Windhoek High Court acting judge Makapa Simasiku convicted John Mutirua, 23, of nine offenses on Wednesday, including two murder convictions, two rapes, two attempted murders, and one attempted rape. The ruling followed a trial beginning in May, where Mutirua denied all fourteen original charges. He was acquitted of five counts involving child abduction and kidnapping from a 2018 Gobabis incident.
Court evidence showed Mutirua fatally stabbed Meno Tjizera, 19, at a 2020 wedding and killed Albertus Maasdorp, 37, during a 2023 robbery while on bail. DNA and eyewitness testimony linked him to sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl in 2018. Simasiku also found Mutirua guilty of robbing Maasdorp and discarding the murder weapon. The defendant remains jailed awaiting sentencing hearings. Defense attorney Ileni Velikoshi represents Mutirua while deputy prosecutor general Maria Shilongo leads the state case.
Court evidence showed Mutirua fatally stabbed Meno Tjizera, 19, at a 2020 wedding and killed Albertus Maasdorp, 37, during a 2023 robbery while on bail. DNA and eyewitness testimony linked him to sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl in 2018. Simasiku also found Mutirua guilty of robbing Maasdorp and discarding the murder weapon. The defendant remains jailed awaiting sentencing hearings. Defense attorney Ileni Velikoshi represents Mutirua while deputy prosecutor general Maria Shilongo leads the state case.
