ZIMBABWE: The police finally responded to Terry Ford's appeal for help, but they came 12 hours too late. Officers wearing rubber gloves loaded the white farmer's bloodied corpse into a metal box outside his thatched farmhouse, 30 miles from Harare.
A farm worker had found him at dawn. He was lying in his yard near his blood-smeared pick-up truck, a gunshot wound to the head.
A week after Mr Robert Mugabe was returned as president of Zimbabwe, a pall of fear has descended over Zimbabwe and the rule of law has become increasingly fragile.
Gangs of youth militia and war veterans who helped return Mr Mugabe to power have targeted his enemies, real or perceived, for vicious treatment.
Attacks on white farmers have increased. Thousands of black opposition activists are living in fear of retribution. Those with money have fled the country; those without have fled into crowded safe houses.
For his part, Mr Mugabe has tightened his grip on power by enacting a draconian media law while mounting a ring of police roadblocks around Harare. Even his own party members are fearful of his next move.
"Make no mistake, we are very close to the edge [of totalitarianism]. We hope nobody pushes us over," said one retired Zanu-PF MP.
Terry Ford became the 10th white farmer to die since the land invasions started two years ago, on a farm just 8 km away. His two dogs stood guard over his body until the police arrived yesterday, 12 hours after he called for help.
Mr Graham Hatty of the Norton Farmers Association said there have been five burglaries over the past week. The thieves, identified as a group of war veterans squatting on local farms, have targeted weapons, binoculars and radio equipment. No arrests have been made. "The police seem very reluctant to deal with the situation," he added.
While high-profile attacks on white farmers originally sparked the Zimbabwe crisis, the bulk of the attacks have been directed at supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who have suffered by far the most casualties since the land movement began.
In January alone, more than 30 MDC activists were murdered. Hundreds more were abducted and tortured in the run-up to polling 10 days ago. Now the same activists live in fear of retribution from Mr Mugabe's terror squads.
Brian, an MDC election agent, fled a Harare counting centre after a friend came to warn him that a Zanu gang was threatening his life. they were singing that they were going to petrol bomb my house and kill me," he said.
The building clerk had earlier complained of irregularities in the count in favour of Mr Mugabe.
After gathering his wife and 14-year-old daughter, he fled to a safe house. They have not returned home since.
His host, a white businessman, admitted he was worried about accommodating the couple for long.
"I can leave if necessary. We have money and support. Black Zimbabweans have none of that," he said.
Mr Mugabe vowed at last Sunday's inauguration to press ahead with his controversial land reforms.
He repeated familiar claims about the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair and "neo-colonialism" and described his victory as a "stunning blow to imperialism".
But within his party there is a silent minority that is unhappy with his rule. One sitting Zanu MP said he had often considered resigning. "But you ask yourself if you can live safely in this country after you have embarrassed the party. The answer is 'no'," he said.
He said moderate elements with the party were hoping that President Mbeki of South Africa and President Obasanjo of Nigeria could talk sense into their leader.
"We've got so much going for us - natural resources, a highly educated workforce, the climate," he said. "But \ also have one old man - and he is our biggest liability."