Cops to rely on circumstantial evidence in mother/son hanging
With no eye-witnesses, Botswana Police are expected to rely on circumstantial evidence when trying to prove, Tlhalosang Kelapile murdered his girlfriend and their toddler son.
Currently behind bars on remand, the 39-year-old Maun native is accused of killing Kelly Noga, 40, and his biological baby boy, Yuri Noga, who was only two-and-a-half years old.
In a discovery that sent shockwaves across the tourist town, and indeed across the country, the pair were found hanging from a tree in Disana ward on 19 th September.
Appearing before Maun Magistrates Court on Monday (6 th October), Detective Assistant Commissioner, Seargent Marapo, revealed the case was initially reported as a potential suicide.
However, that quickly shifted after the top cop and his officers checked-out the scene.
“We received the call from one, Mogotsi Ditsile that he saw a woman and a child hanging from a tree. The case was reported as suicide and I went to the scene with my team where we examined the scene and suspected foul play,” stated the veteran officer.
The initial suspicion led the police to question Kelapile, with the questioning culminating in two murder charges.
Securing the suspect’s remand, Marapo told court, “Investigations are at an early stage and there are witnesses that we are still to contact. This matter is based on circumstantial evidence and we need time to thoroughly investigate it. We are still gathering leads. If we can be given time to thoroughly investigate it justice will be done for both deceased and accused. Our fear is that if he is given bail now he may interfere with investigations.”
When pressed by Kelapile’s attorney for a reasonable excuse to oppose bail, Marapo cited the susceptibility of early-stage evidence to contamination. He revealed that key pieces of suspicion against Kelapile include his footprints at the scene and the fact that he seemingly lied about the times he claimed to be at church.
“He was at the church, but not at times he mentioned to us,” Marapo reiterated.
A mechanic by trade, Kelapile maintains his innocence, insisting he had no hand in the deaths.
He says he stumbled upon the horrific scene after returning from church, where he claims to have been from 10:00pm the night before until the following morning.
A crucial element of the investigation revolves around a potential second girlfriend of Kelapile, who is reportedly employed at one of the safaris in the Okavango Delta.
Police have gathered information suggesting Noga and Kelapile had a misunderstanding around the time of the alleged murder/suicide, allegedly sparked by a phone call from the other woman to Kelapile.
Although police have seized the mobile phones of both the accused and the deceased, they have yet to locate and interrogate this witness.
With the post-mortem report pending, court reserved bail ruling for Kelapile’s next appearance, scheduled for 14 October. He will remain locked up until then.
