Eerie ‘suicide’ note put before court
An eerie “suicide” note has turned up in the search for a man accused of brutally assaulting a teenage girl before burning her body.
In the short letter to his mother, a person – believed to be Xolani Nyangwa – wrote that by the time his body was found, it would already have been eaten by sea creatures.
Nyangwa, 24, of Motherwell, had skipped his court appearance on Friday and the police had been hunting for him. He was out on bail.
The note was found by police late on Friday at the man’s Kwazakhele residents.
He had previously pleaded not guilty in the Port Elizabeth High Court to kidnapping Wendy Beyi, 14, from outside a tavern in Motherwell late on September 30 2017.
It is alleged he took her to a semi-built house in NU29 where he hit her with objects, kicked her and then wrapped her body in material before setting it alight.
When police arrived, she was still burning and because of her charred pelvis, a doctor testified that a rape examination could not be performed.
While the man pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping and murder, he claimed he was present when Wendy was murdered and then “forced” by the real killer to help move her body and dispose of it.
Nyangwa stood trial for the first few days but on Friday, when the case was to proceed, he was nowhere to be found.
A warrant was issued from the bench for his arrest.
The note handed to court on Monday and translated from Xhosa, reads: “Dear Mama. This is thank you for raising me.
“I have now taken a decision to take my own life.
“Do not search for me because in the time you look for me my whole body will have been eaten by sea animals.”
Judge Glenn Goosen postponed the case to Wednesday.
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