Daniel Smit found guilty of killing Klawer teen Jerobejin van Wyk

A 58-year-old man accused of the murder of Klawer teenager Jerobejin van Wyk in February 2022 has been found guilty.

Daniel Smit was convicted by the Western Cape High Court on Monday.

He was found guilty of attempted murder, kidnapping, premeditated murder, violating a corpse, and defeating the ends of justice.

Last week, Smit pleaded guilty to all five charges. He was also charged with reckless and negligent driving. 

Klawer teen killed after stealing fruit

Smit was accused of murdering the teen after human remains were discovered in sewage pipes at his property.

Van Wyk was described as a respectful boy who loved soccer and did whatever task his parents sprung on him, but his life came to an end when he was hacked and killed. His body parts were then dumped in a drain in a small town in the Western Cape – all over stolen mangoes.

He was playing with friends in the small rural community known for wine farms, mining and poverty.

The group of boys, however, ended on the property of Smit, to pick mangoes off his tree. What was meant to be an enjoyable snack ended up being a terrifying chase, after Smit pursued the boys in his car and caught up with Jerobejin.

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Murder

During the trial, Smit said he took Jerobejin to his home where he prepared a sandwich and cool drink for the boy after which he broke the boys neck with movements he alleged to have learnt from some kind of Chinese occult he was part of years back.

Smit hid the body in his freezer until later that night when he cut up the body before burning the parts.

The body parts he couldn’t burn were dumped in the two drains and a big blue drum at his yard.

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