Forensic doctor reveals gruesome details of mother’s killing in court

MASER

The High Court of Lesotho was shaken on Wednesday afternoon when a well-known forensic pathologist, Dr Lefatle Phakoana, delivered a chilling account of what killed Martha ’MasechacheRasekoai, whose daughters, Nthei and ’Mamphoka Rasekoai, stand accused of murdering her.
Before Justice ’Maliepollo Makhetha and Prosecutor LehlohonoloPhooko, Dr Phakoana gave a detailed, graphic reconstruction of the injuries the Masowe 4 woman suffered before her death, describing a violent attack carried out with both blunt and sharp objects.
Dr Phakoana told the court he has five years of experience in examining bodies of people who died from both natural and unnatural causes and that he has handled many difficult cases during this time. 
But the condition of the deceased, examined on 1 August 2nd, left a lasting impression.
He said he examined the body after it was brought in and identified by Nthei Rasekoai as that of Martha Rasekoai. 
He was informed that the deceased had disappeared on 25 July 2022 but was believed to have died on 27 July 2022. However, he clarified that according to forensic procedure, experts only record the date of death as the day the body is found, not the day the person reportedly went missing.
The doctor revealed that the deceased died from a combination of severe head injuries and strangulation. 
His findings painted a picture of a vicious, prolonged and merciless attack. 
According to his testimony, the deceased suffered massive bleeding in the brain. The doctor found extensive bleeding in the brain caused by a strong blow from a heavy blunt object.
The skull was fractured both at the forehead and the back of the head. He stated clearly that no sharp object caused this injury, only a forceful strike from something heavy and blunt could have done it.
He said the deceased also suffered strangulation with barbed wire while still alive. In what became one of the most disturbing details, Dr Phakoana testified that the deceased had been strangled with barbed wire. The mark around her neck was deep brown, which he explained could only occur if the person was alive at the time of the strangulation.
Had the wire been tied around her neck after death, the mark would not have taken that colour. “This shows she was still breathing when the wire cut into her skin,” he said.
The deceased is also said to have a stab-like wound on the right side of the chest. The doctor identified a wound shaped like the opening made by a spear or a similar sharp, pointed object. The injury was significant and consistent with a violent stabbing. There were three sharp-object wounds on the back- three stab wounds- each inflicted with a sharp object and deep enough to indicate forceful penetration.
The pathologist said there was another blunt-force injury behind the head- a second blow from a heavy object- further confirming repeated assault with blunt instruments. 
There was also a wound behind the right ear, consistent with either a sharp or blunt strike.
Multiple scratch marks and abrasions were visible behind the neck and upper back, possibly caused during the strangling or by the barbed wire used in the strangulation.
The courtroom was filled with silence as Dr Phakoana calmly listed injury after injury, a catalogue of brutality that left no doubt about the violent nature of the killing. 
His testimony suggested that the deceased was attacked with more than one weapon, struck repeatedly, stabbed several times and ultimately strangled while still alive. 
His report is expected to play a crucial role in the trial of the deceased’s daughters who have maintained their innocence and accused their uncle of being responsible for the murder.