Man accused of murdering Eersterust woman he met online abandons bail bid
The man accused of murdering an Eersterust woman he allegedly lured through a Facebook hook-up site has abandoned his bail application.
The man accused of luring an Eersterust woman to his home through a Facebook hook-up site, murdering her, and burying her body in a shallow grave has abandoned his bail application in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
Helder Isidro (36) from Eersterust is facing charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice following the death of 30-year-old Loveness Magabe.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, it is alleged that the accused and the deceased initially met on a Facebook hook-up site and later continued communicating via WhatsApp.
“They arranged to meet in person at a lodge in Eersterust on July 26, 2025.
“On the said date, it is alleged that the accused ordered an Uber for the deceased to pick her up from her place of residence in Sunnyside and drop her off at their meeting place.
However, the meeting place was not a lodge as initially agreed, but the accused’s place of residence.”
Mahanjana said that, upon Loveness’s arrival before the two met, it is alleged that the deceased sent a message to her friend and told her that the place where she was dropped off looked dodgy, and she also sent her friend a pin location in case she went missing.
“When the deceased failed to return home the following day, July 27 2025, her friend opened a missing person case at the Sunnyside Police Station.
“Following an intensive police investigation, the body of Loveness Magabe was discovered in a shallow grave at the accused’s residence in Eersterust on July 31, 2025. Isidro was arrested on August 04, 2025 at his grandmother’s residence in Limpopo.”
Mahanjana furthermore said the case has been postponed to October 15 2025 for further investigation.
“In a separate matter, the accused is also facing a rape charge and is scheduled to appear in Court 04 on the same date.”
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