BLOEMFONTEIN – The trial in the Wilgehof triple murder case ended with the conviction and handing down of three life sentences to Mpheng Anna Ntsoeu (30). Her co-accused and boyfriend, Katlego Ronald Moroe, was acquitted on all charges. Following the completion of the hearing in the Free State High Court, Judge Corné van Zyl found her guilty on three counts of murder, as well as robbery with aggravating circumstances and money laundering.

She was sentenced on Thursday 3 September. The case relates to the murder of Christo Theron (36), his wife, Janine Theron (35), and Janine’s mother, Betsie Kruger (66), in June 2023. Their bodies were discovered at about 08:50 on 29 June at Kruger’s residence in Van Heerden Street, Wilgehof.

Victim impact statements were also presented in the case, dubbed the Wilgehof triple murder. State prosecutor Adv. Lucky Bondes led the testimony, while Judge Corné van Zyl presided over the proceedings.

“Ntsoeu was sentenced to three life sentences for murder, 15 years’ imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, and 10 years’ imprisonment for money laundering. The sentences will run concurrently,” said Capt. Loraine Earle, provincial spokesperson for the police. Ntsoeu was employed at the Byenes Daycare Centre, owned by Kruger, who had run it for 19 years before she was murdered along with her daughter and son-in-law.

Capt. Jacques Wilson investigated the case, piecing the evidence together, leading to the arrests of Ntsoeu and Moroe in August 2024.

“The case was handed over to Captain Wilson in February 2024 as a cold case, with no clear leads pointing to the identity of the perpetrators. Undeterred by the lack of leads, he embarked on an intensive investigation, meticulously revisiting information, following up on leads and piecing together evidence. After months of painstaking investigation, his persistence eventually paid off when a breakthrough was made in August 2024, leading to the arrest of Ntsoeu and her boyfriend Moroe in connection with the three murders,” said Earle.

Lt Gen. Thabang Lesia, Free State provincial police commissioner, commended Wilson and the entire investigating team for their meticulous and determined work, which culminated in the sentencing of a former employee.

“This was a murder that shocked the Bloemfontein community and had a devastating impact on the families of the victims. While no court outcome can ever undo the pain and loss suffered, we hope that this sentence will bring some measure of closure to the families and all those affected,” said Lesia.

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