Her Myspace page, Tumi’s Myspace last logged on the day she was murdered. Beautiful and promising Boitumelo "Tumi" McCallum was found murdered due to strangulation, in her mother’s apartment in Greenwich Village in New York. Her ex-boyfriend, who she still remained involved with, admitted to murdering her after being chased down by police and corned at a supermarket. Michael Cordero 23, was found by some relatives with his wrists slit, attempting suicide. When he was taken to the hospital it was there that he admitted to killing Tumi. Michael said that he didn’t want to live because he killed the love of his life.
Details and Timeline:
August 1st, 2007- Tumi throws a party in her apartment, of which she does not invite Michael Cordero
August 2nd, 2007 – Michael goes to visit Tumi at her apartment. They layed in the bed, watch a movie he brought. Michael had an attitude and Tumi asked him what was the matter and Michael accused Tumi of sleeping with another man while at the party. She never admitted to any of the accusations but he feels as though he knew her and she did. When Tumi, kept asking him about his mood he claims he “snapped and lost it.” He began beating her in the face and strangling her, she was still alive so he wrapped a towel around her face and continued the strangulation. He was seen in the kitchen by a neighbor washing his hands; it was then assumed that was after he killed her. He wrapped her body up in a sheet and left her on the floor in between the bed and the wall. He left the television on in her room, closed and locked her door from the inside.
August 5th, 2007 – A couple subletting another room in the apartment reported a foul smell coming from her room and called the superintendent. The police was called because her door was locked, they arrived around 10p.m. When the police arrived they found her room littered with condoms and beer bottles.
August 6th, 2007 - Michael is arrested for the admitted murder of Tumi. The last time he logs in to Myspace, and claims the emotion “restless.”
Paul Rocco, 27 an ex boyfriend of Tumi's said she spent the night with Tumi and left just hours before she was killed. They did not sleep together, but just cuddled all night. He feels that maybe Tumi and Michael's argument might have had something to do with him being the last to be with her alive. Nonetheless, he hopes Michael rots in hell!
Tumi, was the daughter of two college professors. She was a sophomore at Mills College in Oakland, California. She was in NY for the summer working with children teaching them art. Her mother, Teboho Moja was in South Africa at the time of Tumi’s death and is one of South Africa's leading anti-apartheid activists. Her father, Robert McCallum, an art education professor at NYU, just recently newly married just days before Tumi’s murder.
Tumi was a very sweet and loving young woman, only 20 years old at the time of her death. She came from a different place than Michael. Who was somewhat of a rebel. She came from a good educated background, while Michael had been in trouble with the law and had no real goals. Opposites definitely attracted in their situation. They both met while in high school, although Michael later switched to a different high school, they remained back and forth with their rocky relationship. It was said by many of Tumi’s friends that he was physically abusive and extremely jealous and obsessive. They sometimes would see bruises on Tumi. They would advise Tumi, that she should leave him alone but she never did completely. According to Michael’s sister’s boyfriend, Michael and Tumi both felt they would always be forever.
Tumi’s mother said that they always kept in touch even thousands of miles away, through text messaging. She said she would always text her “goodnight, sweetie pie” and for some reason six months ago she started calling “her angel.” Indeed she is!
Mills College has set a memorial scholarship fund in the name of Tumi. Click the link for more details of interest. Mills College Memorial Scholarship Fund
August 10th, 2007 - Assistant District Attorney Martha Bashford arraigned Cordero on second-degree murder and three counts of petit larceny. The have a detailed written and videotaped confession but Michael’s attorney Eric Sears says that he will likely challenge those confessions because of Cordero's medical condition after the suicide attempt.
August 16th, 2007 - Funeral in South Africa for Tumi. "I'm hoping that in the midst of this tragedy, the family will be able to say, 'We were blessed with this lovely daughter,'" Franklin McCallum(Tumi's father) said. "Although we lost her in the prime of her life, we're grateful we had her."Her ashes will remain in South Africa, where she was born and spent the first years of her life in Johannesburg's famed Soweto township.
"It's obviously very difficult, but we are forging on," said Khabelo Moja, Boitumelo McCallum's brother. "We're doing all right, as well as can be under the circumstances."
Where Michael Cordero is located
Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward
Address:1st Avenue and 27th Street,New York, N.Y.10016
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