Murder of Hannah Cornelius

On May 27, 2017, Hannah Cornelius offered Cheslin Marsh a lift home after a night out. While the pair were parked outside Marsh's residence, they were ambushed by four men. CCTV footage captured the moment the gang encircled their vehicle. Armed with weapons, they forced Cheslin into the backseat and then the trunk, while Hannah was restrained between the two front seats.[3][4]

The attackers drove the car to a petrol station, attempting to withdraw money using Cheslin's card. When they were given an incorrect PIN, the gang drove to a remote area. There, Cheslin was brutally attacked with bricks and left, believing he was dead. He would later survive, albeit with significant injuries.[3]

Hannah was then taken to a Knorhoek farm road next to a vineyard and a stream by the gang. Reports from the trial indicated that the men had initially planned to release her until she began to resist. She was then sexually assaulted, stabbed in the neck, and fatally injured by a large, 82-pound rock, which had been used to cover a borehole, was lifted and dropped on Cornelius' head twice.[3][5][6][7]

Following this incident, the gang pursued further crimes, targeting a woman in Kraaifontein before eventually being apprehended after a police chase upon being spotted in Hannah's car.

The attackers were identified as Vernon Witbooi, 33, Geraldo Parsons, 27, Nashville Julius, 29, and Eben Van Nieberk, 28. Although three of them admitted to being present during the crime, they denied their involvement in the rape and murder.[3][5]

The four perpetrators were tried and sentenced in 2018, with a combined prison term of 358 years. Three of the four received life sentences.[2]

The tragedy had profound effects on Hannah's family. Anna Cornelius, Hannah's mother, passed away in a swimming accident a year after her daughter's death. While her death was ruled as an accident, Hannah's father, Willem Cornelius, remarked that Anna might not have had the physical or mental strength to cope with the loss of their daughter.[8][2][6][9]

To commemorate Hannah and channel their grief, Willem and Anna established the Hannah Cornelius Foundation, aiming to help local children access education and escape community violence.[2]

Willem Cornelius was diagnosed with cancer roughly three months after his daughter's death. He succumbed to the illness on December 9, 2022.[10]

The events leading up to Hannah's death were covered in a documentary released five years after the incident, shedding light on the tragedy.[2][11]

• CASE NO: CC 04/2018 - The State vs. Vernon Junaid Witbooi, Geraldo Parsons, Eben Van Niekerk, Nashville Julius
• YouTube video - Mapping the horrendous hell-ride and murder of Hannah Cornelius