Cape Town - The trial of the alleged “Boland serial killer” accused of killing three women is set to commence in the Western Cape High Court on May 23 following numerous postponements.
Johan Williams has made several appearances in court over the past few weeks, and is facing 20 counts of murder, rape, attempted rape, kidnapping, assault, housebreaking with intent to commit arson and failure to comply with a protection order.
It is alleged that Williams kidnapped, raped and murdered several women during the period between July 2012 and July 2018 by luring them to Wellington for job opportunities.
Most recently he has been accused of the murder of 21-year-old Kuils River woman Chantell Mathyssen, whose body was found at Abenrau farm in Wellington on July 2, 2018.
According to the State, Matthyssen was last seen by her family before she visited Williams for a prospective job opportunity on June 23, 2018.
Williams had befriended Matthyssen in 2016 and was supposed to help her obtain employment as a packer at a wine farm, but when she failed to contact her family after her intended arrival, they became worried. Williams was arrested shortly after he apparently led the police to Matthyssen’s body.
It is the State’s case that Williams used the same methods to lure two other women, 33-year-old Maria Isaacs and 35-year-old Natalie Jonkers. Both their remains were discovered on the same farm within days of the discovery of Matthyssen’s body.
Both Isaacs and Matthyssen had suffered the same fate, having been raped before they were strangled to death. The cause of death for Jonkers could not be determined because she had gone missing two years earlier.
Williams also faces multiple criminal charges for sustained abuse alleged by a single complainant, and a minor who cannot be named.