Pretoria John Doe was a man found murdered in Pretoria, South Africa on 23 July 2005. A serial killer named Themba Vilkazi AKA The Railway Killer was convicted of killing him.
Case[]
The victim was found beside the train tracks at the Belle Ombre Plaza. He died from 54 stab wounds to the chest, back, and arm. His clothes, except for his shoes, were found strewn at the scene, but there were no stab wounds through them. Next to the body was the phrase "7 left," written in red on a sleeper. At the time, detectives were not sure if this clue was related to the case.
In the winter of 2013, Themba Vilkazi was arrested and charged with the victim's murder, as well as the 2005 murders of Michael Mokaba and Raipela Aaron Masango and a 2012 rape after DNA evidence connected him to the crimes. Vilkazi confessed to the crimes and stated that he came across the victim while jogging and that the "7 left" phrase was an indication he planned to kill seven more people. He also claimed he was motivated by Satanism, although authorities believed he was lying and that the murders were sexually motivated. Regardless of the motive, Vilkazi pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment for Masango's murder and 18 years each for the unknown man's and Mokaba's murders. He remains a suspect in two other murders.
Sources[]
- IOL
- Themba Vilakazi on Wikipedia