In the vibrant city of Durban, South Africa, the music world was shaken to its core when the beloved rapper Kiernan Jarred Forbes, known to his fans as AKA, was brutally gunned down in February last year. The tragedy unfolded outside the WISH Restaurant on Florida Road, where AKA and his friend Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane met their untimely deaths.
The tragic incident not only left fans mourning but also set off a complex investigation that eventually led to the arrest of the alleged killers as well as their co-conspirators. Here’s a look at the crucial mistakes that AKA’s killers made that ultimately led to their capture and eventual arrest.
Using Banks For Illicit Financial Transactions:
A significant blunder made by the suspects and their co-conspirators was using the banking system for the transfer of R800,000, allegedly paid for the murder, as well as paying the alleged killers using the banks.
Large financial transactions are often traceable, leaving a digital trail that law enforcement agencies can follow, which is why some criminals prefer to deal in cash or alternative means of payment such as cryptocurrency.
In this particular case, the killers received a portion of the R800,000 that was paid for AKA’s murder. The two brothers received R133,000, which was deposited in the Standard Bank account. Another red flag was that the said account was opened on the morning of the shooting.
The R800,000 was transferred from a First National Bank account belonging to another suspect who is also part of the conspirators.
Using Their Mobile Phones During The Commission of the Crime:
Cellphone communication between the suspects and other individuals involved in the crime provided crucial evidence.
According to an application for provisional arrest filed by Elaine Harrison, who is the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) based at the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court, cellphone records established that one of the suspects (name redacted) was present in the grey BMW that had tracked Forbes and his friends from King Shaka Airport to the hotel.
Cellphone records also placed the other suspects at the scene of the murder. According to the Times, the DPP said,
“Cellular phone records were obtained for Siphamandla Ngcobo and compared with cellular phone records at the scene of the murders on the night in question. It was established that (name redacted) had communicated with (name redacted) and (name redacted). (Name redacted)’s cellular phone records were obtained and he was also placed in the vicinity of Florida Road where the murders had taken place.”
Using Identifiable Vehicles Which Could Be Tied To Them:
The use of specific vehicles, such as a grey BMW, a white Mercedes-Benz C200, and a grey Polo during the commission of the heinous crime further implicated the suspects. These vehicles were tracked and linked to key locations related to the crime.
“The Forbes entourage was followed by a grey BMW from King Shaka Airport to Hilton Hotel. While the first deceased and his entourage were at the hotel, a grey Polo with registration NUR 597728 was spotted as having passed the hotel. It was later established that this grey Polo was a ‘spotter vehicle’ used by the assailants,” submitted the DPP (Harrison).
According to South African law enforcement authorities, it was also established that one of the suspects had allegedly hired the grey Polo that was used as a ‘spotter vehicle’.
The police were thus able to trace the vehicles to one of the suspects and also further used cellphone records to connect this suspect to his co-conspirators.
The white Mercedes-Benz C200 was used by the killers as the getaway vehicle shortly after shooting AKA and Tibz.
Surveillance Footage:
The suspects were captured on surveillance cameras at multiple locations, including during the commission of the crime. This footage played a crucial role in establishing their presence and movements before and after the murder.
The DPP averred that video footage outside the WISH Restaurant revealed that the grey Polo stopped outside the restaurant while Forbes was inside the restaurant. She alleged that the clothing of the person who alighted from the vehicle and entered the restaurant was the same as seen in the video footage as being the African male who was later identified as (Name redacted). She pointed out that the tracking report on the grey Polo placed the vehicle in the vicinity of Hilton Hotel and later at the WISH Restaurant.
Attempted Evidence Destruction By AKA’s Killers:
In a failed attempt to cover their tracks, one of the suspects tried to set fire to the white Mercedes-Benz believed to be the getaway vehicle. However, they did not succeed in burning the car and valuable forensic evidence was recovered from the vehicle.
The DPP said,
“Upon investigations carried out at the scene where the Mercedes-Benz was abandoned, it was established that there had been attempts to set the vehicle on fire by one of the suspects.”
Witness Testimonies and Forensic Evidence:
The combination of witness accounts and forensic evidence, such as spent cartridges and postmortem reports, corroborated the sequence of events leading to the arrests of the suspected killers of AKA.
The meticulous investigation into the murder of AKA and Tibz unveiled a series of mistakes made by the suspected killers, ultimately leading to their arrest. From financial trails to surveillance footage and cellphone records, each piece of evidence played a pivotal role in solving the case. As the music world continues to mourn the loss of a talented artist, the pursuit of justice serves as a reminder of the consequences of crime. Will this case bring closure to the fans and family of AKA?
