Nashville Julius, Geraldo Parsons, Eben Van Niekerk, Vernon Witbooi
Deaths
1 (Hannah Cornelius)
Non-fatal injuries
1 (Cheslin Marsh)
Charges
Murder, kidnapping, rape, robbery
Trial
Cape Town high court
Verdict
Guilty
Sentence
Combined 358 years (three out of four facing life sentences)
Hannah Cornelius was a 21-year-old South African Stellenbosch University student. Hannah, along with her friend Cheslin Marsh, were abducted by a gang in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in May 2017, with Cornelius being viciously gang raped and murdered.[2] Her body was found by two borehole pump technicians.[3]
In the early hours of May 27, 2017, Hannah Cornelius had offered Cheslin Marsh a ride home after a night out with friends. While the pair were parked outside Marsh's residence, they were ambushed by four men. CCTV footage captured the moment the gang encircled their vehicle. Armed with weapons, they forced Cheslin into the backseat and then the trunk, while Hannah was restrained between the two front seats.[4][3]
The attackers drove the car to a petrol station, attempting to withdraw money using Cheslin's card. When they were given an incorrect PIN, the gang drove to a remote area. There, Cheslin was attacked with bricks and left, believed to be dead. He survived, albeit with significant injuries.[4]
The men afterwards drove with Hannah, pressuring her to consume crystal meth and cannabis with them. She was then taken to a closed paintball park and repeatedly raped over several hours by the gang and another alleged perpetrator who was not later apprehended. Near dawn, they took her to Knorhoek farm road next to a vineyard. Prosecutors at trial allege the accused intended to further rape Cornelius at the vineyard. Reports from the trial indicated that the men had initially planned to release her until she began to resist.[5] She was then hauled from the trunk of the vehicle, beaten, stabbed in the neck, and fatally injured when a large 82-pound rock (which had been used to cover a borehole) was lifted and dropped on Cornelius' head twice as she was held down.[4][6][7][8]
Following the murder, the gang pursued further crimes, targeting a woman in Kraaifontein before eventually being apprehended after a police chase upon being spotted in Hannah's car.
The attackers were identified as Vernon Witbooi, 33, Geraldo Parsons, 27, Nashville Julius, 29, and Eben Van Nieberk, 28. Although three of them admitted to being present during the crime, they denied their involvement in the rape and murder.[4][6]
Aftermath
The four perpetrators were tried and sentenced in 2018, with a combined prison term of 358 years. Three of the four received life sentences.[2]
The tragedy had profound effects on Hannah's family. Anna Cornelius, Hannah's mother, died in a swimming accident a year after her daughter's death. While her death was ruled as an accident, Hannah's father, Willem Cornelius, remarked that Anna might not have had the physical or mental strength to cope with the loss of their daughter.[9][2][7][10]
To commemorate Hannah and channel their grief, Willem and Anna established the Hannah Cornelius Foundation, aiming to help local children access education and escape community violence.[2]
Willem Cornelius was diagnosed with cancer roughly three months after his daughter's death. He succumbed to the illness on December 9, 2022.[11]
The events leading up to Hannah's death were covered in a documentary released five years after the incident, shedding light on the tragedy.[2][12]
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