death as having occurred from natural causes after it was established he had been dead for several hours.

Marc was found dead in Johannesburg on 12 February. His family say the unanswered questions surrounding his death have led them to seek an independent forensic examination in the hope of establishing what happened.

According to the fundraiser, Marc had told family members he no longer trusted the person he was living with and had installed AI-enabled security cameras in his room. The family says they have been unable to obtain any footage, which they say has only added to their concerns.

Speaking exclusively to Jewish News, Connelly said making the family’s search for answers public had not been an easy one.

“I spoke to a very good solicitor here, and he said… we’re not assuming guilt, but we want facts,” she said. “The only way we’re ever going to get the facts is by unfortunately doing this.”

Connelly said she initially resisted launching the appeal because her family were reluctant to make such a personal matter public, but changed her mind after consulting lawyers, investigators and community representatives.

She also paid tribute to CAP, a Jewish community organisation in South Africa, which she said had supported the family and helped them reach this stage of their search for answers.

She said those advising the family warned that time was running out if they wanted an independent forensic examination to have the best chance of providing answers.

“It came to a point where they said, ‘You’re either going to have to raise this money, or we just have to bury it,’” she said.

The appeal has already attracted donations from Britain, South Africa, Australia and the United States. Connelly, who moved to London from South Africa several years ago, said the response from the Jewish community had been overwhelming.

“It’s been overwhelming,” she said. “It’s shown… why it’s so important.”

She added: “There’s a big stronghold between the South African and the UK community. Some people really have been generous so far.”

Connelly, who has previously helped raise money for charitable causes, said she never imagined she would one day be asking the community to support her own family.

“I just didn’t think I could ever have to do it for my family,” she said.

According to the fundraiser, all donations will be held in the trust account of the South African legal team Mannie Witz and Daniel Witz and used solely to fund the proposed legal and forensic process. The family says that if the fundraising target is not reached within five weeks, donations will be refunded in accordance with the trust account arrangements.

Connelly said her brother’s life changed dramatically after their father died when Marc was 21. She said he later developed a gambling addiction and struggled with mental illness, which left him increasingly isolated during the last decade of his life. Despite those challenges, she said he remained “a very loved, generous, kind, soft-hearted soul”.

She added: “What we want is the truth. We’re never going to get it otherwise. It’s just never going to happen.”

Those wishing to support the family’s appeal can donate via the GoFundMe page, The urgent exhumation of my brother, or contact the family using the details on the fundraiser if they would prefer to donate directly via the solicitor’s trust account.