Blood drops on shoes lead cops to brothers who murdered relative for insurance cash

Two Northern Cape brothers have been handed life sentences after it was found that they murdered their relative so they could claim his insurance payout.

While the investigating officer Sgt Mogomotsi Galodikwe followed several leads, the blood spatter on one brother’s shoes was the final nail in their coffin.

Lt-Col Dimakatso Mooi said 32-year-old Gopolang Abel Maoka and Moleko Johannes Maoka, 33, were sentenced in the Mahikeng high court on Friday.

This was four years after they committed the murder.

“It was on January 7 2017 when the accused took the victim to the veld in Seoding village near Pampierstad, bludgeoned him to death with a rock and robbed him of his two cellphones,” said Mooi.

“Sgt Galodikwe was assigned to the case and promptly started an investigation that led him to the two accused, who had tried to [claim] insurance money in the victim’s name.

“Further investigations led to the discovery of the blood-spattered shoes and DNA tests were conducted and positively linked the two to the crime.”

The two were denied bail and spent the duration of the trial behind bars.

The court found them guilty of murder and also sentenced them to 15 years for robbery.

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