Killer accused can't remember his lovers

Published Nov 1, 2007

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The alleged Olievenhoutbosh serial killer had to look at photographs of his alleged victims.

Richard Nyauza, 36, was grilled in the Pretoria High Court by prosecutor JP Marais on Wednesday.

Marais asked Nyauza to take a good look at the pictures and then explain how his DNA (semen) came to be inside these women.

Nyauza said he loved women and he had slept with many. He said he could not recall who all his lovers were.

Throwing his his arms in the air, he said that no matter how much he tried to explain that he did not kill anyone, the State had already made up its mind that he was the culprit.

"I don't understand. You tell me every time that my DNA was found in the bodies. Do you imply that I killed the ladies?"

Marais replied there was no doubt in the State's mind that he was the killer.

He said Nyauza's DNA was found at many of the murder scenes, Nyauza pointed out several of the bodies near Centurion and two of the women's cellphones were later found in his possession. From that evidence it was clear that Nyauza was the killer, Marais said.

He told Judge John Murphy that the modus operandi and the rituals performed in all the murders fitted Nyauza's profile. The women were left in "blatant sexual positions" after the killing, which indicated that they were either killed during sex or shortly thereafter.

Marais said Nyauza told police women did not deserve to live, as one of them gave him HIV/Aids. That also fitted with the profile.

He added that it was significant that five bodies were found in 2002 and nothing was found during the next three years, while Nyauza was in jail awaiting trial on a rape case. Soon after he was released the killings started again.

All the bodies were found in the same area, kilometres from each other.

The defence argued briefly that the court should accept Nyauza's version as possibly being true.

Judgment will be delivered on Monday.

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