Used victims' blood to write '666'SELF-PROCLAIMED devil worshipper Thulani Mkhentane will spend the rest of his life in jail for killing elderly Barkly East couple David de Villiers and his wife Rachel and attempting to kill their son.
Mkhentane, 23, smeared “666 devil on” in his victims’ blood on the walls of their remote farm home after repeatedly stabbing the defenceless couple, both aged 86, and trying to kill their 53-year-old disabled son, David junior.
Mkhentane stared unflinchingly at Judge Judith Roberson with his forehead creased in concentration as she sentenced him to two life terms in prison for the murders and a further 35 years for attempted murder and a raft of lesser crimes.
Mkhentane pleaded guilty to the October 2013 murders, the attempted murder of David junior, housebreaking and attempted robbery but not guilty to the theft that had taken place at the De Villiers’ Broadlands farmhouse in 2011 while they were away on holiday.
On that occasion he stole a pistol, alcohol and money and got the lay of the land for his next and fatal foray.
Mkhentane said he broke in because he wanted money. Armed with his okapi knife he entered the couple’s bedroom and demanded that De Villiers get out of bed and get him money.
“The old man said he could not get up as he was ill.”
He had then stabbed him repeatedly while the elderly man shouted for help.
When David junior ran into the room, Mkhentane stabbed him repeatedly in the neck until he fell to the floor. Rachel had been unable to find the keys to the safe so he stabbed her in the throat and in the heart before “cutting her eyes”.
“After I stabbed them I wrote the numbers 666 on the wall with their blood with my finger. The reason for that I was making an indication that I worship the devil,” he said.
While he was smashing and destroying everything in sight David junior managed to phone his sister Dr Christine Olivier before Mkhentane grabbed the phone and smashed it to the floor.
Some time later Olivier arrived and he fled the scene.
Judge Roberson described his crimes as truly horrific, brutal and sadistic. He had cut the jugular vein of both father and son and inflicted numerous other wounds. Rachel was left with knives sticking out of her throat and chest.
Roberson said the “666” on the wall was also indicative of extreme sadism.
His victims had no way to escape their terrible fate. She said without the swift and courageous action of Olivier David junior would have died too.
The level of violent crime in South Africa was frustratingly high and cases like this illustrated how some regarded life as cheap.
“How many families in this country have suffered such loss? Too many to count.” She said crime was a disease in South Africa. “People are not safe in our own homes and live like prisoners to avoid becoming victims.”
Although Mkhentane had apologised to the family from the dock, Roberson found this was “mere lip service” and the gratuitous, brutal and sadistic nature of the murders committed on two old, defenceless people completely displaced his professed remorse.
The family had also rejected the apology.
“The nature of the murders speak to a cruelty and complete lack of feeling for fellow human beings.”
She said the only appropriate sentence for the brutal murders was life imprisonment.
Senior state advocate Dale Robinson, who prosecuted the case, said he had worked as a prosecutor for more than two decades and this was one of the most brutal he had ever dealt with.
Legal Aid attorney Templeton Solani defended Mkhentane.
Satanist jailed for brutal orgy
SELF-PROCLAIMED devil worshipper Thulani Mkhentane will spend the rest of his life in jail for killing elderly Barkly East couple David de Villiers and his wife Rachel and attempting to kill their son.
Mkhentane, 23, smeared “666 devil on” in his victims’ blood on the walls of their remote farm home after repeatedly stabbing the defenceless couple, both aged 86, and trying to kill their 53-year-old disabled son, David junior.
Mkhentane stared unflinchingly at Judge Judith Roberson with his forehead creased in concentration as she sentenced him to two life terms in prison for the murders and a further 35 years for attempted murder and a raft of lesser crimes.
Mkhentane pleaded guilty to the October 2013 murders, the attempted murder of David junior, housebreaking and attempted robbery but not guilty to the theft that had taken place at the De Villiers’ Broadlands farmhouse in 2011 while they were away on holiday.
On that occasion he stole a pistol, alcohol and money and got the lay of the land for his next and fatal foray.
Mkhentane said he broke in because he wanted money. Armed with his okapi knife he entered the couple’s bedroom and demanded that De Villiers get out of bed and get him money.
“The old man said he could not get up as he was ill.”
He had then stabbed him repeatedly while the elderly man shouted for help.
When David junior ran into the room, Mkhentane stabbed him repeatedly in the neck until he fell to the floor. Rachel had been unable to find the keys to the safe so he stabbed her in the throat and in the heart before “cutting her eyes”.
“After I stabbed them I wrote the numbers 666 on the wall with their blood with my finger. The reason for that I was making an indication that I worship the devil,” he said.
While he was smashing and destroying everything in sight David junior managed to phone his sister Dr Christine Olivier before Mkhentane grabbed the phone and smashed it to the floor.
Some time later Olivier arrived and he fled the scene.
Judge Roberson described his crimes as truly horrific, brutal and sadistic. He had cut the jugular vein of both father and son and inflicted numerous other wounds. Rachel was left with knives sticking out of her throat and chest.
Roberson said the “666” on the wall was also indicative of extreme sadism.
His victims had no way to escape their terrible fate. She said without the swift and courageous action of Olivier David junior would have died too.
The level of violent crime in South Africa was frustratingly high and cases like this illustrated how some regarded life as cheap.
“How many families in this country have suffered such loss? Too many to count.” She said crime was a disease in South Africa. “People are not safe in our own homes and live like prisoners to avoid becoming victims.”
Although Mkhentane had apologised to the family from the dock, Roberson found this was “mere lip service” and the gratuitous, brutal and sadistic nature of the murders committed on two old, defenceless people completely displaced his professed remorse.
The family had also rejected the apology.
“The nature of the murders speak to a cruelty and complete lack of feeling for fellow human beings.”
She said the only appropriate sentence for the brutal murders was life imprisonment.
Senior state advocate Dale Robinson, who prosecuted the case, said he had worked as a prosecutor for more than two decades and this was one of the most brutal he had ever dealt with.
Legal Aid attorney Templeton Solani defended Mkhentane.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos