Original subtitles

[Theme Music]

Shane has been missing for two days.

He's 12 and he lives here in Algoa Park.

This is Shane.

A new hand out please, thank you.

Shane's mother thought he might have

been staying with his grandmother,

but if he had planned to go there,

he never made it.

Thank you again, all of you for joining the search.

Let's try and bring this little boy home.

If you start out that way and you guys fan out that way,

and I'll go here.

Do you have a dog?

[Man Searching] Have you found anything back there?

Not yet.

[Spooky music]

Thank you for agreeing to the interview.

Our readers are going to love it.

You know, I would've been happy to meet you at your motel.

You said.

You don't like to give anything away, do you?

You wear a fringe that covers your eyes

and whenever you look in your bag,

you make sure I can't see what's inside.

Are you playing psychologist now?

Not me.

But what made you want to become one,

a psychologist, that is?

Well, I was a journalist first.

Then later I went on to study psychology.

I was interested in the works of Freud, Jung.

They say psychoanalysis is a study of the id by the odd.

What made you want to study serial killers?

It's a strange choice of specialism.

Well, I was drawn to the work of Robert Ressler.

Robert Ressler.

His book, Whoever Fights Monsters, was a huge influence.

Whoever Fights Monsters.

Wow, that's really great.

The point is, they're not monsters.

Ah, but the cannibal killer.

How many victims?

Nine? Ten?

Defenceless women, young boys, his own daughter.

- They're human beings. - Okay.

They're tortured souls.

You can't think of them as monsters

if you want to catch them.

They're more dangerous than that.

- Reservation for one, yeah. - Yeah.

Doctor Micki Pistorius.

Perfect, okay. This is yours.

- Enjoy your stay, thank you. - Thank you very much.

[Erika] So are you gonna be able to interview

Stewart Wilken before the trial?

Yeah.

Robert Ressler built his career on

interviews like this in the States.

Oh?

[Micki] Stewart Wilken's, one of a kind.

[Erika] Boetie Boer, the cannibal killer.

He's terrifying.

Who's your chaperone going to be?

Martin Caywood.

[Erika] Is he any good?

Might give you a run for your money.

[Erika laughs]

Okay, so the Nasrec murders in Joburg.

Let's go through what we have so far.

[Distant shouting and clanging]

[tense music]

Next up on our tour of Boetie Boer's murder scenes.

This is where he killed Shane Miller?

His last victim.

Six children, all boys except his daughter, Sonia.

Four adult women, all prostitutes.

That's partly why no one picked up on him for so long.

Different types of victims, no clear links.

That's what makes him so fascinating,

his different sets of victims and approaches to them.

The prostitutes he brags about, displays their bodies,

the children he hides.

Mr. Wilken confessed, he brought me here.

How long did it take to get the confession?

Not long, I kind of set him up.

How do you mean?

I put a picture of my kid facing him.

The cutest one I could find.

She's looking straight in the camera

and she's about two or three, it's as good as gold.

I had this hunch that it would get to him,

and it did.

Couldn't stop staring at it.

I think he felt like he was being judged.

Clever.

This is where it happened.

But he had been on his way to visit Shane's family

when he bumped into the boy on the road back there.

He joined the search.

The sergeant heading up the case heard that

Boetie was the last person to be seen

with another boy who had gone missing,

so she joined the dots.

Boetie Boer, little brother.

Why is he called that?

That's what he calls himself.

Ever since he's been a kid, he didn't tell me why.

Reminding himself he's someone's son,

someone's brother, maybe?

That's what I was thinking, but I'm not the psychologist.

No, but you understand him, don't you?

What are you saying?

Well, when you talk about him

there's warmth in your voice, affection even.

I wouldn't go that far, but you'll see

when you meet him it's hard to hate him.

He's like a big kid who's done bad things.

He's unlike anyone I've ever met.

Hate the sin, not the sinner.

[Martin] Something like that.

You okay?

And places hold onto the memory

of things that happened within them.

It changes the energy.

It's bad here.

He came back visiting the body

after he'd killed him numerous times.

He's in your head, isn't he?

Yeah, yeah he is.

[Whispered] This is Peter to take us to Shane's body

after Wilken's confession statement.

Okay, his childhood.

Why does he call himself Boetie Boer?

What does that name reveal about him?

The types of victim.

Can he explain his victim choice?

Are they opportunistic or driven by different impulses?

[knocking on the door]

Hey.

- How are you? - Alright.

I'm sorry. I've got some bad news.

No, what?

Stewart doesn't want to talk to you.

Oh, why?

I know, he read the interview.

Thinks you're a bitch who's out to get him.

- Oh, he's twisted everything. - They tend to do that.

No, but I didn't say that, fucking hell.

That's why I don't even give them the time of day

'cause they'll always do this.

That's his wife.

[Court Orderly] All rise.

Be seated.

You may bring in the accused.

Mr. Wilken, you may stand.

The accused stands trial on nine counts of murder

and four counts of rape.

Mr. Wilken, how do you plead to these charges?

Not guilty.

[Justice Naude] Mr. Wilken, you may be seated.

It should be noted that these

crimes are unusual in the sadism

and that the evidence is

of a highly distressing nature.

It's not going to be an easy process for anyone to witness.

The court will break for a short recess

and then we will hear from our first witness.

Mr. Miller,

I appreciate your taking the time

to appear here today.

I know it must be incredibly painful for you.

I shall hand over to Advocate Hofmeyer for the prosecution.

Mr. Miller, you knew the accused, is that right?

Yes, he had stayed with us.

[Advocate Hofmeyer] You were friends?

My wife Carol, Shane's mom.

I think she was friends with his wife, Rihanna.

They were having problems.

And when Shane was reported missing,

the accused joined in the search

pretending to want to help. Is that correct?

Yes, not to help. He wanted to hide his crime.

Thank you.

I have one more difficult question

and then I'll let you go.

Is there any truth to the accused's accusation

that you beat Shane?

I know he said that.

I know he says we abused Shane.

He says that's why he killed him,

to free the boy from pain.

He doesn't have the humanity to shoulder what he did.

So he lies about me and my wife.

[Advocate Hofmeyer] I'm sorry I had to ask you that,

but it is all important.

I have no further questions.

Mr. Miller, you are excused.

[Martin] I am sorry you didn't get your interview.

No, I can give evidence without it.

It's just such a huge case.

I mean it's the worst we've had for years.

So I want to understand that.

Twisted, huh?

Catching these guys, trying to get them to open up

so that you have something in common with them, you know?

The danger is you do it too well.

Start to feel comfortable with them.

Yes.

They are out there,

winning the race.

[Knocking on door]

[Knocking on door]

- I see you carried on then. - Lifesaver.

There's been a bit of a change of plan

on your testimony today.

You're gonna need that.

The defence has called you instead, we'll see you there.

God.

You've pulled it together well.

Not my first hungover rodeo.

When did the prosecution change their mind, and why?

Last night they think they've got

plenty to prove their case without you.

Might have been a bad steer

because the defence jumped on it.

I guess they think you'll help get him a reduced sentence.

You alright over there?

Yep. Let's go.

Micki, Hi. Ready?

Look, I'll be asking you to fill us in on

where he fits into the overall picture.

How his childhood led him to do all of this.

Doctor Gelman will also be giving testimony for us.

I'm hoping that the judge will agree

that Wilken is not fully culpable.

My job is to explain behaviour to the judge, that's it.

Well, it's not like I have lots of people

lining up to speak for him.

I swear.

[Justice Naude] Hardus van Graan for the defence.

Doctor Pistorius, could you give the court a picture

of how the behaviour of the accused might be understood?

First, it is important to remember that there

is no such thing as a typical serial killer.

Every serial killer is different, unique,

just like us in that respect.

So, what is a serial killer?

A person who murders several victims,

usually strangers at different times.

[Hardus van Graan] Is there a common motive?

No, motive is linked to

development and as such is variable.

[Hardus van Graan] Could you elaborate?

Serial killers frequently develop fixations.

These arise from one of the psychosexual development phases.

[Foreign language]

[Justice Naude] Mr. Nyosi, I understand

this is difficult,

but please remain silent.

And with this defendant, what was his motive?

The defendant has weakened surmise, an oral fixation.

Not unexpected, given the extreme sexual abuse

he endured as a young child.

[Hardus van Graan] Can you explain why?

Yes, the defendant was abandoned at the age

of six months by his mother.

He was not breastfed.

He mutilated the breasts of his victims.

Symbolically, he cuts the breast to get to the milk.

He also ate the nipples of more than one victim.

Cannibalism is also associated with the oral phase,

which takes place between birth and two years old.

As you'll recognise, this fits with when

the defendant was abandoned.

The defendant is also unusual in

that he killed two distinct types of victim.

One was prostitutes.

Women who resembled his mother on

whom he could vent his rage.

The others were young boys who represented himself.

In killing them, he's effectively killing

the child he once was over and over again.

[Hardus van Graan] But the abuse the accused suffered

was unusually severe, is that correct?

It was. But as you know, many people suffer abuse.

They do not all go on to abuse or to kill.

But he was abandoned and abused multiple times.

Indeed, his most basic needs,

hunger, security were neglected.

He was undernourished, terribly abused.

He learned early to act in sadistic ways as a defence.

As a young boy, he frequently bit his foster mother

and he went on to do the same to several of his victims.

They were bitten on toes, breasts, genitals.

When he ate the nipples of one of his victims.

No! Her name was Violet Nyosi and she was my daughter.

Mr. Nyosi,

sit down and keep quiet.

Otherwise I shall have you removed.

[Mr Nyosi] I understand.

[Hardus van Graan] The accused also

sodomised many of his victims.

Was that symbolic also?

Additionally, the accused has a fixation

in the anal phase of development.

This is control oriented.

He stated in his confession that he enjoyed the pain

of his victims when he was sodomising them.

[Panting and heavy breathing]

You pig.

[wailing]

There is, in your professional opinion,

no chance that the accused can be taught

to control his urges?

Absolutely not.

Even the most minor of stresses will

trigger violence in him.

Please understand, if the accused is free,

he will kill again.

- Not hungry? - Too oily.

I think I might get myself a piece of cake.

I saw that.

I'm gonna ask if he can help

persuade Stewart to talk to me.

- Hi. - Hello

Advocate, I was very much hoping to

speak to Stewart in person.

I know, he wasn't interested.

Do you think he might be persuaded now

that he's seen I'm not out to get him?

- I doubt it. - Could you ask?

Please, it's so important to my research,

he's such an unusual case.

I'll ask him, don't get your hopes up.

Thank you.

Mr. Wilken, you may stand.

Mr. Wilken, you have been found guilty-

[Applause]

guilty of killing seven people,

and yet at no point

in this trial have you shown any emotion or remorse.

There's no question in my mind that you intended

to kill every one of your victims

and that you continue to pose the most terrible danger.

If I could hand down the death penalty, I would do so,

but I do not have that option.

So, I propose that the accused

serve seven life sentences,

to run concurrently.

[tense music]

Thanks Erika, gimme that good sugar.

Yes ma'am. All the diabetes, all the time.

Thank you.

So I noticed something on the Nasrec case.

Hmm?

One of Bongani's victims was from Newcastle

and on Nasrec, Vuyile was on her way

to Newcastle when she went missing.

Could be something, good work.

I'll let Ruan know and we'll trace it through.

You're doing really well.

I got given my own case.

Oh, that is amazing.

You really deserve it, you're gonna fly.

Yeah, I'm sure I'll still be needing your advice.

This came in for you earlier.

He said yes, I'm gonna meet Boetie Boer.

How's it, Stewart?

Yeah okay, Martin. How's it?

Hello Stewart.

Thank you for agreeing to talk to me.

Well, Martin said you were alright.

You wouldn't talk to me before.

What made you change your mind?

The trial, you were on my side.

You understand me.

Would you like a cigarette?

I'm going to take mine outside.

Would you mind leaving the lighter?

- Yeah. - Thank you.

Tell me about your childhood.

What's the worst thing that happened to you?

My foster dad wouldn't get me a toy red engine.

I wanted it so bad, he said no.

He said I was useless.

When I was eight, I started smoking dope.

He wasn't a good man, your foster father?

No, he burned me with cigarettes.

I ate from dog bowls.

When I was adopted I thought it would stop,

but it never stopped.

They sent me to a school where the Deacon buggered me too.

When I complained, they locked me in a cupboard.

Everyone in your life failed you.

How did that make you feel?

- Bad. - It made you feel bad,

like sad inside?

Yes, but also bad.

Like I was bad, bad boy, useless.

My foster parents called me Stewart.

I am Boetie Boer.

When did the fantasies start?

Yeah, I don't remember the first time.

So you always had them, fantasies about

sodomising others, raping women, killing?

As long as I can remember,

I always wanted to and then I did.

I started and I didn't wanna stop.

You couldn't stop until you were caught.

I learned a lot by that time.

I watched the police and how they work the scenes.

It's only Martin who got me to want to confess.

After the bodies were found.

The early ones, yeah.

Learn not to leave hairs behind

that they can match with mine.

I had to make sure the bodies didn't rot too quick

so I can go back to them.

I need to toss, can I go?

Yes, thank you for asking.

I'll keep this.

What was that all about?

He said he needed a moment alone.

Lovely.

Is he talking?

He is.

He's a complicated guy, eh?

Yeah.

Do you wanna smoke?

Did you wash your hands?

Look.

Good boy, sit down.

Now, can you tell me why you hid the bodies of the boys

but left those of the prostitutes out on display?

Yeah, I hid the boys because I wanted to go back to them

to have sex with them, but I kept them dry.

I stuck newspapers up their arses

to keep the maggots out.

And the prostitutes?

Well, sex is a gift from God.

No man should pay for it.

I left them out for everyone to see

the wrong they had done.

And what about Sonia, your daughter?

I mean, that was different.

Yeah, she was my little girl.

I missed her so.

She told me she was being abused.

[Micki] By her stepfather?

Yeah, she should have been with me.

He was hurting her so I went from

Happy Valley to go get her.

Sorry, what's that, Happy Valley?

It was a park near the beach.

I slept there.

It's a nice place for children.

They have fairies and lights

and I wanted to show how nice it was

and I kept her safe there.

You killed her to keep her safe?

I slept next to her and I held her,

we were very happy.

Is there anything you want to ask me, Stewart?

Why did it take you so long to catch me?

Why did we...

Well, I was tired of killing,

but I could never have stopped until you stopped me.

Trust me, I know.

Don't cry.

So I tracked down his blood mother.

Now that's a chat I don't want to have again.

Telling a woman that the baby she abandoned

more than 30 years ago turned out to be a fine,

upstanding serial killer and cannibal.

It's the news every mother wants to hear, no?

She gonna see him?

Should take a holiday, go lie by a pool,

have some cocktails, get your toenails painted.

You know, get away from work for a while.

- Sounds nice. - So you should do it.

People worry about you, you know?

You know why I can't take that holiday?

You heard him.

He was never gonna stop by himself.

It's down to us, to me.

There's always another case coming in.

Another killer starting up,

dreaming, fantasising.

Those men are out there

and then

they're in here.

Can I help with anything?

No, it's ready.

- Oh, this smells great. - Thank you, tuck in.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Mm, this is delicious.

The guy who makes it is a real character.

How did your interview go?

Oh, it was useful, intense,

not completely what I expect-

I don't know.

The guy's committed some of the worst crimes

I've ever heard about.

Sadistic.

He has no remorse for what he's done, none.

And yet he's-

I can't imagine what those

families have gone through.

You know, he deserves to fucking die.

If I ever met him, geez.

I couldn't be held responsible, if you know what I mean?

[Micki] Yeah.

I don't know how you even were in the same room as him.

No, it's a very intense thing.

Hey, he's been freaking out since last week,

but the governor only called me yesterday.

Figured you might be able to help calm him down.

Okay, sure.

Thanks for making it so quick.

Right.

So we've tried everything,

threats, persuasion, withholding privileges.

- What privileges? - Food.

[humming and strained breathing]

- Hello, Stewart. - Get back.

It's Micki, Stewart.

They're coming to get me.

You're safe here, Stewart.

No one can hurt you.

I know you feel scared.

[frightened breathing]

You're safe here.

The sea, I wanna see the sea. I want to see-

It's gonna burn me.

They're here, they're here.

Who's here? Who's here, Stewart?

There's acid coming through the wall.

Through that wall.

Is there something else there too?

Someone?

Yeah.

All of them.

Okay.

Okay. You are safe now.

Okay?

You are safe now, Stewart, Okay?

Please take me away.

No, it's okay.

You're safe here.

No one can hurt you.

I think you're very tired.

Do you think you're very tired?

Yeah.

Would you like to have a lie down?

Yeah, I think it'd make you feel better.

Come on now.

You think you could do that for me?

Yeah, come on, good boy.

Go on, you can let go.

Oh, that's so good.

- Nice and cold. - It's nice, isn't it?

Yes.

Yeah.

Just breathe.

He's seeing the people he killed

and I think he's reverted to his childhood state.

He's in prison, but his demons are still inside him.

He can't release them by killing anymore.

Can't use that violence to soothe his pain.

So they've turned on him.

Haven't they, Stewart?

You were a good boy.

You, you deserved it, you bitch!

Fuck you.

My love, I was trying to save you.

[Crying]

[Crying and wailing]

[wailing]

[spooky music]

[wind rustling]