Durban — The trial against a man suspected of being a serial rapist and killer operating in the Queensburgh area is to resume on Tuesday in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
On the last occasion, the court began hearing evidence from eight State witnesses, most of whom are police officers.
Lindokuhle Rowan Mwethu Beni, 45, who pleaded not guilty, is charged with housebreaking with the intent to rape, housebreaking with the intent to steal, and robbery as well as rape. He is suspected of being an alleged serial rapist and murderer.
The charges against him were the only cases the State was able to pin on him with evidence.
He had previously been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of rape and house robberies. However, he had the two murders provisionally withdrawn while the State continued investigating.
It’s said that the accused has made it hard for police to identify him in the past as he cleaned the scene, including his victims, with sanitiser after the crime to eliminate DNA.
He had also allegedly gone to the lengths of biting his fingertips in a bid to not leave any evidence and also making it impossible for police to take his fingerprints upon arrest in the past.
The two murder charges that were provisionally withdrawn against the man relate to Malvern residents, 40-year-old Evidence Ntombifikile Seager and 72-year-old Savithree Moodley.
In August last year, Seager’s body was found not far from her home.
She had been stabbed 12 times in the chest and had handcuffs around her ankles; she had allegedly also been raped.
Items that were allegedly stolen from Seager’s home were found on the accused when he was arrested.
Moodley was found murdered in October last year in her home with stab wounds in her chest.
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