He asked dying lover for her computer’s password

Zara Nicholson

THABO Bester – dubbed the “Facebook rapist” and suspected of a range of crimes in Cape Town, Durban and Gauteng – has been found guilty of robbing and murdering a model at a guesthouse in September.

Bester, 23, was to be sentenced in the Western Cape High Court today. He has already been sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment for robbing and killing two women in Durban last year.

Yesterday, Acting Judge Judith Cloete found Bester guilty of robbery and murder.

Bester was dubbed the “Facebook rapist” for using the social networking site to prey on women aspiring to work in the TV and entertainment industry.

Regarding the Durban convictions, Bester and his first victim drove from Joburg to Durban in her car and booked into a hotel in Umhlanga, where he raped her. He told the Durban Regional Court that he had met his second victim a few days later and killed her in a house in Westville.

In court yesterday, Bester appeared calm as his lawyer Peter Burgers read his confession, and as Judge Cloete delivered the verdict. He wore a navy blue tracksuit.

In his confession, Bester said he met Nomfundo Tyulu, 26, in January last year while she was working at BMW in Sandton and sold him a BMW 1 Series.

“There was a mutual attraction and by March we had formed an intimate relationship… despite my living in Durban and she in Johannesburg.”

Bester said Tyulu told him in September she would be free until late September. He booked flights for her and himself to Cape Town and on September 21, they booked into the Ocean Breeze B&B in Sunset Beach.

“We booked into a room… Later that evening we became embroiled in an argument about one of my former girlfriends… She was under the impression that I wanted a permanent relationship with her.”

At around 2am, Bester woke up, went to the kitchen and fetched a knife. When he returned, Tyulu was awake and saw him approach.

“We became involved in a struggle for control and possession of the knife. In the ensuing struggle I stabbed the deceased once in her chest with the knife.

“Straight after I had stabbed her, I noticed she was bleeding profusely and lying face down on the bed. I then tied her hands behind her back and asked her for the password for her computer, but at that stage she did not respond.”

Around 7am, Bester took her laptop and cellphone and asked the guesthouse owner for a lift to the city centre. He later flew to Durban.

“I admit that I told the owner of the guesthouse that the deceased was still sleeping and should not be woken until after 2pm and did not tell him that I had in fact stabbed the deceased.

“I am deeply sorry for killing Nomfundo… I realise that my actions were wrong and unlawful and that I will be punished for the unlawful killing of another human being, but nonetheless I have pleaded guilty.”

Burgers asked for an adjournment until today for sentencing arguments.

Bester is serving his 50-year sentence at the Drakenstein maximum security prison.