Life long sentence after brutal murder of 7 year old Tumahole girl

Biodog Benji came up tops in the investigation and evidence collection at the murder and rape case of a 7 year old girl who died in August last year in the Tumahole township.
The girl was playing in the street with her friends near her mother’s house on August 24th at approximately 14:00, when she was called by the 55 year old man. He took the child to his house where he forced himself on the child.
Captain Gift Matsheka took over the investigation and the court heard how the 55 year old raped the child and when the child cried, he assaulted her with open hands and fists, and continued by bashing her head with an axe until she died. It was also said that the 55 year old slept with the lifeless body of the child overnight.
The next morning he put the body in a nylon bag and dropped it near someone else’s yard, three streets away from where she was staying. A taxi driver passing by saw the bag and called the police to the scene. Other units such as K9 Unit as well as the Local Criminal Record Centre members were also summoned to the scene.
While at the scene W/O Leon Strydom from Kroonstad K9 Unit and W/O Phele from LCRC Parys arrived and after investigating the scene a drop of blood was found in the opposite street of where the body was found.
W/O Leon Strydom together with his partner Biodog Benji helped to investigate the drop and the dog reacted positive indicating that the drop was possible human blood.
Benji also found a carpet with a large blood saturation stain in the yard of a house.
The owner of the house was interrogated and it led members to the front of the house. The door was opened and with first glance blood was found. Benji quickly reacted to it.
An axe used in the killing and clothes worn by the 7 year old girl were found through the help of Benji.
Tumahole community members became restless and were already starting to throw stones at the house where the blood and other items were found.
Members with the help of Benji and the LCRC continued in the hostile situation to collect sufficient evidence.
The house was burned by the community shortly after police managed to collect what they could savage from the house. Everything was taken for forensic analysis.
On 6 June 2016 Mojela Reuben Tshabalala (55) admitted guilt in the Parys High Court. Prosecutor Advocate Bester said that all evidence sent to Forensic came back positive for DNA of the little girl.
Tshabalala was sentenced to two life terms for Rape and murder of the 7 year old girl.
Free State Provincial Commissioner Lt.Gen Thabethe Mpembe lauded Benji and his handler as well as Capt. Gift Matsheka and the team for making sure that ruthless criminals are removed from the community