Casper Kruger

Case details

Casper Kruger was a serial killer who was held on a hijacking charge and was later identified as one of South Africa’s most wanted serial killers. He held four police officers and several prisoners hostage at the Pinetown Police Station. After failed negotiations, a police sharpshooter killed him instantly with a single shot during the hostage drama and shootout at the cells.

Kruger had previously been on death row. His death sentence was commuted to three life imprisonment terms and 22 years after South Africa’s new constitution was introduced.

Kruger died after being shot by a police sniper during the hostage drama at the Pinetown police cells on April 9, 2006. In the ensuing shootout, Inspector Eric Maphri was seriously injured by wounds to his chest and Captain Karen Middleborough was wounded in the hand.

Timeline

• November 1991 — Kruger was arrested for the murders of pharmacist Adriaan Combrink, telephone operator Johannes Loggienberg and bank manager Johannes Kruger.
• 1992 — Kruger was found guilty along with accomplices Petrus Nieuwenhuis and Philip van der Merwe, and he received three death sentences and 33 years imprisonment.
• May 1997 — Kruger escaped from Pretoria Central with notorious suitcase killer Jano Nortje; he was given an additional eight years.
• March 8 — Kruger was arrested for hijacking after giving his name as Jacques du Plessis.
• April 9, 2006 — Kruger held four police officers and several prisoners hostage at the Pinetown Police Station; after failed negotiations he was shot dead by police snipers/sharpshooter.
• April 13, 2006 — Reporting described Kruger being felled by a shot from a police sniper during the hostage drama at Pinetown police cells.
• April 20, 2006 — Two Pinetown policemen and a Highway Mail employee were arrested for alleged involvement in the hostage drama when Kruger was shot dead by police snipers.
• May 18, 2006 — Evidence at a bail application described vodka used as a bribe to smuggle a cellphone and gun to Kruger.

The offence

Kruger had been arrested for hijacking but was described as a triple murderer on the run. He was linked to the murders of three men: pharmacist Adriaan Combrink, telephone operator Johannes Loggienberg and bank manager Johannes Kruger. The three men were described as gay.

Kruger and Philip van der Merwe targeted gay men at the Botanical Gardens in Emmarentia, Johannesburg. They beat their victims up, extracted cheques, bank pin numbers and cash before killing them. The proceeds were used to buy large quantities of liquor and hire women from escort agencies.

During the hostage drama at the Pinetown Police Station, Kruger was armed with a firearm after a gun was smuggled into his cell.

Investigation

In the lead-up to the hostage drama, fingerprints had been sent for analysis after Kruger’s arrest, with a six- to eight-week wait described for results. It was not known when police became aware that the man in custody was not “Jacques du Plessis” arrested for hijacking.

A police captain became suspicious and ordered a search of his cell. The search led to the confrontation where four officers were confronted by Kruger, who was armed with a firearm.

Police spokesperson Director Bala Naidoo said investigations were under way as to how a gun was smuggled into the cells. He also said, “We would be interested in speaking to her (Kruger’s girlfriend), but we cannot start jumping to conclusions,” and later declined to be drawn on Kruger, citing that investigations were at a sensitive stage.

Arrest and custody

Kruger was arrested in November 1991 for the murders of Adriaan Combrink, Johannes Loggienberg and Johannes Kruger.

He was arrested on March 8 for hijacking when he gave his name as Jacques du Plessis.

Kruger had a history of escape attempts. His first escape attempt was from the holding cells of the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court while he was awaiting trail, when a blade was smuggled into the cells and he sawed his way out. He and notorious suitcase killer Jano Nortje escaped from Pretoria Central in May 1997, and he was given an additional eight years. He also escaped again from a clinic where he had been taken after complaining of illness.

Kruger had apparently met a woman at Knowles Spar, Pinetown, for the purpose of doing a “business deal”. The woman and Kruger travelled to a venue in Otto Volek Road in Pinetown. Kruger took out a gun, tied her up and put her in the boot of his car, but she managed to untie herself and escape before alerting police.

Hostage drama and death

The hostage drama occurred in the Pinetown police cells, and Kruger held four police officers and several prisoners hostage. Earlier in the day, a food parcel was delivered to Kruger.

A woman, believed to be his girlfriend, had been seen several times in a silver car with two other men. She was described as having approached the two policemen asking if she could visit Kruger after visiting hours. She bought alcohol that included vodka, and she visited him in his cell after visiting hours and without being searched.

During the negotiations with Kruger, sharpshooters were called in. After negotiations failed, a single shot to the mouth killed him instantly. He was felled by a shot from a police sniper.

After Kruger’s death, it only emerged that he had been one of South Africa’s most wanted serial killers.

Trial

Kruger and accomplices Petrus Nieuwenhuis and Philip van der Merwe were found guilty in 1992. Kruger received three death sentences and 33 years imprisonment.

Nieuwenhuis only participated in one of the killings and turned State witness against Kruger and Van der Merwe.

Kruger’s death sentence was commuted to three life imprisonment terms and 22 years.

Appeals

No appeal details beyond commutation were included.

Sentencing

Kruger received three death sentences and 33 years imprisonment after being found guilty in 1992. His death sentence was commuted to three life imprisonment terms and 22 years.

At the time of the hostage drama, Kruger had also previously been on death row and had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment.

Aftermath

Two Pinetown policemen and a Highway Mail employee were arrested on Wednesday afternoon for their alleged involvement in the hostage drama. Inspector Maxwell Khumalo and Inspector Welcome Ntethu faced charges of corruption, defeating the ends of justice and aiding and abetting. Robbie van Alphen, who worked in the Highway Mail marketing department, faced charges of aiding and abetting.

They were arrested by the Provincial Head of the Serious and Violent Crime Unit, Director Johan Booysen. They appeared briefly in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday afternoon. Van Alphen was granted bail of R2 000, while prosecutor Pareen Vahed said the state intended to oppose bail in respect of Khumalo and Nthethu. They were remanded in custody until May 2.

In testimony during a bail application at the Pinetown magistrate’s court, the investigating officer Inspector Peter George described evidence that Kruger had been arrested for robbery and kidnapping and had been held at the Pinetown cells pending bail. George said Kruger was not known by that name until after his death.

George testified that the girlfriend, identified only as the “complainant” and who had turned state witness, asked if she could visit him after visiting hours and that it was agreed she would buy vodka for the policemen. George said the girlfriend had visited Kruger in his cell after visiting hours and without being searched, made several such visits, and on one occasion had left a bag containing the gun and cellphone at the police station. George alleged that Kruger had made several appearances in F court with the gun.

Inspector Peter George said, “She was the architect of this crime and yet the police just accept her word and she is not prosecuted,” Siven Samuels said, during cross-examination.

George conceded under cross-examination that he was “unsure” if the policemen had even known there was a gun in the bag, and that he was “unsure” if the policemen had even known there was a gun in it.

George insisted that Kruger had had the gun since March. Both policemen said they would plead not guilty to the charges.

A further bail application was reported involving two more Pinetown policemen facing similar corruption charges: Inspector David Khumalo and Captain Emmanuel Cele. They were charged with corruption for “taking R10 and a bottle of vodka in return for allowing a visitor to visit a prisoner outside of visiting hours”.

Other details

• Kruger had been using the name Jacques du Plessis when he was arrested for the hijacking charge.
• The hostage drama was described as resulting in “a hostage drama and shootout in the cells [leaving] two policemen seriously wounded” and Kruger dead.
• The venue after Knowles Spar was in Otto Volek Road in Pinetown.
• Debbie O’Brien was described as a Pinetown police communications officer.