Despite airing more than 20 years ago, the horrific stories illustrated in this gripping docuseries will never be forgotten and still make for intriguing viewing.
Not to be confused with the American procedural drama which started airing in 2005, Criminal Minds SA takes a closer, more detailed look at a set of crimes that shocked South Africa and dominated news headlines during the time they were committed and investigated. The series covers some of the most notorious South African crimes and gives viewers insight into the people who committed these heinous acts.
Two of the high-profile cases include:
The Norwood rapist and serial killer
In the early ‘90s, Kobus Geldenhuys killed five women, raping two of them. These crimes brought on a state of utter fear in the Johannesburg suburb of Norwood, so much so that women were rapidly moving out of the area. Former investigative reporter, Janine Lazarus, worked closely with investigators to catch this killer and did so successfully.
After Geldenhuys was sentenced to death, Lazarus wrote a book about the details of the case, including the failings of police at the time and her interactions with the killer, who lived only 2.5km away from her home during the time of the murders. During these conversations, she found out that the killer knew exactly who she was: “He greeted me by name, he knew where I lived, he knew what car I drove...and certainly I fit his kill profile.”
The Station Strangler
Norman Avzal Simons is suspected of having killed as many as 22 boys between the ages of 9 and 13, from 1986 to 1994. His moniker stems from the fact that most of his victims were lured away from train stations. From there, his victims were sexually assaulted, strangled, and placed in shallow graves. Many were also found with hand-written notes next to their bodies. Despite these severe allegations, Simons was only convicted of one murder due to lack of evidence and sentenced to life in prison. To this day, families of the victims are looking for answers and a more detailed confession from Simons.
Other shocking crimes covered in this series include a series of robberies by the infamous Blue Light Gang that turned violent, the coincidental discovery of a body of a Dutch man in a suitcase, the senseless murder of a mother and daughter out fishing, a fake doctor who cost several individuals their lives, and more.
Criminal Minds SA is the perfect addition to any crime watch list, providing true crime fans with a dose of hard-hitting stories that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
You can watch the first three episodes of the iconic South African docuseries here.
