The Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela has found suspected serial killer, Julius Mndawe, guilty of killing five young women between 2018 and 2019.
Mndawe was arrested after he was found in possession of a cellphone that belonged to one of the victims in 2019.
Mndawe was found guilty of five counts of murder and five counts of defeating the ends of justice. He pleaded guilty to all the charges against him earlier this week. But, he claimed the murders were not premeditated.
The state argued that he intended to kill the victims.
Mndawe says the victims died after he punched them, following altercations with each one of them, on different occasions.
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Acting Judge, Denise Greyling-Coetzer found that Mndawe planned the murders.
“The five murders show consistent cause of conduct. One, selection of the victims were young black women. All coming to him in his homestead about 20 kilometres from where the women reside. One result, death, and one method of disposal of the bodies, burial in a shallow grave in his property. I’m satisfied that the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from the totality of the evidence and the facts is that the accused premeditated these murders. Applying through and carrying out and ensuring that it is complete concealing his criminal acts.”
Some family members of the victims are happy with the court outcome. They are calling on the court to give Mndawe a sentence that will send a clear message to other murderers.
Family member says, “We don’t accept his apology. We won’t be able to forgive him for now because we are very hurt and we have lost our loved one. We are still pained even now.”
Mndawe’s case has been postponed to Monday for sentencing.
Serial killer Julius Mndawe found guilty of five counts of premeditated murder:
