WINDHOEK – Lukas Nepela Nikodemus, 49, convicted of two murders and one count of defeating or obstructing the course of justice by Windhoek High Court Judge Christi Liebenberg last week, will be sentenced on August 20.
Judge Liebenberg convicted Nikodemus on two counts of murder with direct intent over the gruesome killings of 29-year-old Johanie Naruses and 23-year-old Clementia de Wee when he shot them in cold blood with his pistol and then burned their bodies at a dumpsite near Pioneers Park in Windhoek.
State Advocate Cliff Lutibezi asked the court to remove Nikodemus from society for a very long time and added that Nikodemus is not fit to live among decent humans.
“The accused is a danger to society and is not a suitable candidate for rehabilitation,” Lutibezi told the court and added that this is one scenario where a convict must be totally removed from society.
He further said Nikodemus has not shown any remorse and to this day still persists with his bogus claim that it was a certain ‘Bennie” who killed the deceased while the evidence points straight at him.
In his judgment, the judge said ‘Bennie” was a figment of Nikodemus’ imagination and a fabrication at best.
Belatedly, during his bail application and the trial, Nikodemus mentioned ‘Bennie’ as the person who drove away with his car and the two deceased women and brought back his keys late at night informing him that the car got stuck somewhere in Otjomuise.
The judge also said in his own evidence, Nikodemus admitted that the car had no blood or bullet holes in it before that night and that he had control of his firearm at all times.
A bullet found in the backrest of the car matched his pistol, it was revealed during the trial.
The new Legal Aid lawyer of Nikodemus, asked the court to show mercy on him.
Kalundu Kamwi, who took over after his former lawyer, Vernon Lutibezi, withdrew from the trial after the judgment, told the judge that everyone deserves a second chance.
He further said his client, although he did not testify in mitigation, was a father who maintained his children and a first offender at a late age.
Nikodemus has already indicated that he will appeal his conviction.
He was convicted of killing Naruses and De Wee during the period January 6-7, 2016 and set their dead bodies alight.
Their partly burned bodies were found by a security guard the morning of January 7, 2016, and Nikodemus was arrested the same day after a SIM card that linked him to her was found in the back pocket of the jeans of one of the deceased.
During his first appearance in the magistrate’s court, Nikodemus told the magistrate he did not know how to plead as he had no recollection of what had happened.
He remains in custody at the Windhoek Correctional Facility Section for trial-awaiting inmates.