Free State man guilty of double murder kept rotting bodies in house for 2 weeks

A Free State man whokilled his girlfriendand her 18-month-old daughter,then kept thedecomposing bodiesinside a house for two weeks, has been found guilty ofmurder and defeating the ends of justice. Pule Abraham Tshabalala was convicted in court last week for the murders, which were committed in December 2024. According to Free State police spokesperson W/O Mmako Mophiring, Lindley police received information about a suspicious house in Ntha Township.

A foul smell was coming from inside and numerous flies had gathered around a window. It was further reported that the occupant, Tshabalala, had not been sleeping at the house. Mophiring said officers responded to the address but initially found no-one at the premises.

“They searched the surrounding area and later located Tshabalala standing at the gate of a nearby property. After obtaining permission to search the house, officers entered the premises and were immediately overwhelmed by a strong, foul odour coming from a locked bathroom. Tshabalala refused to open the door,” said Mophiring.

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“Police removed a paper that had been used to cover the bathroom window and observed the decomposed bodies of a woman and a young child lying on the floor, covered with a blanket. Tshabalala was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged.” Mophiring said investigators later traced the deceased woman’s family to Mamafubedu, near Petrus Steyn. “Her mother, Emily Mamoya Nkatlo, informed police she had last seen her daughter approximately two weeks earlier when Tshabalala had invited her and her 18-month-old daughter to visit him.

“Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the bodies could not be visually identified. DNA analysis later confirmed the identities of both deceased,” said Mophiring. It is believed Tshabalala used to visit the house, and then go and spend the night somewhere else.

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