Grumpy Grandpa

They attacked her on a dark road, stabbed her in the head and left her to die. But when they discovered that she had survived and was receiving treatment in hospital, they allegedly disguised themselves as medical personnel, wheeled her out of the hospital and murdered her. Her name was Tandiwe Betty Ketani. She was 37 years old and a mother of three. Originally from Queenstown in South Africa's Eastern Cape, Betty had moved to Johannesburg to earn money for her children. She worked as the head chef at Cranks, a popular restaurant in Rosebank. In May 1999, Betty was attacked along the R59 highway leading to Vereeniging. She suffered serious head injuries but survived and was rushed to Kopanong Hospital. Unfortunately, her attackers discovered she was still alive. Three men reportedly arrived at the hospital: private investigator Carrington Laughton and brothers David and Carel Ranger, who were police officers at the time. They disguised themselves as medical personnel, presented a forged transfer document and wheeled Betty out of the hospital in a wheelchair. She was never seen alive again. According to a confession letter that emerged years later, Betty was murdered that night. Her body was buried in a garden in Kenilworth, south of Johannesburg, and covered with concrete. In 2004, some of the men involved reportedly returned, broke up the concrete and removed her remains. They eventually dumped them at a public tip. Only a few bone fragments were recovered. Meanwhile, Betty's family had spent years searching for her. Her three children grew up without knowing whether their mother was alive or dead. Then, on 31 March 2012, a family renovating a house in Kenilworth discovered something beneath an old carpet. It was a confession letter. Its opening sentence read: "If you are reading this, then I am dead." The letter described Betty's attack, her abduction from the hospital and her murder. It also named several people allegedly connected to the crimes. The discovery prompted a fresh investigation. By May 2012, six men had been arrested. Three of them admitted their involvement and agreed to testify against the others in exchange for lighter sentences. The remaining three, Carrington Laughton and the Ranger brothers, went to trial. The investigation also named two additional suspects: Monique Neeteson-Lemkes, the restaurant owner's daughter, and Mark Lister, a former Australian police officer. Both denied involvement and were never convicted of Betty's murder. DNA testing involving samples from Betty's children helped identify the recovered bone fragments. After a trial that lasted nearly two years, the Johannesburg High Court found Laughton guilty of kidnapping and murdering Betty on 17 February 2016. He was also convicted of attempting to kidnap another restaurant employee. The Ranger brothers were found guilty of kidnapping and culpable homicide. On 6 May 2016, Laughton received 30 years in prison, while the brothers received four years each. Betty's daughter, Bulelwa, welcomed Laughton's sentence but questioned why the former police officers had received considerably lighter punishments. The exact motive for the murder was never conclusively established, although investigators explored allegations of a workplace dispute involving money. In May 2016, Betty's family travelled to the house where her remains had been buried to perform a traditional ceremony and symbolically bring her home to the Eastern Cape. She survived the first attempt on her life, only to be kidnapped from the hospital where she was recovering. It took 13 years, a hidden confession letter and a lengthy investigation for her family to finally discover the truth.