A South African Love Triangle | Love, loot, lust and loathing – and Murder | Mariette Bosch

Love triangle that turned to murder on Love and Murder podcast

Now part of the Dark Cast Network. Welcome to Indie Podcasts with a Dark side. A woman is found dead in her house, but no suspects are found. Uh, her best friend marries her grieving husband just three months after her murder. Is there more to this or is it mere coincidence? Today, I’ll tell you about a South African love triangle that turned to murder. It’s the case of Mariette Bosch right now on Love and Murder.

This episode is coming out late today, so apologies first and foremost

Welcome, lambs. Welcome, everyone to love and heartbreak. To homicide. I am your host, Kai, and if you’re new here, go ahead and take a listen all the way to the end. And if you like it, then go ahead and subscribe so you don’t miss any more true crime episodes. If you are a returning lamb, thank you so much for your continued support. If you didn’t know, you can also subscribe to my podcast on Patreon. Patreon.com loveandmurder if you’re not looking to be a paid sponsor of lam yet, you can actually subscribe for free. You do get some perks with subscribing to the patreon for free. Patreon.com loveandmurder if you are looking to be a sponsor, just go to whatever tier has the bonuses that suits your need and sign up to be a sponsor of LoveAndMurder. Patreon.com forward/loveandmurder Before I get into this episode, I just want to get a little bit of housekeeping out of the way. So first of all, you can hear my personal heater going. I usually turn it off for you, but right now it is way too cold under my desk. There’s no way. So I do apologize. You’re just going to hear that hum in, uh, throughout the duration of the episode. I’m going to try and take it out as much as I can. So apologies first and foremost. Secondly, I know this episode is coming out late today. I just could not get my head screwed on properly. But better late than never. Now, with all that out of the way, and without further ado, uh, let’s go ahead and grab a delicious glass of apple juice.

South African immigrants flocked to Botswana in the early 1990s

Let’s go ahead and grab our butts and get into this episode of Love and Murder. South African immigrants flocked to the country of Botswana in the early 1990s. The country’s stable economy and lower crime rates is what attracted them to the country of Botswana. Wealthy white South African expatriates established their own social circle in Gaborone’s affluent Tacalan neighborhood, which earned a nickname, Little Sandton, which was named after a plush Johannesburg suburb. Now, apologies if I’m saying any of these names wrong, which I’m pretty sure I’m going to, so I do apologize. First and foremost, I did look them up, but my memory is like that of a hummingbird and I would constantly have to stop the show to look up the name again and again and again and again. So I’m trying to remember what they sounded like when I initially looked it up and also just trying to pronounce it out. So if I say it wrong, please be patient with me and apologies. You could totally and respectfully correct me in the comments or send me an SOS on my website. Mariette Song Bosch, who was born in the 1950s, was a wealthy South African liquor stores owner’s daughter and she relocated to Gaborone with her husband Justin and their three kids at the time. In the early 1990s, the couple embraced the expatriate lifestyle, their daily activities revolving around going to bridge clubs, casinos, weekend trips to game lodges, golf club outing and porcelain doll decorating classes. You know, the life of the rich that we could only dream about, which I would never do any of those things even if I became rich. The Bosches became friends with Maria, who friends called Ria and Tini Volmarentz. Both families attended the Dutch Reformed Church and claimed their spots in the front pews. The Boches sat on the right while the Volmerens sat on the left. At first the Volmerens marriage was going really well, but by 1993 they started having problems which led to a brief separation. They managed to settle their differences and in 1994 moved back in together, but the initial problem still remained unresolved. In 1995, unfortunately, Justin died in a car accident. Rhea was there for Mariette, comforting her through this difficult time. She stayed with her baked cakes together, basically just being a friend and making sure she was there when Mariette needed her. Mariette, on the other hand, started meeting Tinny in secret after Justin died. Actually, their relationship started just five months after Justin’s death. They met secretly at first and later started taking trips to Johannesburg where court documents noted that they had good sexual intercourse. Tini made promises about divorcing Ria and although they did separate before, like I did tell you, they moved back in together and it looked like he was never divorcing her. So to this I want to say people stop dealing with married individuals unless y’all are about polygamy. But if you expect someone who’s married to leave their partner for you, well, 9.5 times out of 10, uh, you’re gonna be stuck waiting. And in the meantime, the person is gonna give you all the excuses that are in and outside of the book. So unless you’re into polygamy, stop dealing with married individuals. Mariette shared her feelings about Tini with her sister in law, Judith Bosch. As her patience wore thin with these empty promises, she told Judith about her marriage plans with Teeny, which is, how are you getting married to Tini if he’s with Rhea?

Police initially thought Rhea’s death was a burglary gone wrong

On June 26, 1996, Ria was home alone while Tini was away at work. She had just made tea when somebody came into the house. Her daughter came over later and found her mother murdered and called police. Police found Rhea dead in the hallway of her home with the tea tray and its contents next to her body. The attacker had fired two 9 millimeter bullets that struck her. One in the stomach and the other one in her ribs. Gaborone police thought at this time that this was a burglary gone wrong. However, certain things didn’t really add up. For example, nothing valuable was missing. So a burglary of what? The crime scene revealed that Ria likely knew who killed her because there were no signs of forced entry. Her personal belongings were untouched and undisturbed. And you could tell with her having the tea out, it looked like she was about to have tea with somebody. However, police had no information. No, uh, suspects, no evidence, no nothing. And the case went nowhere for three months. But a significant breakthrough came when investigators discovered the murder weapon. In September 1996, three months after Ria’s murder, Mariette and Tinny secretly got engaged. They even told their families that they were going to South Africa to shop for wedding outfits. The morning after the murder, Judith, who still lived in South Africa, by the way, had gotten a phone call from a friend informing her of Ria’s death. She said, Rhea’s dead and ah, she asked a friend about the murder weapon and was told that it was a 9 millimeter automatic pistol. Interesting. Also, Judith had found out that Mariette had bought a wedding dress only three months after Rhea was murdered. By the way, side note, Judith never liked Mariette. She never wanted her brother to be with her. So that’s why it was weird that Mariette confided in her. Anyway, back to the case. Judith also remembered that Mariette had a gun that she, Judith, had told her to give them and she would give back to the owner, the mutual friend who had given Judith a call and who also still lived in South Africa. The friend was holding Justin’s 9 millimeter Browning pistol for them while they were in Botswana. Because bringing a firearm into Botswana is a criminal offense in itself. Itself. This is why I mentioned that the friend is in South Africa. So Mariette had given the gun to Judith’s husband. And Judith took all of this information and the gun over to the police. Because Mariette, Judith doesn’t like you. I don’t know why you were trying to be best friends with her. And she also told police about the relationship that Mariette had with ria’s husband. On October 7, 1996, police arrested both Mariette and Teeny on suspicion that they were involved in the murder. Teeny proved that he was nowhere near town as he was working away during the murder. So he had a solid alibi. But also during his questioning, he blurted out to police, quote, I pray the gun and cartridges don’t match. Although he said that there was no evidence to tie him to the murders, and he was released just after one evening and never charged. Mariette’s explanation, however, of where she was on the night of the murder raised doubts. She also refused to talk about the gun with investigators. This went on for three months after her arrest. And even Teeny asked her why did she have the gun. And she could never give him a reason as to why she brought the gun into Botswana. Finally, uh, she broke her silence about the weapon. And she said that a uh, Mr. Henny Coetzee, who was Ria’s former boss, had hypnotized her. She said Henny drugged her wine with something. She didn’t know what, and, and told her to get the gun without telling everyone. You are in a trance. Go and get this gun that I somehow know that you have and don’t tell anybody about it. So she said that’s why she ended up getting the gun. It was all a hypnotic trance, but somehow she figured out she was hypnotized. Although most people don’t know they’re hypnotized unless the hypnotizer tells them that they were hypnotized. So that’s very interesting that you’re very aware that you knew you were hypnotized. Mariette was granted bail after 10 months in jail while on bill and still the prime suspect in the murder of Rhea in 1998. Teeny still married her 18 months after the murder. In December of 1999, Mariette’s trial started. Unlike in the U.S. botswana’s judicial system operates without juries, and the judge alone determines the verdict. I don’t know how I Feel about that? I would think that one person coming. I, uh, don’t know. You know, I’m not going to talk about other people’s stuff. It’s not my country. I don’t live in that country, so I’m going to shut up. The prosecution built their case on several elements. Bringing in the murder weapon illegally, the affair with Teeny, and questions about her alibi and a clear motive. Bishop Peterson Bothongo later expressed doubts about the evidence. There’s more background evidence we need. I am not sure all information material to the case has been used. The prosecution managed to keep their stance that they had built a strong case based on what they called the four Ls of murder, love, loot, lust and loathing. The prosecution’s case centered on how Mariette entered the Volmarens property and also bringing the gun to Botswana. They believe she climbed over the security wall to get inside. Well, Mariette said, yeah, but I’m too heavy to scale a wall, so joke’s on you. Case dismissed.

Prosecutors brought up Mariette’s explanation of being hypnotized

Right, Your Honor. Right. No, no. Oh, uh, prosecutors said, okay, well, then you didn’t climb the wall, but you might have had a set of keys also. Her reasoning for that, she told Judith and a friend for bringing the gun into the country, was to practice shooting. Literally. What she said was, quote, target practice. However, they brought up Mariette’s explanation of being hypnotized. Well, you know, you told this to your friends, but now you’re telling us you were hypnotized. And she said that Ria’s boss did this because according to him, which is really according to Mariette, Ria had uncovered financial irregularities in the company and that these would end up being revealed at an upcoming audit. So that’s why he supposedly hypnotized Marriott to get the gun. Yeah. For somebody who was hypnotized, she is so aware of what’s going on. The fact that she was hypnotized, the reason why she was hypnotized, the who, how, where’s, and whens. Like, this is a really aware person for being hypnotized. Unless I’m wrong about hypnosis, because the only thing I know about it is from tv. If you want to let me know in the comments below. If you are completely aware of everything going on and the fact that you are hypnotized, maybe I could be wrong. So let me know in the comments below. The investigation also reveals several pieces of evidence, including the 9 millimeter Browning pistol that matched the cartridges from the crime scene. The ballistic testing proved that it was the murder weapon. Then Mariette’s alibi didn’t match her maid’s testimony about where she went on the night of the murder. Mariette and her daughter said that she had been home all night. Well, the maid said that no, no, she left the house around 8pm what do I pay you for? Aren’t you supposed to be on my side through thick and thin? The answer is no. She’s like, I’m not going to prison for you. I make minimum wage or whatever they make over there. And she’s like, I’m not going to prison for you. No. Look, I don’t care if I make minimum wage or you pay me good. I’m not going to prison for you. I keep telling everybody, don’t tell me anything incriminating. I will say it with me now. Sing like a bird. So there is a strong circumstantial case. Again, it’s still circumstantial, though, against Mariette. She brought the murder weapon into the country. She had an affair with Ria’s husband before she was killed, and her alibi for that night was disputed. So there is this circumstantial evidence, and there is a very clear motive, which is to get Ria out of the way to be with her husband. Another thing that raised eyebrows in court is Marriott’s quick marriage to Teeny right after Rhea was murdered. So they’re just like. And also, Tini never stopped supporting Mariette throughout the legal proceedings, maintaining her evidence. Even as evidence piled against her, he was still like, no, I completely believe she was hypnotized. And, uh, she did this guy’s bidding. That’s the only explanation I can come up with. Dr. Louise Olivier. Now, I’m saying Olivier, like the Princess and the Frog, but I’m pretty sure it’s Olivier. He led the defense team, and he argued that Mariette’s personality didn’t match a, uh, killer’s profile and she lacked the capacity to lie. Really? Okay, now, what I want to tell you is what’s interesting about Dr. Olivier was that he was a psychologist who worked as a magazine’s, quote, sex doctor. So, sir, what are your credentials to know that Marriott lacked the capacity to lie? What? I don’t. I don’t. Okay. The judge was as confused as I was and dismissed these claims as irrelevant. The defense team then stressed the lack of direct forensic evidence. They found no fingerprints on the gun or in Rhea’s home. No fingerprints at all in Rhea’s home or Mariette’s fingerprints, Not in Ria’s. Home, which either way, wouldn’t that be kind of suspect? Because if Ria is her best friend, Mariette’s probably already probably always in her house. So there should be fingerprints in everywhere. So if there’s completely no fingerprints at the house, that’s already suspect, because what. And if Mariette’s fingerprints are not at the house, then that suspect too, because you’re her best friend, you’re always at her house, your fingerprints should be everywhere. And also, how is no fingerprints found on the gun? Because it, uh, was already established that Judith’s friend had the gun. Judith held the gun, Judith’s friend held the gun, Mariette did pick up the gun. So Mariette’s fingerprint should be on the gun. So, again, none of this is making sense. The judges came to their final decision, and they stated that Mariette had, quote, concocted an incredible and implausible story in an attempt to prove her innocence. And on December 13, 1999, declared Mariette Bosch guilty of murder. The judge asked her to speak before the sentencing, and Mariette responded, quote, I am not guilty. You are, my Lord, sentencing a woman for something she did not do. The judge said, okay. And delivered the death sentence in February of 2000, saying, quote, you will be returned to prison and there be hanged by the neck until you are dead. Damn. Your body will be buried in such a place as the state president may determine. That is harsh. Acton Judge President Timothy Aguda described her as, quote, a wicked and despicable woman. Damn. He noted that jealousy and infatuation had driven her to plan the murder over an extended period. Mariette was taken back to Garbarone Central Prison and placed in solitary confinement on death row to await her appeal. Although Marriott had been found guilty and given the death sentence, her husband Teeny and her family still maintained her innocence. They believe the Henny Angle, even though no evidence was actually found when they did the financial audit. So they did have somebody go out and do a financial audit, and they found literally no financial irregularities. There was nothing, no evidence saying that this was true. And the family still expected to win her freedom on appeal. According to capitalpunishmentuk.org’s, uh, provision put in place when Botswana became independent from Britain in 1966 that gave condemned prisoners the right of appeal to the Botswana Appeals Court, which comprises judges from England, Scotland, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. The members of the appeal court, which sits twice a year in January and July of each year, included Judge President Timothy Aguda, uh, from Nigeria, Sir John Blofeld from England, and Lord Weir from Scotland. And that’s to end out the quote from Capital Punishment UK. A panel of Commonwealth judges assembled in January of 2001 to hear Marriott’s appeal. British barrister Desmond De Silva, who saved 35 clients from execution, represented her. De Silva claimed that Botswana government withheld significant information during the trial about granting immunity to a suspect for testimony against Bosch.

The only possibility of Mariette Marriott being saved would be a pardon

The judges rejected these arguments. On January 30, 2001, the Nigerian judge stated that jealousy and infatuation had driven the murderer’s long term planning. So they rejected everything and her appeal was denied. And since this happened, the only possibility of Marriott now being saved would be a pardon from Botswana’s President Fetus Mogai. However, the President made his position clear during a London visit on March 29, stating I will not give her clemency. The Human Rights Organization’s Amnesty International’s Deputy Secretary General appealed, but that was unsuccessful as well. Initially, the government of South Africa also declined to intervene in her case. And it’s interesting to Note that from 1966 to until right before Mariette’s execution, 33 people had been executed in Botswana. Mariette spent her final days in a single cell with only a mattress and a bucket. They fed her the standard prison meal of tripe and morogo, which is known as South African spinach. And it’s a group of at least three different dark green leafy vegetables found throughout Southern Africa. And it’s actually considered a traditional South African dish, the morogo, and forms an important part of the staple diet in rural communities. But that’s what they gave her, tripe and morogo and she refused to eat it. And she ended up losing a significant amount of weight while she was in jail. And finally, contrary to what she’s used to wearing while she was on death row, she only wore a brown prison dress uniform. On March 30, 2001 prison official read Marriott’s death warrant. The execution took place at 6am on March 31, with a minister, prison doctor and officials present. Teeny tried to visit that Friday, but officials had turned him away, saying that the prison was going through an inspection. And the authorities also denied Marriott both final goodbyes and a special last meal. Mariette’s family and lawyers were given no advance notice of her execution. Actually, the day after her hanging happened, her family was driving to visit her and they learned about her being hung over the radio. Mariette’s execution drew media attention as the first white person and only the fourth woman to be hanged in Botswana since its independence. And this sparked controversy Chris Bishop, head of Botswana’s television news, resigned when the government blocked a documentary about the case from airing. He said, if the government wants to run BTV as a government information service, what is the point of having journalists work in here? And he peaced out and resigned. While the government said the reason why they blocked this documentary from coming out was concerns about potential lawsuits, media outlets continued their coverage through press and radio. Amnesty International criticized how quickly and secretly the execution happened. And Botswana’s human rights organization supported international groups in their criticism of the execution. South African President Thaba Mukebi actually had plans to petition for Marriott’s sentence reversal on April 2, 2001, and didn’t even know that she was already dead. If you remember, she had asked the government to step in, and the government actually said no. And their earlier choice not to step in went against its United Nations Commissions on Human Rights position, where it backed resolutions supporting an international pause on executions. So because of the heat that was put on him, that’s when the President started making an effort to try and step in, but it was already too late. Now, the reason why everybody was so shocked about how quickly she was executed was that Botswana usually waits nine months to several years between your sentencing phase and your execution. But in Mariette’s case, this was just. This was a record. This set a record in the judicial system in Botswana at the time, with just two months of wait time, they had never, ever heard of this happening so quickly. So that’s why everybody involved was so shocked at the quickness of it. And that’s why this drew international media attention.

Poll: Do you think Mariette Bosh was innocent or guilty

And that is the case of Mariette Bosh. What do you think about that case? Do you think she was innocent, but they went ahead and executed her anyway? Do you think that they executed her quickly because they knew she was innocent and they were just trying to make a political statement or something? I mean, personally, I think she was guilty because even though it was circumstantial, every piece of evidence pointed to her. The gun, um, the fact that Ria knew who was coming over, her maid, disputing that she was home, the swiftness in which she married Tinny. Like all of this, it just points to she did it. I can’t say definitely because there was no actual physical evidence. Everything is circumstantial. However, I’m just wondering why they went through the execution so quickly and why they didn’t tell anybody about the execution happening. That’s where my question lies. So let me know what you think. Do you think Mariette was innocent or guilty. And as usual, I’ll go ahead and put out a poll if Spotify will allow. I’ll put out the poll on Spotify, but if you don’t see it on Spotify, then it is definitely in the Patreon. Patreon.com forward/loveandmurder which you can answer it even if you are a free member. A free or paid member. Either way you can answer that poll. And also if you want to join my new newsletter on Substack, you can do that as well. And my newsletter comes out on Thursday, so the poll will be in there at that time. However, the poll is in the patreon right now. Patreon.com loveandmurder and all those links are in the show notes below. So I want to hear from you. Let me know if you’d heard about this case before. Let me know what you think about this episode. And if you want me to do a deep dive into another case, you could actually click on the case request link in the Chanel below and, uh, just let me know what case you want me to talk about.

This episode is running late so we’ll go back to the comments on Wednesday

So that is all I have for you today. I did plan on going back to reading your comments today, but because this episode is running late, I have to hurry up and edit it and get it out. So we’ll go back to the comments on Wednesday. Thanks for joining me. And as I end each full episode, I remind you that it’s say it with me now. All, uh, love and no murder, y’all. Bye.