Wellington serial rapist and murderer handed eight life sentences

A serial rapist and murderer who targeted desperate young women promising them job opportunities only for them to be found buried in shallow graves has been sentenced to eight life sentences and an additional 60 years.

Johan Jacobus Williams was sentenced in the Cape Town high court on Thursday following his spate of brutal gender-based violence and femicide between 2012 and 2018 in Wellington.  

National Prosecuting Authority's regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Williams lied to the young women's families, making them believe that they were still alive by sending messages from their cellphones.

“He also lied to some of the mothers, saying that he had seen their daughters and were staying at certain areas while he knew this was not the case,” he said.

Williams was convicted on February 19 on 19 charges which include six counts of kidnapping, five counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, three counts of murder, and a count of housebreaking with intent to commit arson and arson.

He was also convicted of a count of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and failure to comply with a protection order.

According to Ntabazalila, the 52-year-old man’s reign of terror between 2012 and 2018 in Wellington saw him kidnapping and murdering Natalie Jonkers, Maria Isaacs, and Chantelle Matthyssen who he also raped.

He treated his victims with violence, indignity and preyed on their trusting nature and desperation for money.Deputy director of public prosecutions, advocate Maria Marshall

He also kidnapped his ex-girlfriend and her two minor children and repeatedly raped her. He contravened the protection order his ex-girlfriend took against him. He also terrorised families of his victims by damaging or burning their properties.”

Ntabazalila said Williams had pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence throughout the trial despite pointing out to the police the area where he buried the bodies of his victims.

“He argued that it was a coincidence that all three women were last seen in his company, and he did not understand how he was convicted on the charges the state preferred against him.”

During trial, deputy director of public prosecutions, advocate Maria Marshall described Williams as a serial murderer and rapist who showed no remorse and emotions, and in fact taunted his victims and their families, Ntabazalila said.

“She further described him as a danger to society and asked that the court must send a strong message that gender-based violence and femicide that is a scourge in our society will not be tolerated and the quality, dignity and freedom of all women must be protected. He treated his victims with violence, indignity and preyed on their trusting nature and desperation for money.”

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