The young man behind the robbery and murder of Stellenbosch University student, Jesse Mitchell has been sentenced to life imprisonment, a year after the tragedy.
Rudolph Hufke’ sentencing proceedings took place on Monday at the Stellenbosch Regional Court, which included a plea and sentencing agreement..
Mitchell, a first-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) student was robbed and killed on October 16 2024, during the early hours of the morning in Borchers Street in Stellenbosch.
He sustained a stab wound to the neck.
Hufke had faced charges of robbery with aggravated circumstances and murder.
Three of his siblings – Aaron, Joshua and Lara – are all working abroad.
He has a younger brother, Jonathan, 17, who lives in Centurion in Gauteng with their mother Michelle.
Earlier during an interview with , Mitchell’s brother, Joshua said his brother celebrated his 19th birthday the day he died.
Paying tribute to his brother Joshua said: “Jesse was the best of us. He had an intense drive to succeed at everything he tried. He was incredibly intelligent and athletic. He loved going to church and to gym and was extremely passionate about photography and editing.”
While Mitchell was studying, he was also working at a photo and video editing company part-time.
“I believe he was doing really well at both work and with his studies. He was nervous about exams but I think he was very excited to finish his first year,” Joshua said.
