Cape Town - The man who brutally murdered 32-year-old Lynette Volschenk in 2019 was referred for psychiatric evaluation by the Cape High Court on Wednesday.
Kyle Ruiters was convicted on charges of premeditated murder, violating a corpse, and attempting to defeat the administration of justice.
In his plea of guilty, Ruiters told the court he was an extensive drug user and owed his dealer R30 000.
He had threatened him with severe consequences if he did not pay.
He formulated a plan to murder someone to take their valuable items to pay to settle the debt.
He initially researched various possible victims, taking notes, and making videos of their movements to and from their residence, their places of work, and any incidental places they frequented.
He also tracked their social media activities.
He did the same with Volschenk and made notes of his intention to kill her.
He even drafted a message for her family and friends in case they came looking for her, but he did not post the message but kept it on his phone.
On the afternoon of August 21, 2019, he watched her walk to her flat which was above his own, waited for her as she opened her flat, and followed her inside.
He, without provocation, grabbed a knife that was on the counter and stabbed her several times in the neck and body.
She screamed, resisted the attack, and sustained defensive wounds on her hands and upper forearms as a result.
She stopped moving and he realised that she was dead.
He decided to dismember her body to dispose of her body.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in an earlier psychiatric report following an order of the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on December 1, 2022, Ruiters told psychiatrists he was fascinated by serial killers.
He said in the report that he researched the topic extensively. Among others, he researched Ted Bundy, but was most fascinated with the Zodiac Killer, who has never been caught.
He also researched the dismemberment of bodies.
Eric Ntabazalila, NPA regional communications manager, explained: “He used a hand-held saw he found in the flat to dismember her body.
“He dragged the body to various parts of the flat as he carried out the gruesome task.
“It proved difficult and abandoned it on the evening of August 21, 2019.
“He went to his flat, changed his clothes, and went to sleep.”
He said the State has now asked the court to refer Ruiters to Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital for a 30-day observation after an initial report from the same institution declared he has definite psychopathic traits.
And if convicted, the court should be advised he could be declared a danger to the physical and mental well-being of others as envisaged in section 286A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
“The prosecutor, deputy director advocate Louise Friester, says the court must, after receiving the report, be satisfied that Ruiters represents a danger to the physical or mental well-being of other persons and that the community must be protected against him before imposing an appropriate sentence,” added the NPA.
“Once he is declared a dangerous criminal, he will spend an indefinite period in prison with his condition assessed after a period to determine his state of mind and whether he is still a danger to society.”
Judge Robert Henny postponed the matter to June 9, and he informed the accused that he will be detained in prison until a place is available at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital.