Moses Sithole

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Moses Sithole (born September 17, 1964 in Vosloorus ) is a South African serial killer who committed the "ABC murders". The name ABC murders came about because the murders began in Atteridgeville , then continued in Boksburg , and eventually ended in Cleveland, a suburb of Johannesburg .

Childhood and youth

Moses Sithole was born as the fourth child of Sophie and Simon Sithole on September 17, 1964 in Vosloorus. He claims he was molested by his mother and stepsister during his childhood. After the death of Sithole's father, the family broke up and Sophie Sithole took her children to orphanages. Describing his time in the orphanage, Moses said: “The treatment was bad, very bad. You had to be strong to survive. ” When he was eight, he fled the orphanage and went back to his mother. But she didn't want to accept him again and sent him back. Three years later he came to a new home in Natal , from which he fled again. He hitchhiked 300 kilometers back to his homeland and stayed with his brother Patrick. He did small jobs and started boxing. Sithole was quite popular with women because of its charm. However, he could also quickly become angry and violent, especially when sexually rejected by women.

Rapes

In 1987 he raped his girlfriend's sister. She did not file a report with the police, fearing he might kill her. He threatened his third rape victim that she would be doused with gasoline and set on fire if she didn't do what he said. He abused her and threatened to kill her if she went to the police. More attacks followed. His victims were all black women who came to the city to find work.

In February 1989, Sithole met Doris Swakamisa. He gave her the prospect of a well-paying job and thus lured her out of town. He threatened her with a knife, handcuffed her hands with her underwear, and raped her. A month later, she recognized her tormentor in Johannesburg and called the police, who arrested him.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison for the rapes. In prison he was attacked several times by fellow prisoners. During visiting hours he got to know his future wife Martha, the sister of a fellow prisoner. In November 1993 he was fired for good conduct and moved in with Martha. Sithole worked as a mechanic with her brother.

The murders

Moses finished his job as a mechanic. Every morning he would go out pretending to be looking for work, which is why he was always well dressed. He also had a newspaper with him with a knife rolled into it. He was again looking for black rural women looking for work in the city. In July 1994, he met 19-year-old Mary in Pretoria and flattered her and her family. After gaining her trust, he lured her out of town with a promise of a job and strangled her. By July 1995, 18 more murders had followed the same modus operandi .

In August 1995 he met Tryphina Makutsi. The single mother worked in a laundry and was the sole breadwinner for her family. Moses promised her a high salary job. A few days later, the two met at a train station to go to their new job together. He killed her in a field outside Johannesburg. Tryphina's body was discovered by a group of hunters a month later. Ten more bodies were recovered during the investigation of the site. Homicide investigators interviewed Tryphina's work colleagues and family members who said she had met a man named Moses Sithole. Sithole was finally identified through the photos of his first arrest.

Arrest and verdict

Beginning October 2, Sithole made regular phone calls to The Star newspaper and confessed to as yet unknown murder cases. Moses also contacted his brother Maxwell and asked if he could arrange a firearm. Maxwell said yes and wanted to meet him at his place of work. Then he informed the police. Plainclothes police surrounded the meeting point to arrest Sithole. But he recognized the trap and fled on foot. Sithole was shot twice during the persecution and one fight. The police hit him in the leg and abdomen.

On October 21, 1997, Moses Sithole was charged with 38 murders, 40 rapes and 6 robberies and sentenced on December 5, 1997 to 2,410 years in prison. It is the highest sentence ever imposed by a South African court on a single defendant.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Sithole, Moses
BRIEF DESCRIPTION South African serial killer
DATE OF BIRTH 17th September 1964
PLACE OF BIRTH Vosloorus , South Africa