Cape Town - As a young man made his first court appearance, police made a breakthrough in the case of the murdered Stellenbosch University student when they arrested three more suspects.
Jesse Mitchell, who is from Centurion in Gauteng was stabbed to death in the early hours of Wednesday morning around 1:30am.
He had been stabbed in the neck, his bicycle and belongings were stolen. His lifeless body was found by a security guard who was patrolling on Borcherd Street.
The Weekend Argus has learned that Mitchell was murdered on his birthday.
The 19-year-old had been cycling back to Nooitgedacht Residence after working until midnight with his project team.
On Friday afternoon 19-year-old Rudolf Hufke made a brief appearance in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court.
He was charged with robbery with aggravated circumstances and murder and the court heard that more charges may be added.
The case was postponed until Monday where three more suspects, two males aged 29 and 28 and a 31-year-old woman will join him in the dock.
Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said Stellenbosch SAPS in collaboration with Crime Intelligence and detectives apprehended four alleged perpetrators involved in the murder of a 19-year-old Stellenbosch student in the early hours of Wednesday.
“Intricate investigation by Stellenbosch detectives in collaboration with Crime Intelligence led to the arrest of a 19-year-old male suspect within hours of the commission of the crime.
“Meanwhile, on Thursday, Stellenbosch Crime Prevention arrested three more suspects, two males aged 29 and 28 as well as a 31-year-old female in Cloetesville, Stellenbosch. They are scheduled to make their court appearance once changed.”
Mitchell’s big brother Aaron said he sent a birthday message which was never read by the deceased.
“As his older brother, I was there from the beginning, he was a naughty little boy always testing the boundaries, cheeky but in a funny way.
“After my dad left the family in 2018, I stepped up as a bit of a father figure to Jesse and his younger brother Jonty, taking them on holidays, paying for his schooling etc.
“Jesse was a ray of sunshine in the family, always positive, incredibly driven with his studies, his gym, and proactive in the churches he was involved with. He did this all while working two part time jobs.
“Last time we spoke was on Sunday, he was telling me about his week and I was telling him how proud I was to be his brother.
“I also sent him a birthday message on the morning of his birthday (ironically the same morning of his death), he never got to read it.”
He said his last memory with his brother is when he stayed at his house in Kommetjie for a week.
“It was an awesome week, plenty of surfing, a hike or two, and a few beers. I told him again how proud I was of him, and how much I loved him.
“One of Jesse’s biggest hobbies was photography, he had a taste for abstract photos. He saw the world differently to us, he saw potential and beauty where most would not.
“He cared deeply for the people around him, he encouraged his peers to study hard, to train harder, and not to waste themselves drinking and partying, he re-defined what it meant to be ‘cool’,” he concluded.
Aaron said his family will be in Stellenbosch next week.
Mitchell’s family member Bianca Jordaan has opened a GoFundMe page for the 19-year-old.
She wrote: “It is with a heavy heart to share the tragic news of Jesse’s passing. Jesse was a beloved friend, family member, who was tragically killed on October 16 on his 19th birthday.
“As we come together to support one another during this difficult time, we are also faced with the unexpected financial burden of funeral expenses and other costs associated with this heartbreaking loss.
“We have created this GoFundMe campaign to honour Jesse’s memory and to help alleviate some of the financial stress on the family.
“Your generous contributions will go towards covering funeral costs, memorial services, and any additional expenses that arise,” Bianca wrote.