Cape Town - The family of slain Rosemary Theron was left disappointed when the Cape High Court on Monday postponed sentencing proceedings in the matter involving Kyle Maspero who had entered into a plea agreement with the State.
Maspero was 17 years old when he placed a rope around the neck of his girlfriend’s mother Rosemary Theron. His then girlfriend, Phoenix Racing Cloud Theron, 18, helped carry out the murder of her mom after a fight over her half sister’s schooling.
Phoenix is currently serving an effective 15 years behind bars after entering a plea agreement with the State.
Maspero was set to to be sentenced on Monday for the March 2013 murder, but Theron’s family and friends were left disappointed when the court postponed the case to December 8.
Accompanied by his foster father, the slightly built Maspero entered the courtroom, pale-faced and red-eyed, to face a gallery packed with Theron’s friends and family.
Staring straight ahead and nervously clutching his pockets, Maspero was told that his bail would be extended until December 8 when he would be sentenced. No explanation was given to why Judge President John Hlophe was not available on Monday.
Refusing to comment, Maspero made a hasty exit from the courthouse, passing Theron’s loved ones as he left.
On the courthouse steps, Theron’s nephews, Kei and Shade, said they were disappointed about the postponement.
They told ANA that their mother, Angelique Holt, 34 had fallen into a terrible depression after her sister’s death and had committed suicide two weeks after Rosemary was buried.
The Clovelly performance artist was missing for four months before her body was found in a shallow grave and the teen couple arrested.
Maspero had enlisted the help of an acquaintance, Godfrey Scheepers, to move the body.
But Scheepers confessed to police, leading to the discovery of Theron’s body and the arrests of Phoenix and Maspero.
Scheepers, who had charges against him withdrawn, was also in court on Monday.
Theron’s friend, Mark Shelton, said it was unfair that Phoenix was behind bars, while Maspero continued to walk free.
Another friend, Safra Levin, said she was devastated by the postponement. “I still haven’t cried, I’ve waited for two-and-half years and I wanted to cry today. I need closure”.
ANA