May 14, 2025 • 28 mins
Some mysteries begin with the smallest clues. For Betty Ketani, justice started with a few sheets of paper hidden beneath a carpet tile.
Betty was more than just a missing person statistic. A devoted mother of three, she left her hometown in the Eastern Cape for Johannesburg in search of better opportunities.
On May 20th, 1999, Betty vanished after her evening shift. Police barely investigated.Her family searched desperately, but for thirteen years, Betty's disappearance remained an agonizing mystery.
The breakthrough came unexpectedly in 2012 when neighbors renovating a Johannesburg home discovered a hidden confession letter beneath carpet tiles.
Betty's story reminds us that justice can arrive from unexpected places, even from beneath dusty carpet tiles when we least expect it.
Featuring insights and details based on Cold Case Confession by Alex Eliseev — an in-depth investigation into Betty’s case and the trial that followed.
Follow Clue Trail on social media and consider supporting us on Patreon for monthly bonus episodes that dig even deeper into cases like Betty's.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Host (00:07):
Welcome to Clue Trail, where every story is a mystery
and every clue pulls you deeperinto the unknown, from unsolved
cases and strange disappearancesto hidden histories and curious
twists of fate.
To hidden histories and curioustwists of fate, we piece
together fragments, searchingfor the truth or uncovering even
(00:31):
bigger questions.
Some clues reveal answers,others lead to greater mysteries
.
But one thing is certain Everytrail tells a story.
Are you ready to follow it?
Let's begin, and if you enjoyClue Trail, please take a moment
(00:52):
to leave us a rating or areview.
It helps more curious mindslike yours find the show.
(01:26):
On the evening of May 20th 1999, Betty Ketani left her shift at
a local restaurant inJohannesburg and never came home
.
There were no signs of struggle, no witnesses, just silence.
For years, Betty's family livedwith questions.
Her three children, still soyoung, were left behind to grow
(01:49):
up without answers.
Her siblings searched, waitedand hoped, but as the time
passed, her case grew cold.
Still for those who loved her,Betty never disappeared.
She lived on in memories, inmissed birthdays, in every
(02:11):
unanswered call, in every quiethope that one day she'd walk
back through the door.
This is the story of BettyKetani, a story about absence,
about truth buried in theunlikeliest of places and about
(02:32):
what it means to lose someonewithout a chance to say goodbye.
Today, on Clue Trail, we gobeyond the headlines and
courtrooms back to the womanbehind the case, because long
before her name appeared in apolice file or a hidden
confession, Betty matteredBefore her name became tied to a
(03:04):
criminal investigation.
Tandwe Ketani was just Betty.
She was a single mother of twowho moved from Queenstown in the
Eastern Cape to Johannesburg insearch of work in her
mid-twenties.
Like many others during thatera, she left her family behind,
(03:25):
driven by hope and necessity tofind new opportunities In
Johannesburg, she adopted herChristian name, Betty, and she
found work as a domestichousekeeper and later on as a
head chef at the restaurant.
Colleagues remember her as kind, always standing up for herself
(03:47):
and others.
She would always try to help ifshe could.
Betty was seen as a motherfigure.
She would often call theyounger women around her my
children, and they loved her forit.
Her food became a staplecomfort for the waitresses.
Like many others working there,Betty was undocumented, paid in
(04:14):
cash.
And now, by 1999, she was alsoa mother of three.
Her first two children livedback in Queenstown and her
youngest just a baby at thattime stayed with Betty's mother
in Johannesburg.
Whenever they visited Bettymade sure they were the centre
(04:36):
of attention.
They were allowed to eatanything they wanted at the
restaurant, and even Eric, therestaurant owner, would
sometimes slip them some cash inenvelopes before they left.
Betty loved that job.
It gave her a way to provide.
She sent money home every monthwithout fail and never returned
(04:57):
to Queenstown empty-handed.
She would always bring giftswith her and she gave her
children what she could when shecould.
Her daughter would later sayBetty came from a close-knit
(05:19):
family and she made sure toalways keep in contact with her
siblings and other familymembers.
She was known for checking in,calling to ask how people were
doing, even if her own days weredifficult.
That was just the kind ofperson she was.
So when she didn't come homethat night in 1999, when she
(05:45):
didn't come home that night in1999, when she missed the
bedtime routine, the early shift, the next family phone call,
her absence wasn't just noticed,it was alarming, Because Betty
Ketani didn't vanish.
She was taken On the night ofMay 20th 1999, betty finished
(06:20):
her shift at the restaurant.
She wasn't having a good night.
As you see, by that year thingsbegan to change for the worse
at the restaurant.
The day-to-day conditionshadn't changed dramatically.
Eric would still make everyonework long hours with health tips
and pay abysmal wages.
(06:40):
But now there were also rumoursof theft and firings and
private investigators beingbrought around.
The atmosphere has definitelygrown uneasy with the amount of
rumours and accusations flyingaround, and many believe the
change coincided with thearrival of Eric's family from
(07:02):
Australia, particularly hisdaughter, monique, who had now
begun working at the restaurantas well.
Even Betty, the most loyal ofemployees, had begun to speak
out.
She was now caught in a disputewith her employers for speaking
out, demoted by Monique andmade to wash dishes and take out
(07:26):
the trash, despite her role ashead cook and the many years of
service.
That night, whilst taking outthe trash, she confided in her
close friend at the restaurantabout the hard time she was
having.
Betty vented her frustrations.
She was even thinking about theCCMA ruling in her favour,
(07:49):
which is the function assessingunfair treatment in the
workplace, and how, after thisruling, she can confront the
owners to address her unfairtreatment.
Quitting this job at that pointwasn't an option.
She was financially strained,having to rely on her boyfriend
for transport and groceries.
(08:10):
Still, betty tried to stayhopeful, promising to talk more
the next day.
See you tomorrow, she said.
The next morning Betty didn'tshow up for work.
At first, when she didn't showup for the morning shift, no one
(08:37):
really panicked.
Her colleagues assumed she'dhad a few too many drinks the
night before.
Maybe she wanted to unwind fromthe stress of the day.
Still, as the hours passed, andthen a full day, there was
still no sign of her.
And then a full day, there wasstill no sign of her.
(08:58):
At the restaurant they wonderedif she'd meet someone new and
left town.
But none of it made sense, atleast not to those who really
knew her.
Betty was a mother, a goodmother.
She would never abandon herchildren Back at home.
(09:22):
Her younger sister was alreadyworried.
Betty had never disappearedlike this before, not even for a
full day.
She would always tell her whereshe is going, knowing this
isn't normal, she called theirbrother.
(09:42):
As Betty and her brother Ronniewere very close and spoke
regularly.
Betty had never left townwithout telling him first.
He immediately began makingcalls, spoke with Betty's
boyfriend at the time and heconfirmed the last time he saw
Betty was the morning of May20th.
She had come by to pick up somemoney, went home to change and
left for work.
Ronnie had spoken to her just aday before.
(10:05):
She had told him about the CCMAruling in her favor and, more
importantly, she was preparingfor a confrontation with her
bosses.
That's the last time anyoneheard from her.
All her siblings now joined tohelp with the search.
They checked her flat and theyfound her ID was still there,
(10:28):
her clothes, her belongings.
There was no sign she left town.
Everything she owned was stillin the flat.
If she did leave, she left withnothing but the clothes.
She was town.
Everything she owned was stillin the flat.
If she did leave, she left withnothing but the clothes she was
wearing.
The family started retracingher steps, talking to friends,
checking hospitals, policestations, even mortuaries.
(10:50):
They even went to therestaurant and Eric, the owner,
claimed to know nothing aboutBetty's disappearance.
What was odd was that,according to a waitress, he made
it very clear he didn't wanthis staff speaking to the family
either.
He even told her directly notto talk with Betty's family Nine
(11:13):
days after Betty vanished,ronnie walked into the
Hillborough Police Station andopened a missing persons case.
He filled out the form, gavethem everything he knew and
hoped it would be enough.
But no surprise here.
Unfortunately, the systemfailed Betty.
(11:34):
On the 31st of May 1999, thepaperwork for Betty Ketani's
missing persons report finallylanded on the desk of an
investigator.
That same day, orders weregiven to begin interviewing her
friends and family.
A photo of Betty smiling withher friends was even sent to
(11:59):
Pretoria for circulation.
And then nothing but a noteperson still missing.
By September, the officer triedto call Betty's brother but
claimed there was no answer.
And by December, as Betty'schildren prepared for their
(12:20):
first Christmas without theirmother, the final update was
entered in the case fileReporter not available.
That was it.
Four diary entries Fewer than20 words that was the whole
investigation done on findingher.
(12:41):
No one from the restaurant wasever interviewed.
No follow-up with Betty'sfriends, home visits, no one
even questioned her boyfriend.
The entire investigation wasshelved and forgotten.
Police did absolutely nothingto find what happened to Betty,
(13:02):
and this is outrageous.
But then, on the final day ofMarch 2012, inside an ordinary
home in southern Johannesburg, along buried secret finally came
to light and with it everythingchanged.
For 13 years, the name BettyKetani faded from public memory.
(13:28):
Her family mourned without agrave.
Her children grew up withquestions no one could answer.
They tried to get on with theirlives, but Betty never left
their thoughts.
But sometimes secrets unravel,because truth and justice,
(13:51):
although delayed, always finds away to resurface.
This time it started with ahouse renovation.
On the evening of 31st of March2012, a group of neighbours
(14:14):
were helping pull up old carpettile inside a home in Kenilworth
, Johannesburg.
The work was messy, it was hot,some tiles were still damp with
old dog urine.
But the group kept at it,moving from room to room as they
crawled into the main bedroomnear the front of the house.
(14:35):
As they crawled into the mainbedroom near the front of the
house, something unusual caughtone of the men's attention
beneath one of the tiles.
It was a bundle of papersfolded together, tucked away,
looked like he was deliberatelyhidden.
All the men gathered and one ofthem unfolded the top page In
(14:57):
dusty letters.
A warning was scrawled acrossit Do not throw away.
At first glance the lettersseemed cryptic, but as they
opened the pages it became clear.
This was no ordinary note.
It was a confession and not asubtle one.
(15:17):
During the course of theinvestigation, several people
were abducted and tortured,namely Temba Tshabalala, Betty
Ketani and Ndaba Bhebe.
The first line said the peoplein the house were completely
shocked.
This didn't seem real.
(15:38):
It seemed like a plot twist ina film, but it wasn't.
This letter was a confession tothe horrific murder of Betty.
So let's go over what happenedthat night.
According to the letter, BettyKetani didn't just vanish, as
everyone claimed, at therestaurant.
(16:00):
She was taken that night on May20th, as she left work, she was
approached in Rosebank by twomen, mark and Warren Williams.
Mark was dressed in an armyuniform, giving their approach
the appearance of authority.
Without realizing the dangershe was in, betty was abducted
(16:25):
and taken to a small house.
There she was assaulted,slapped around for hours,
according to the confession.
Eventually she was left in thecare of Carrington Lofton.
He's the man who actually wrotethe letter.
Carrington, accompanied byanother man named Conway, then
(16:47):
drove Betty further down thehighway and attempted to kill
her.
This was believed to be around25th of May 1999, so she was in
that house for around five days.
Miraculously, betty survivedand she was taken to a hospital
(17:07):
as she didn't have any ID withher and because police didn't
even bother to do the basicchecks at that time.
To do the basic checks at thattime, betty was never found in
the hospital.
Weeks later, betty regainedconsciousness.
She had survived the attack butsuffered brain trauma and
(17:33):
severe mental disorientation.
Shockingly, when her abductorsdiscovered she was alive, they
returned for her Carrington,along with now two police
officers, dave and Carel Ranger,posed as medical staff, to
remove her from the hospital.
Using a rented van and awheelchair, they transported her
(17:58):
to a bus on a remote farm, acold, isolated space where she
was locked inside.
Tragically, betty died thereduring the night alone, likely
from the shock and untreatedinjuries and sadly we are not
done and untreated injuries andsadly we are not done.
(18:18):
Mark, monique and ConwayRemember Monique, eric's
daughter, which caused all sortsof hell in that restaurant when
she started working there.
Well, these three lunaticsreturn later to dispose of
Betty's body.
Her body was secretly buried inConway's back garden, sealed
(18:41):
under a meter of cement.
Her clothes and any remainingevidence were burned shortly
after.
This just sounds completelyinsane.
The kidnapping and then theimpersonations.
This was a crime executed withchilling calculation.
To me this looks like thebehavior of a psychopath.
(19:03):
These people are monsters.
There was no remorse and norespect for human life for a
mother, and for more than adecade these crimes remained
hidden, until that one nightwhen this letter was pulled out
of that carpet.
Finally, after the discovery ofthese letters, everything moved
(19:28):
pretty quick in thisinvestigation.
Within weeks, six men,including Carrington, which was
the author of the letter, andtwo brothers, carell and David
Ranger, were behind bars.
One was a former policeman andthe other one was still in
uniform.
(19:50):
What followed was one of SouthAfrica's most complex and
challenging murder trials.
The trial began in 2014 and ranuntil 2016.
Unfortunately, it drew verylittle media attention.
It was overshadowed byhigh-profile cases like Oscar
(20:12):
Pistorius.
But in that courtroom,prosecutors and detectives
finally fought relentlessly forjustice.
Lead prosecutor Herman Broderyckcalled dozens of witnesses.
He needed every singletestimony, as investigators had
(20:33):
only six small bones Betty'spartial remains to present as
physical evidence, and thatletter they found in the house.
But with even little tonon-physical evidence, they made
(20:54):
sure forensics were so advanced.
They even involved DNA analysisin Bosnia and handwriting
experts, which had to verify amostly typed confession.
The prosecutors couldn't leaveanything to chance.
Still, the case was builtalmost entirely on
circumstantial evidence.
(21:15):
The defense fought back hard.
They filed endless legalchallenges, introduced
last-minute alibis and draggedcross-examinations out for days.
Carrington himself spent 13days on the witness stand.
But in the background,prosecutors and Lee Detective
(21:38):
gave everything they had tofinally bring justice for Betty.
They investigated until thevery end, even reopening the
case late in trial to bringforward new witnesses.
And finally, on the secondanniversary of the trial's start
, the judgment came.
Carrington was found guilty ofmurder, carell and David Ranger
(22:03):
were found guilty of culpablehomicide were found guilty of
culpable homicide, and threeothers who participated in a way
or another turned state witnessand finally helped seal the
case.
Betty's children and familywere in the courtroom when the
verdict was given.
This was the moment they waitedfor so many years Closure and
(22:26):
the truth had finally come.
Although today's case centresaround Betty Kitani, she wasn't
the only victim mentioned inthis letter.
A man, Thimba, was abducted notonce but three separate times by
(22:48):
the same circle of peoplePosing as army officers.
They beat and terrorized him,taking him from his home, his
workplace and even remotelocations deep in the bush.
Naba Bebe, believed to be arelative of Semba, was also
(23:11):
targeted.
He was abducted from his homein Beria by Mark and taken to
Randberg police station.
There he was assaulted, thistime with Karel and Monique also
present.
After that, they transportedhim to a remote patch of
bushland near Four Ways, andthen there was Maliemeli Mufu.
(23:36):
He was abducted under the guiseof a police arrest.
Monique and Carrington posed asdetectives, using fake IDs and
uniforms, then took him to ahotel where he was held for
three days.
They filmed his questioning andmoved him from one hotel room
to another, treating the entireoperation like some kind of
(23:59):
covert game.
He was eventually released, butonly after enduring isolation
and psychological torment, hisonly alleged crime being linked
to one of Monique's stolenchecks.
These were unisolated acts.
This was a network of peoplecarrying out abductions,
(24:23):
impersonations and torture withan appalling level of planning
and coordination.
And, as you probably noticed,the same name keeps appearing
over and over in these lettersand, apart from Monique,
everyone has been arrested.
Why she was in charge isanyone's guess at this point.
(24:45):
While her name was in theconfession letter, much of the
evidence against her appears tohave been circumstantial or
second-hand.
The type confession was notsigned and Monique consistently
denied involvement, and SouthAfrican courts require strong
corroborative evidence forcriminal charges, especially in
(25:13):
murder cases.
Sometimes prosecutors makestrategic decisions to secure
convictions where evidence issignificantly stronger, as the
case already had multipledefendants.
Carrington, the Ranger brothersthey might have chose to go
with these cases first.
The Ranger brothers they mighthave chose to go with these
cases first.
Hope for full justice to beserved is not over yet, though.
(25:34):
The lead prosecutor hasconfirmed his intention to seek
extradition of Monique, nowliving in Australia.
He truly believed she was themastermind behind Betty's
abduction and murder, and Idoubt this is the only crime she
was involved.
No one escalates like this outof nowhere.
Also named in the confessionletter, former Queensland police
(25:58):
officer Mark Listner.
He's also being pursued.
He has denied any involvement.
These extraditions and arrestscould finally mark the final
step in holding all theperpetrators accountable,
delivering long-overdue justicenot only for Betty and her loved
ones, but for all the otherswhose lives were shattered by
(26:22):
this group's actions.
And so the case of Betty Kitani, once buried beneath a carpet
both literally and figuratively,finally saw justice After years
of silence, hidden truths andheartbreaking questions.
Her family was given answersNot all of them, but enough to
(26:48):
bring her home.
Betty was a mother, a sister, afriend.
She was more than a note in aninvestigator's journal or a
docket number.
She was a woman who deserved tolive, to raise her children, to
keep dancing, cooking andlaughing.
Betty's story is a powerfulreminder that justice can arrive
(27:17):
at any time, from any place,even from beneath a dusty carpet
tile on an ordinary eveningwhen no one is expecting it.
That's a wrap for today'sepisode.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
We appreciate every single oneof you if you enjoyed the show.
Don't forget to follow us onsocial media to stay updated on
(27:41):
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(28:02):
Thank you you.
Welcome to Clue Trail, where every story is a mystery
and every clue pulls you deeperinto the unknown, from unsolved
cases and strange disappearancesto hidden histories and curious
twists of fate.
To hidden histories and curioustwists of fate, we piece
together fragments, searchingfor the truth or uncovering even
(00:31):
bigger questions.
Some clues reveal answers,others lead to greater mysteries
.
But one thing is certain Everytrail tells a story.
Are you ready to follow it?
Let's begin, and if you enjoyClue Trail, please take a moment
(00:52):
to leave us a rating or areview.
It helps more curious mindslike yours find the show.
(01:26):
On the evening of May 20th 1999, Betty Ketani left her shift at
a local restaurant inJohannesburg and never came home
.
There were no signs of struggle, no witnesses, just silence.
For years, Betty's family livedwith questions.
Her three children, still soyoung, were left behind to grow
(01:49):
up without answers.
Her siblings searched, waitedand hoped, but as the time
passed, her case grew cold.
Still for those who loved her,Betty never disappeared.
She lived on in memories, inmissed birthdays, in every
(02:11):
unanswered call, in every quiethope that one day she'd walk
back through the door.
This is the story of BettyKetani, a story about absence,
about truth buried in theunlikeliest of places and about
(02:32):
what it means to lose someonewithout a chance to say goodbye.
Today, on Clue Trail, we gobeyond the headlines and
courtrooms back to the womanbehind the case, because long
before her name appeared in apolice file or a hidden
confession, Betty matteredBefore her name became tied to a
(03:04):
criminal investigation.
Tandwe Ketani was just Betty.
She was a single mother of twowho moved from Queenstown in the
Eastern Cape to Johannesburg insearch of work in her
mid-twenties.
Like many others during thatera, she left her family behind,
(03:25):
driven by hope and necessity tofind new opportunities In
Johannesburg, she adopted herChristian name, Betty, and she
found work as a domestichousekeeper and later on as a
head chef at the restaurant.
Colleagues remember her as kind, always standing up for herself
(03:47):
and others.
She would always try to help ifshe could.
Betty was seen as a motherfigure.
She would often call theyounger women around her my
children, and they loved her forit.
Her food became a staplecomfort for the waitresses.
Like many others working there,Betty was undocumented, paid in
(04:14):
cash.
And now, by 1999, she was alsoa mother of three.
Her first two children livedback in Queenstown and her
youngest just a baby at thattime stayed with Betty's mother
in Johannesburg.
Whenever they visited Bettymade sure they were the centre
(04:36):
of attention.
They were allowed to eatanything they wanted at the
restaurant, and even Eric, therestaurant owner, would
sometimes slip them some cash inenvelopes before they left.
Betty loved that job.
It gave her a way to provide.
She sent money home every monthwithout fail and never returned
(04:57):
to Queenstown empty-handed.
She would always bring giftswith her and she gave her
children what she could when shecould.
Her daughter would later sayBetty came from a close-knit
(05:19):
family and she made sure toalways keep in contact with her
siblings and other familymembers.
She was known for checking in,calling to ask how people were
doing, even if her own days weredifficult.
That was just the kind ofperson she was.
So when she didn't come homethat night in 1999, when she
(05:45):
didn't come home that night in1999, when she missed the
bedtime routine, the early shift, the next family phone call,
her absence wasn't just noticed,it was alarming, Because Betty
Ketani didn't vanish.
She was taken On the night ofMay 20th 1999, betty finished
(06:20):
her shift at the restaurant.
She wasn't having a good night.
As you see, by that year thingsbegan to change for the worse
at the restaurant.
The day-to-day conditionshadn't changed dramatically.
Eric would still make everyonework long hours with health tips
and pay abysmal wages.
(06:40):
But now there were also rumoursof theft and firings and
private investigators beingbrought around.
The atmosphere has definitelygrown uneasy with the amount of
rumours and accusations flyingaround, and many believe the
change coincided with thearrival of Eric's family from
(07:02):
Australia, particularly hisdaughter, monique, who had now
begun working at the restaurantas well.
Even Betty, the most loyal ofemployees, had begun to speak
out.
She was now caught in a disputewith her employers for speaking
out, demoted by Monique andmade to wash dishes and take out
(07:26):
the trash, despite her role ashead cook and the many years of
service.
That night, whilst taking outthe trash, she confided in her
close friend at the restaurantabout the hard time she was
having.
Betty vented her frustrations.
She was even thinking about theCCMA ruling in her favour,
(07:49):
which is the function assessingunfair treatment in the
workplace, and how, after thisruling, she can confront the
owners to address her unfairtreatment.
Quitting this job at that pointwasn't an option.
She was financially strained,having to rely on her boyfriend
for transport and groceries.
(08:10):
Still, betty tried to stayhopeful, promising to talk more
the next day.
See you tomorrow, she said.
The next morning Betty didn'tshow up for work.
At first, when she didn't showup for the morning shift, no one
(08:37):
really panicked.
Her colleagues assumed she'dhad a few too many drinks the
night before.
Maybe she wanted to unwind fromthe stress of the day.
Still, as the hours passed, andthen a full day, there was
still no sign of her.
And then a full day, there wasstill no sign of her.
(08:58):
At the restaurant they wonderedif she'd meet someone new and
left town.
But none of it made sense, atleast not to those who really
knew her.
Betty was a mother, a goodmother.
She would never abandon herchildren Back at home.
(09:22):
Her younger sister was alreadyworried.
Betty had never disappearedlike this before, not even for a
full day.
She would always tell her whereshe is going, knowing this
isn't normal, she called theirbrother.
(09:42):
As Betty and her brother Ronniewere very close and spoke
regularly.
Betty had never left townwithout telling him first.
He immediately began makingcalls, spoke with Betty's
boyfriend at the time and heconfirmed the last time he saw
Betty was the morning of May20th.
She had come by to pick up somemoney, went home to change and
left for work.
Ronnie had spoken to her just aday before.
(10:05):
She had told him about the CCMAruling in her favor and, more
importantly, she was preparingfor a confrontation with her
bosses.
That's the last time anyoneheard from her.
All her siblings now joined tohelp with the search.
They checked her flat and theyfound her ID was still there,
(10:28):
her clothes, her belongings.
There was no sign she left town.
Everything she owned was stillin the flat.
If she did leave, she left withnothing but the clothes.
She was town.
Everything she owned was stillin the flat.
If she did leave, she left withnothing but the clothes she was
wearing.
The family started retracingher steps, talking to friends,
checking hospitals, policestations, even mortuaries.
(10:50):
They even went to therestaurant and Eric, the owner,
claimed to know nothing aboutBetty's disappearance.
What was odd was that,according to a waitress, he made
it very clear he didn't wanthis staff speaking to the family
either.
He even told her directly notto talk with Betty's family Nine
(11:13):
days after Betty vanished,ronnie walked into the
Hillborough Police Station andopened a missing persons case.
He filled out the form, gavethem everything he knew and
hoped it would be enough.
But no surprise here.
Unfortunately, the systemfailed Betty.
(11:34):
On the 31st of May 1999, thepaperwork for Betty Ketani's
missing persons report finallylanded on the desk of an
investigator.
That same day, orders weregiven to begin interviewing her
friends and family.
A photo of Betty smiling withher friends was even sent to
(11:59):
Pretoria for circulation.
And then nothing but a noteperson still missing.
By September, the officer triedto call Betty's brother but
claimed there was no answer.
And by December, as Betty'schildren prepared for their
(12:20):
first Christmas without theirmother, the final update was
entered in the case fileReporter not available.
That was it.
Four diary entries Fewer than20 words that was the whole
investigation done on findingher.
(12:41):
No one from the restaurant wasever interviewed.
No follow-up with Betty'sfriends, home visits, no one
even questioned her boyfriend.
The entire investigation wasshelved and forgotten.
Police did absolutely nothingto find what happened to Betty,
(13:02):
and this is outrageous.
But then, on the final day ofMarch 2012, inside an ordinary
home in southern Johannesburg, along buried secret finally came
to light and with it everythingchanged.
For 13 years, the name BettyKetani faded from public memory.
(13:28):
Her family mourned without agrave.
Her children grew up withquestions no one could answer.
They tried to get on with theirlives, but Betty never left
their thoughts.
But sometimes secrets unravel,because truth and justice,
(13:51):
although delayed, always finds away to resurface.
This time it started with ahouse renovation.
On the evening of 31st of March2012, a group of neighbours
(14:14):
were helping pull up old carpettile inside a home in Kenilworth
, Johannesburg.
The work was messy, it was hot,some tiles were still damp with
old dog urine.
But the group kept at it,moving from room to room as they
crawled into the main bedroomnear the front of the house.
(14:35):
As they crawled into the mainbedroom near the front of the
house, something unusual caughtone of the men's attention
beneath one of the tiles.
It was a bundle of papersfolded together, tucked away,
looked like he was deliberatelyhidden.
All the men gathered and one ofthem unfolded the top page In
(14:57):
dusty letters.
A warning was scrawled acrossit Do not throw away.
At first glance the lettersseemed cryptic, but as they
opened the pages it became clear.
This was no ordinary note.
It was a confession and not asubtle one.
(15:17):
During the course of theinvestigation, several people
were abducted and tortured,namely Temba Tshabalala, Betty
Ketani and Ndaba Bhebe.
The first line said the peoplein the house were completely
shocked.
This didn't seem real.
(15:38):
It seemed like a plot twist ina film, but it wasn't.
This letter was a confession tothe horrific murder of Betty.
So let's go over what happenedthat night.
According to the letter, BettyKetani didn't just vanish, as
everyone claimed, at therestaurant.
(16:00):
She was taken that night on May20th, as she left work, she was
approached in Rosebank by twomen, mark and Warren Williams.
Mark was dressed in an armyuniform, giving their approach
the appearance of authority.
Without realizing the dangershe was in, betty was abducted
(16:25):
and taken to a small house.
There she was assaulted,slapped around for hours,
according to the confession.
Eventually she was left in thecare of Carrington Lofton.
He's the man who actually wrotethe letter.
Carrington, accompanied byanother man named Conway, then
(16:47):
drove Betty further down thehighway and attempted to kill
her.
This was believed to be around25th of May 1999, so she was in
that house for around five days.
Miraculously, betty survivedand she was taken to a hospital
(17:07):
as she didn't have any ID withher and because police didn't
even bother to do the basicchecks at that time.
To do the basic checks at thattime, betty was never found in
the hospital.
Weeks later, betty regainedconsciousness.
She had survived the attack butsuffered brain trauma and
(17:33):
severe mental disorientation.
Shockingly, when her abductorsdiscovered she was alive, they
returned for her Carrington,along with now two police
officers, dave and Carel Ranger,posed as medical staff, to
remove her from the hospital.
Using a rented van and awheelchair, they transported her
(17:58):
to a bus on a remote farm, acold, isolated space where she
was locked inside.
Tragically, betty died thereduring the night alone, likely
from the shock and untreatedinjuries and sadly we are not
done and untreated injuries andsadly we are not done.
(18:18):
Mark, monique and ConwayRemember Monique, eric's
daughter, which caused all sortsof hell in that restaurant when
she started working there.
Well, these three lunaticsreturn later to dispose of
Betty's body.
Her body was secretly buried inConway's back garden, sealed
(18:41):
under a meter of cement.
Her clothes and any remainingevidence were burned shortly
after.
This just sounds completelyinsane.
The kidnapping and then theimpersonations.
This was a crime executed withchilling calculation.
To me this looks like thebehavior of a psychopath.
(19:03):
These people are monsters.
There was no remorse and norespect for human life for a
mother, and for more than adecade these crimes remained
hidden, until that one nightwhen this letter was pulled out
of that carpet.
Finally, after the discovery ofthese letters, everything moved
(19:28):
pretty quick in thisinvestigation.
Within weeks, six men,including Carrington, which was
the author of the letter, andtwo brothers, carell and David
Ranger, were behind bars.
One was a former policeman andthe other one was still in
uniform.
(19:50):
What followed was one of SouthAfrica's most complex and
challenging murder trials.
The trial began in 2014 and ranuntil 2016.
Unfortunately, it drew verylittle media attention.
It was overshadowed byhigh-profile cases like Oscar
(20:12):
Pistorius.
But in that courtroom,prosecutors and detectives
finally fought relentlessly forjustice.
Lead prosecutor Herman Broderyckcalled dozens of witnesses.
He needed every singletestimony, as investigators had
(20:33):
only six small bones Betty'spartial remains to present as
physical evidence, and thatletter they found in the house.
But with even little tonon-physical evidence, they made
(20:54):
sure forensics were so advanced.
They even involved DNA analysisin Bosnia and handwriting
experts, which had to verify amostly typed confession.
The prosecutors couldn't leaveanything to chance.
Still, the case was builtalmost entirely on
circumstantial evidence.
(21:15):
The defense fought back hard.
They filed endless legalchallenges, introduced
last-minute alibis and draggedcross-examinations out for days.
Carrington himself spent 13days on the witness stand.
But in the background,prosecutors and Lee Detective
(21:38):
gave everything they had tofinally bring justice for Betty.
They investigated until thevery end, even reopening the
case late in trial to bringforward new witnesses.
And finally, on the secondanniversary of the trial's start
, the judgment came.
Carrington was found guilty ofmurder, carell and David Ranger
(22:03):
were found guilty of culpablehomicide were found guilty of
culpable homicide, and threeothers who participated in a way
or another turned state witnessand finally helped seal the
case.
Betty's children and familywere in the courtroom when the
verdict was given.
This was the moment they waitedfor so many years Closure and
(22:26):
the truth had finally come.
Although today's case centresaround Betty Kitani, she wasn't
the only victim mentioned inthis letter.
A man, Thimba, was abducted notonce but three separate times by
(22:48):
the same circle of peoplePosing as army officers.
They beat and terrorized him,taking him from his home, his
workplace and even remotelocations deep in the bush.
Naba Bebe, believed to be arelative of Semba, was also
(23:11):
targeted.
He was abducted from his homein Beria by Mark and taken to
Randberg police station.
There he was assaulted, thistime with Karel and Monique also
present.
After that, they transportedhim to a remote patch of
bushland near Four Ways, andthen there was Maliemeli Mufu.
(23:36):
He was abducted under the guiseof a police arrest.
Monique and Carrington posed asdetectives, using fake IDs and
uniforms, then took him to ahotel where he was held for
three days.
They filmed his questioning andmoved him from one hotel room
to another, treating the entireoperation like some kind of
(23:59):
covert game.
He was eventually released, butonly after enduring isolation
and psychological torment, hisonly alleged crime being linked
to one of Monique's stolenchecks.
These were unisolated acts.
This was a network of peoplecarrying out abductions,
(24:23):
impersonations and torture withan appalling level of planning
and coordination.
And, as you probably noticed,the same name keeps appearing
over and over in these lettersand, apart from Monique,
everyone has been arrested.
Why she was in charge isanyone's guess at this point.
(24:45):
While her name was in theconfession letter, much of the
evidence against her appears tohave been circumstantial or
second-hand.
The type confession was notsigned and Monique consistently
denied involvement, and SouthAfrican courts require strong
corroborative evidence forcriminal charges, especially in
(25:13):
murder cases.
Sometimes prosecutors makestrategic decisions to secure
convictions where evidence issignificantly stronger, as the
case already had multipledefendants.
Carrington, the Ranger brothersthey might have chose to go
with these cases first.
The Ranger brothers they mighthave chose to go with these
cases first.
Hope for full justice to beserved is not over yet, though.
(25:34):
The lead prosecutor hasconfirmed his intention to seek
extradition of Monique, nowliving in Australia.
He truly believed she was themastermind behind Betty's
abduction and murder, and Idoubt this is the only crime she
was involved.
No one escalates like this outof nowhere.
Also named in the confessionletter, former Queensland police
(25:58):
officer Mark Listner.
He's also being pursued.
He has denied any involvement.
These extraditions and arrestscould finally mark the final
step in holding all theperpetrators accountable,
delivering long-overdue justicenot only for Betty and her loved
ones, but for all the otherswhose lives were shattered by
(26:22):
this group's actions.
And so the case of Betty Kitani, once buried beneath a carpet
both literally and figuratively,finally saw justice After years
of silence, hidden truths andheartbreaking questions.
Her family was given answersNot all of them, but enough to
(26:48):
bring her home.
Betty was a mother, a sister, afriend.
She was more than a note in aninvestigator's journal or a
docket number.
She was a woman who deserved tolive, to raise her children, to
keep dancing, cooking andlaughing.
Betty's story is a powerfulreminder that justice can arrive
(27:17):
at any time, from any place,even from beneath a dusty carpet
tile on an ordinary eveningwhen no one is expecting it.
That's a wrap for today'sepisode.
Thanks so much for tuning in.
We appreciate every single oneof you if you enjoyed the show.
Don't forget to follow us onsocial media to stay updated on
(27:41):
all things clue trail.
You can find us on instagram,facebook and t and TikTok on
ClueTrail Podcast.
And if you want to support thepodcast and get even more
content, check out our PatreonMembers.
Get access to an exclusivebonus episode every month.
Just head over to Patreon andlook for ClueTrail.
(28:02):
Thank you you.
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