The Krugersdorp killings explained
The remaining members of the so called “Krugersdorp Killers” were found guilty of 32 counts between them including murder, fraud, racketeering, and robbery by the Gauteng High Court in canada goose outlet store uk Johannesburg on Monday.
The group which called themselves Electus per Deus (Chosen by God) murdered 11 cheap canada goose sale people between 2012 and canada goose jacket outlet store 2016.
Marcel’s elder brother Le Roux Steyn was also a part of the group, but entered into a plea bargain with the State in May last year. He was found guilty of seven murders and sentenced to 35 years for each of them. Ten years of his sentence were suspended on condition that he testified at the trial.
canada goose coats on sale Another member of the group, John Barnard, is serving 20 years after he was sentenced in 2016. canada goose coats on sale
Valentine, his wife Mikeila and Marinda canada goose trillium parka uk Steyn also joined the group.
Canada Goose Outlet Soon the relationship between Cecilia and the leader of OTC, Ria Grunewald, soured and Cecilia became less involved in OTC. Canada Goose Outlet
Along with the Valentines and Marinda, Electus per Deus was formed, and together they launched a series of attacks against members of OTC.
On July 2, 2012, they placed home made bombs under the cars of people attending an OTC course, but were nearly spotted and fled before they could ignite the explosives.
Later that month, the group started a fire and damaged windows at the Lighthouse Christian Centre in Randburg.
A note written by Cecilia was placed on the gate of the centre, which said: “Ria, who is going to protect you now?”
In July and August, various threats were sent by SMS to OTC members and https://www.thebookstop.biz other people associated with Grunewald.
On July 11 that year, Cecilia and her accomplices successfully set off explosives near cars at an OTC meeting.
The first murders
uk canada goose As Cecilia became more obsessed canada goose outlet woodbury with executing revenge on Grunewald, she falsely accused Natacha Burger an active member of OTC of praying the so called “danger prayer” that led to the death of various young children. uk canada goose
She then convinced the Valentines to kill Burger. So, on July 26, 2012, the Valentines entered the home of Joy Boonzaier, a close friend of Burger, and made her write a note asking Burger to come to her Wierdapark flat when she returned from work.
canada goose uk outlet When Burger arrived, the Valentines stabbed her and Boonzaier to death. canada goose uk outlet
The next victim was Reginald John Edwin Bendixon, a semi retired pastor and a long time friend of Grunewald. He occasionally presented lectures at OTC.
Grunewald regarded Bendixon as her mentor, and Cecilia, once again vengeful following the disintegration of her and Grunewald’s relationship, began planning to have him killed.
Canada Goose sale On August 13, 2012, Zak Valentine and Marinda Steyn, disguised as police officers, entered Bendixon’s home and attacked him with a hand axe. He died after being stabbed multiple times. Marinda Steyn would later, in court, describe her first murder as “exciting” and an “adrenaline rush”. Canada Goose sale
buy canada goose jacket cheap At this point, Mikeila Valentine had canada goose outlet montreal address become disillusioned with the group’s activities and wanted out. Now a liability, her husband Zak and Cecilia decided to kill her. buy canada goose jacket cheap
Zak Valentine made sure he had an alibi by going to work on the day of the murder on October 4, 2012. Before leaving the house, he put some kind of tranquilliser in Mikeila’s coffee. He had given Marinda a set of house keys and a gate remote. cheap canada goose That Thursday morning, Marinda and her daughter, Marcel, who was 14 at the time, killed Mikeila by smashing her skull with a blunt object and stabbing her several times as she lay on her bed. She was 25.
Cecilia then planned to have Ria’s son, Joshua Grunewald, murdered, but the three men she tasked with the killing never carried it out.
canada goose clearance sale Running out of money canada goose clearance sale
canada goose After being dormant for a while, Electus per Deus started running out of money. Zak Valentine had already contributed R2m of his own money, but had quit his job and started his own venture, borrowing money from his parents cheap canada goose and in laws canada goose.
