A Kroonstad man (36) has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Liesbeth Mphanya (24), whose death was initially believed to have been caused by smoke inhalation before a post-mortem examination revealed that she had been strangled.
The Free State High Court sitting in Kroonstad convicted Paseka Samuel Nhlapo on Thursday 7 May following an extensive police investigation into the June 2024 killing at De Hoek Farm near Kroonstad.
According to police reports, the incident came to light on Sunday 9 June 2024 at approximately 22:11 when the owner of De Hoek Farm contacted police after one of his employees requested urgent assistance. The employee reportedly claimed that his girlfriend may have died as a result of smoke inhalation.
The farm owner proceeded to the employee’s room, where he discovered Mphanya lying unclothed on top of a bed. Police were immediately summoned to the scene.
Upon arrival, officers conducted preliminary investigations and soon suspected that the scene may have been tampered with. An inquest docket was initially opened while investigators awaited the results of the post-mortem examination.
However, the post-mortem later confirmed that the young woman had died from strangulation, leading police to formally register a murder case. The investigation was assigned to Constable Tyrick Rooskrans.
Police credited the investigative team for conducting a thorough and detailed investigation which ultimately resulted in a strong case being presented before the court.
Following the completion of the investigation, the matter was transferred from the Regional Court to the Free State High Court for trial proceedings.
After considering all the evidence presented before the court, the judge found Nhlapo guilty of murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
