39 min

Ben Booysen — On The Devils Trail Tracking Down The Krugersdorp Killers

With Ben Booysen — On The Devils Trail Tracking Down The Krugersdorp Killers

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In short

Retired detective Ben Booysen explains how he worked alone to solve the Krugersdorp "appointment killings", a series of murders driven not by Satanism but by a woman named Cecilia Steyn who used Bible verses to control her followers. He describes lost dockets, a bounty on his life, the convictions secured, and why he refuses private investigation work. The one takeaway: The Krugersdorp killings were driven by a Christian cult built around Bible verses, not by Satanic ritual, despite the town's "Devil's dorp" reputation.

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How did Ben Booysen end up as a policeman and then a detective?

He left school at nine and joined the police after growing up angered by children being bullied and women and children being assaulted in his own family. He served in riot and reaction units, found the work repetitive, and became a detective in 1987, deliberately staying a general detective to learn every crime type.

Why did he insist on investigating the Krugersdorp case alone?

Because too much evidence gets lost when too many police are involved. Brigadier Victor was looking for an investigating officer to lead a task team and Booysen's name came up; he accepted the cases only on condition that he worked on his own rather than within a team.

What went wrong with the earlier 2012 investigation?

Investigators focused on the Satanism angle rather than the crime itself. A colonel was put in charge in 2012, evidence went missing and the original dockets could never be found. Booysen had to retake all the 2012 statements from scratch while investigating the 2015–16 murders.

Who was Cecilia Steyn and how did she control the group?

She convinced followers she had left Satanism, was caring for 150 orphans in America and could astral travel. She cut them off from family and friends, claimed she needed round-the-clock protection from the devil, showed them serial killer films and doctored movie footage of her walking on water or turning into a wolf.

Was this actually a Satanic cult?

No — Booysen calls it a Christian cult. Cecilia was the only Satanist in it, and she used the Bible to persuade the others to kill. He notes real Satanic ritual murders are recognisable as such; these killings were brutal but not ritual. Miranda's classroom walls held only Bible verses.

What broke the case open?

A new will. After arresting the group on a fraud docket to keep them from destroying evidence, Booysen searched Miranda's classroom on a tip-off, found ammunition and her new will, then showed it to her son Le Roux in jail. She had disinherited him and his sister in Cecilia's favour, and he began talking.

What did the case cost Booysen personally?

His health and his family's safety. He had no reliable police vehicle or office space, faced senior officers trying to derail the case, served 252 subpoenas per court session, and developed pneumonia and an oversized heart. A million-rand bounty was placed on him, and his youngest daughter no longer lives in the same town.

What sentences did the convicted receive?

Six people were convicted and received 39 life sentences and roughly 2,035 years between them — Booysen believes among the biggest sentences in South African history. It was also, he says, the only case in the country where people were found guilty of both murder and racketeering.

Why won't he work as a private investigator?

He thinks it is unfair for South Africans to have to pay someone to investigate their loved ones' murders when the police are salaried to do it. He also cannot arrest anyone or take a case to court, so he would have to hand everything back to the police anyway.

In their words

Taken from the recording, word for word.

I'll work alone because too much evidence get lost with too much policemen are involved

— Ben Booysen

this was not a satanic cult this was a Christian cult, the Cecilia was the only satanic person in this cult convincing these people out of Christianity to go and kill all the victims

— Ben Booysen

If you went into Miranda's classroom it was only Bible verses against the wall. You will never say that she was a serial killer that loves to kill people and got a big kick out of it

— Ben Booysen

I don't think it's fair to the community of South Africa that they need a private investigator to investigate the murders of all the families and loved ones. I think that's still is the work of the police

— Ben Booysen

I was running around knowing there's a heat on my life of a million dollar rant if somebody killed me they will get a million the rant

— Ben Booysen

Key takeaways

  1. The Krugersdorp killings were driven by a Christian cult built around Bible verses, not by Satanic ritual, despite the town's "Devil's dorp" reputation.
  2. Poor early investigation in 2012 lost dockets and evidence, forcing Booysen to retake statements years later.
  3. Cecilia Steyn isolated intelligent, educated people — one with an IQ of 140, another a cum laude graduate — through fabricated supernatural displays and staged possession rituals.
  4. Arresting the group on a fraud docket first prevented them from destroying evidence and led to the discovery of the will that turned Miranda's son into a witness.
  5. The investigation left Booysen with pneumonia and an oversized heart, a million-rand bounty on his head and a daughter who had to move away.
  6. Booysen refuses private investigation work because he believes murder investigation is the police's paid responsibility and he has no power to arrest or prosecute.

Show notes

In this episode of Watts Involved, we dive into the unsettling world of Satanic rituals and cults in Krugersdorp, South Africa. We explore the story of a woman who claims to have married the devil and participates in disturbing rituals. At the same time, her children watch the Appointment Killings that shook the city and the disturbing manipulative tactics used by a woman named Cecilia to make a group of people commit murder based on Bible verses. Our expert speaker, a former detective in the police force, gives us insight into the challenges of investigating these crimes and the importance of the police in arresting and punishing the perpetrators. We also learn about the consequences of a lack of proper investigation and the devastating effects of being manipulated by pure evil individuals like Cecilia.

Frequently asked questions

How many murders were actually involved?

Eleven were proven in court, but Booysen says there were more. Other cases he knew the group was involved in were too old to link to them to the standard a court would require.

What happened to Cecilia's followers' children?

Miranda's two children, Le Roux and Marcel, were among the six convicted. Booysen says they were raised inside the group from a young age, exposed to occult and murder videos and taken to some murder scenes, and grew up treating it as normal.

Did Booysen ever see Cecilia's true nature?

Once, while taking a warning statement, he mentioned that Zak had sex with his wife before she was killed. She changed instantly, with what he describes as hatred and devilishness in her eyes, then reverted when someone else entered the room.

Will Booysen write another book?

Eventually. He has many other investigations — killings, robberies, suicides — that he intends to write about, but he will not publish another book while his wife is still serving in the police.

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