Life sentence for Jesse Mitchell's killer as grandmother shares family's heartbreak
Rudolph Hufke sentenced to life imprisonment and 15 years for the murder and robbery of Stellenbosch University Student, Jesse Mitchell.
Image: supplied
The grandmother of murdered Stellenbosch University student, Jesse Mitchell’s victim impact statement, following the life imprisonment of his killer, Rudolph Hufke, described her grief beyond words, filled with depression and anxiety, and shared their last conversations leading up to his 19th birthday.
The Stellenbosch Regional Court sentenced Hufke to life imprisonment and 30 years of direct imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
The court convicted the 20-year-old accused after he entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State, where he confessed to the murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances of Mitchell, a BSc student, and the robbery with aggravating circumstances of Sikho Matimba.
Jesse Mitchell was killed on his 19th birthday.
Image: file
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that in the early hours of October 15, 2024, Hufke was in Borcherd Street, Stellenbosch, looking for people he could accost and rob using a knife he carried. CCTV footage shows Mitchell riding past on his electric bicycle, and it is at this stage that the accused stabbed him in the neck.
Regional prosecutor, William Da Gras led the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Calvin Mosses, who pointed out that Hufke attempted to conceal the knife he used by pushing it into his pocket, but it fell to the ground. Police picked it up later and found the accused's fingerprints and DNA on the knife.
The state contended that Hufke conducted a reign of terror in the Stellenbosch area, which was only abated following his arrest. It said Hufke exhibits an alarming capacity for violence and a serious lack of self-control and has little prospect of rehabilitation.
Hufke was sentenced to life imprisonment for Mitchell’s murder, 15 years of direct imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, and another 15 years of direct imprisonment for Matimba’s robbery with aggravating circumstances. It ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
In a victim impact statement, Mitchell’s grandmother, Christina Mary Mitchell, described the family's grief: "I have withdrawn from most social activities; depression and anxiety have become my companions. Jesse’s grandfather has discontinued his work on the physics programme, of which Jesse was a trusted member. Why was Jesse so special?
She shared her final message received from him: Date October 14 at 12:38: "Hey Gran, I have just received my early birthday present. Thank you very much. I appreciate it immensely. I wish I was in Cape Town to celebrate it with you all. Hope to see you soon… much love, Jesse.”
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