Byleveld Dossier Of A Serial Sleuth By Hanlie Retief South Africa serial killers murderers true crime history
The book is a paperback and in a new condition
The book includes photos and has 270 pages
I have read this one and wow it's a eye opener to what happens behind the news and scenes
About the book
Piet Byleveld is a super detective. Honoured by the International Police Association as one of the top three detectives in the world, he has assisted the FBI, Scotland Yard, the Canadian police and Mossad with their serial-killing investigations. But it is in South Africa where he perfected his technique, solving some of the countrys most famous cases and catching some of the worlds most dangerous killers. In this book, journalist Hanlie Retief, who had exclusive access to Bylevelds dossiers, writes about the notorious serial-killer cases and other murders Byleveld solved. She weaves into it the story of Bylevelds own life. The book includes full-color photographs from police records throughout. It is astounding detective work told in a punchy, hard-hitting style.
He will forever be remembered as one of the best detectives ever to have a 99% success rate in a career that spanned almost 40 years.
Here are some of the high-profile cases he worked on and helped crack, listed in chronological order.
**********************The shotgun gang**********************
In the late 1970s, a gang of robbers terrorised shops and banks in Johannesburg. They were fearless and wild. So much so that when one of the gang leaders accidentally shot a member in the leg, he took him to hospital himself. These were Bylevelds early years as a detective, but it was a sign of things to come. His investigation alongside Spyker van Wyk took months. The kingpin, Dougie Scheepers, became the first white person in South Africa to receive the death penalty for armed robbery.
**************************Havenga and Wessels***********************
By 1993, Byleveld had learnt the ropes with the notorious Brixton Murder and Robbery Unit in Joburg. One afternoon, he received a tip-off from someone in a hotel in Boksburg claiming to have heard two men discussing a murder that happened in Knysna. He acted immediately and found Juan Havenga and Tony Wessels, arresting them both. A search revealed an axe, three knives and a gun. During an interrogation, Havenga confessed to one murder. Both later confessed to more and were found guilty of three murders. Havenga, who was a minor, was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment. Wessels received the death penalty, which was later commuted to life in prison.
*************************Nasrec Serial Killer**************************
Lazarus Mazingane is one of South Africas most notorious serial killers. He was found guilty of 16 murders and was sentenced to 17 life sentences plus 780 years imprisonment. Byleveld worked tirelessly on the case which eventually led to a nine-month High Court trial where 270 witnesses were called.
Mazingane left a trail of terror from 1995, reportedly strangling his victims with their underwear. According to Byleveld, Mazingane carefully picked his victims, often spending a few days with them as a taxi driver to win their trust. Many of the murders were apparently committed with an accomplice.
Mazingane later started hijacking motorists, also with an accomplice. A botched attempt eventually led to his arrest, which Byleveld claimed happened without his knowledge and as a result of a bizarre administrative cock-up.
**********************Bruma Lake Serial Killers****************************
Simon Majola and Themba Nkosi were found guilty of eight counts of murder and 26 other charges. They were sentenced to over 1,300 years in prison between them. Both were originally arrested for illegal possession of a firearm. Nkosi soon confessed. Byleveld played Majola off Nkosi and was soon taken to the crime scenes.
****************************Leigh Matthews****************************
Leigh Matthews murder was one of the countrys most high-profile cases. She was abducted in July 2004 and a ransom demand was soon made. A few weeks later, her body was discovered and Byleveld took over the case in late August that same year.
Not even two months later, he arrested Donovan Moodley who was found guilty the following year and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, a further 15 for kidnapping, and 10 years for extortion. Byleveld had suspected that Matthews had known her attacker and zoned his investigation to focus on Matthews fellow students. Byleveld said Moodley stood out because, aged 24, he was older than the other students.
When Byleveld heard from the university that Moodley left the university a month after Matthews disappeared, he knew he was on to something. When he pulled Moodleys records and saw that he owned a 9mm pistol, the case was as good as solved.
The Mail & Guardian reported at the time of the trial that after receiving his ransom demand, Moodley didnt know what to do.
I drove around for a while and thought about how to release her. I did not know what to do, I could see no other way out but to kill her, he told the court.
