Woman’s remains found by cops after confession

After nearly 18 hours of searching and digging, police uncovered the burnt remains of a 36-year-old woman in Hammanskraal yesterday, after her boyfriend confessed to killing her following her disappearance last year.

Meisie Molefe, a cook at a local school, was reported missing on October 6 last year by her boyfriend, but the 38-year-old man had allegedly killed the mother of their two-year-old daughter in his Stinkwater home.

Molefe’s father, Elmon Magoro, told Saturday Citizen that he grew suspicious of her whereabouts when her colleagues came looking for her at his home, claiming she hadn’t reported for work in days.

“She had her own place in Jakkalsdans in Winterveldt and had come to visit her boyfriend here. I called her brother, who lives in Stinkwater, asking for her whereabouts and he said he saw her around the area,” said Magoro.

He said he decided to confront his daughter’s boyfriend, who told him that he last saw Molefe sleeping in a separate room in the house.

“He claimed he woke up and found her gone. What was strange was that he claimed they didn’t get into any argument, but I asked myself why they slept in separate rooms that night.”

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Police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said investigators followed up on information after the man reported his girlfriend missing last year. Information led them to the accused’s house on Thursday.

He said the accused was not found when they went to question him, but later turned himself in at the Temba police station. According to the man, he argued with his girlfriend and hit her on the head with an object, killing her.

“He then dragged her body to the backyard at around 1am. He dug a hole and burned her. He said he added petrol, oil and chopped wood to burn her,” said Makhubele.

After giving a full confession, the accused man showed the police where he had buried the body.

“We started searching on Thursday night but nothing was found. By 1pm on Friday afternoon, we had found remains. She was burned beyond recognition,” said Makhubele.

By midday, police managed to uncover her skull and knee. The man was arrested and detained at Temba police station, where he faced charges of murder.

 – rorisangk@citizen.co.za