Cape Town - Tears of joy flowed in the Western Cape High Court yesterday, as the notorious “Boland killer” was slapped with a collective sentence of 260 years for the rape and murder of three women.
After years of delays, Johan Williams, 52, was finally sentenced yesterday on charges which include murder, rape, kidnapping and assault.
The father of nine was dubbed the “Boland killer” after it was found that he lured women to a farm in Wellington under false pretences and later murdered them.
He was thrust into the spotlight in July 2018, when he was arrested for the murder of missing Kuils River mother, Chantell Mathyssen.
The 21-year-old’s body was found on Aubon Rue Farm just weeks after she was lured to Wellington by Williams who had promised her a job. During the trial, his former girlfriend testified against him and told the court about the text messages between him and another victim, Maria Isaacs, 33.
According to the State’s case, Isaacs was taken by her cousin, Magdalena, to meet with Williams on June 16, 2018, at the Wellington police station.
Isaacs then allegedly left with Williams and her family never heard from her again. In July 2018, Isaacs’s body was also discovered on Aubon Rue Farm, while her personal belongings were found in Williams’s possession. She had been strangled to death.
Mathyssen went missing during the same time Isaacs disappeared.
During her judgment yesterday, Judge Rosheni Allie lambasted Williams for his torment of the grieving families throughout the trial.
She highlighted the additional trauma caused to Mathyssen’s mother, Carol Petersen, during the search for her daughter, saying Williams sent messages from his victim’s phone to give the family false hope.
“In those messages, he cruelly led Mrs Petersen to believe that Chantell was alive and well at her place of employment when all the while he knew he violently raped her, murdered her, and buried her body on a farm covered by bush and branches.”
The judge said Williams was nothing short of a serial rapist, murderer and abuser of women.
“The accused treated women as objects that he could dominate and do with as he pleased and he wasn’t shy to boast about his sexual prowess with the women he eventually murdered.”
Williams received eight life sentences for each rape and murder, six years for each kidnapping, and four years for house breaking and arson.
Collectively he received a 260-year sentence but it is understood the sentences will run concurrently and he will serve a total of 25 years in prison.
Outside court the families agreed they were happy with the outcome.
Cape Argus