The “Facebook rapist”, who taunted police with messages daring them to arrest him as he dodged around the country for months has been hunted down and brought to court.
A man known as Thomas Bester was arrested on Wednesday night in the Alberton area in the East Rand and appeared in court on a charge of kidnapping. Bester is wanted by police in several provinces and is likely to face numerous charges including at least one count of murder committed in Cape Town, and several counts of rape, kidnapping and theft.
The suspect’s alleged modus operandi was to lure young women with offers of lucrative modelling and television presenting jobs and then either stealing their belongings or leaving them to pay expensive hotel bills.
Colonel Anton Booysen, KwaZulu-Natal head of the Psychologically Motivated Crimes Unit, said a man claiming to be Thomas Bester Magagula called him yesterday afternoon, the third time he had received such a call in recent weeks.
“He told me that he had been arrested and that I must come and fetch him,” he said.
Booysen said he knew why Bester made that call. “He had to come to terms with what he’s done, it would have only been a matter of time before he got caught,” said Booysen.
“He’s got so many aliases and identity numbers we couldn’t say for certain it was him,” said Booysen late last night.
“We have to prove beyond doubt that he really is Thomas Bester Magagula.”.
He was not able to say whether the number of cases opened in Durban would justify bringing the court case to KwaZulu-Natal.
“That would depend on our prosecution strategy when we finally bring the cases to a trial status,” he said.
“There are a minimum of six charges in the Durban area that have been formally laid with the police, but there may be more,” he said, adding that they were still trying to link Bester to other crimes.
“In due course there may be in excess of 20 cases in KZN alone,” said Booysen.
Last night two victims in Cape Town reacted to the news of the arrest. A distraught Nokuthula Khumalo said last night: “Thank you so much, oh my word, I am so thankful that the police have finally found him. It’s been so depressing, police calling me all the time.
“Tonight I will sleep well knowing I am safe. I need to see him in that jail cell. If the police need a witness, I am not scared, I will testify against him. That psycho deserves to rot in jail.”
Another victim, Bane Msimango, said: “I’m so happy that he has been found.”
National police commissioner General Bheki Cele last night praised the police’s investigation, saying:
“The work done by our members is highly commendable although I know it may be little comfort for those unfortunate victims.” - Weekend Argus