The Station Strangler

South Africa has been haunted by the Station Strangler serial killer case since his first murder in 1986. A suspect was caught and jailed for one of the crimes but is he the true perpetrator or does he still move among us to this day?

On the 12^th of March 1994, two young boys, 10-year-old Elroy Van Rooi and his cousin Ryno, left their home in Strand, Western Cape, to help push grocery trolleys at a local shopping centre in the hopes of earning a few Rand in tips to spend on treats and arcade games. The boys worked for a while and then Ryno got hungry and they went to a nearby café to place an order for hot chips. While they waited for their food they looked at one of the arcade game machines. The boys were approached by a man who offered them money to play a few games. They eagerly agreed and invited the man to join them. After enjoying their sponsored games, the boys collected their food order and left the café to sit on a nearby kerb and eat. The man from the café approached them again and asked if they could help him to carry some boxes to the nearby train station. He offered them R 10 each for their effort.

In 1994 to these two young boys, R 10 would have seemed like a fortune and they agreed to assist. Half-way to the train station, however, Ryno became suspicious of the man as he’d figured out the boxes they were carrying were empty. He told Elroy they should leave. Both boys had heard stories about a man that was killing young boys. That wasn’t happening in Strand, though, Elroy reasoned so while his cousin abandoned the mission and headed back to their home, Elroy continued on with the stranger. He didn’t return home for dinner that night. Elroy’s body was found a week later in Kleinvlei, Eerste Rivier, 22 kilometres from Strand.

The discovery of his body would be the key to ending a series of murders which had plagued the nearby community of Mitchell’s Plain and surrounding communities for 8 years. Elroy van Rooi was victim number 23 of the serial killer that had become known as The Station Strangler.

For me, the real tragedy is that 22 children lost their lives in the most horrific way. These boys were loved deeply and had futures and all of that was taken away from them and their memories sullied by continuing injustices. Let’s for a moment not wonder about who took their lives but rather remember that they lived – Jonathan, Yusuf, Mario, Freddie, Samuel, Calvin, Denver, Jacobus, Elino, Donovan, Jeremy B, Jeremy S, Marcelino, Neville, Fabian, Owen, Elroy and the five boys whose names remain unknown. You are remembered.

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