Cape Town, known for its stunning landscapes and vibrant culture, was gripped by fear when a serial killer dubbed “The Station Strangler” terrorized the city’s railway stations.
The “Station Strangler,” left a trail of horror and sorrow in his wake, and in this entry we dive into the chilling story of the Station Strangler, exploring his crimes, capture, and current whereabouts.
The Story Of The Station Strangler
The Station Strangler embarked on his killing spree in the late 1990s, targeting unsuspecting victims at Cape Town’s railway stations.
His modus operandi involved approaching lone commuters, often at night, and strangling them with a ligature before robbing them. The violence and brutality of his attacks sent shockwaves through the community, leaving citizens in constant fear for their safety.
After several years of relentless police work and pressure from the community because by 1994 22 young boys had been found strangled and sodomised.
In 1995, Norman Simons, a schoolteacher, was found guilty of the murder of Elroy van Rooyen, a 10 year old boy who is the last known victim in the string of child murders by the Station Strangler.
The Station Strangler’s trial was one of the most significant in Cape Town’s history, drawing intense media coverage and public attention, leaving an indelible mark on Cape Town’s collective memory.
The story of Cape Town’s Station Strangler Serial Killer serves as a chilling reminder of the capacity for darkness within the human psyche.
However, despite being convicted for the murder of Elroy Van Rooyen, Simons was never charged with any of the other killings and nobody else was ever arrested.
Another layer of mystery was added to the story of the Station Strangler when in 2010, police re-investigated DNA samples taken from the Station Strangler crime scenes, and the results did not match Simons who was now seen as the Station Strangler in the eyes of the public despite being convicted of only one the murders.
As a result, doubts have now surfaced about whether Simons should have even been convicted of Elory van Rooyen’s murder, and whether in fact he was innocent and should not be considered as the person responsible for the murders attributed to Cape Town’s Station Strangler Serial Killer.
Cape Town’s Station Strangler struck fear into the hearts of the Cape Town’s residents, leaving behind a legacy of sorrow and pain that still haunts South Africa today.
The Station Strangler was recently released on Parole.
