PROFILER
Profiler is a weekly discussion between journalist Paul Llewellyn & former Head of Forensic Investigation at the South African Police Service, Gerard Labuschagne, who worked on over 300 serial murder and rape cases in his career. Hear the stories behind the killers who stalk the streets of South Africa.
Episodes
April 11, 2024 • 89 mins
In 2011, tragedy struck the Rosebank police station in Johannesburg when a disgruntled police clerk attacked station commander Lieutenant Colonel Thandi Mkhize and Captain Neelavathi Naidu before turning the gun on himself. The incident, which occurred following a recent disciplinary hearing where the clerk was found guilty of mishandling firearms, shocked the nation and left lingering questions about motive and mental state. Join ...
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March 13, 2024 • 80 mins
On March 13, 2024, Sifiso Mkhwanazi was convicted of the brutal murders of six Johannesburg sex workers. These heinous crimes occurred between April and October 2022 within the confines of his father's panel beating workshop located in downtown Joburg. Delving into the intricate details of the case, Gerard unfolds the chilling narrative as recounted by the perpetrator himself during a recent interview. Unveiling the grim reality be...
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March 3, 2024 • 58 mins
We're diving into a case that rocked the quiet neighborhood of Bellville in Cape Town. It was August 21, 2019, when Lynette Volschenk, known for her gentle nature and dedication to her work, crossed paths with Kyle Ruiters, who would later infamously be dubbed the Seesig Monster. Their encounter unleashed a nightmare scenario, shedding light on Kyle's dark obsession with serial killers and leading to a crime that horrified the nati...
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February 12, 2024 • 64 mins
Gerhard Ackerman was convicted on charges of rape, human trafficking and the unlawful possession, creation and distribution of child pornography. Ackerman was also found guilty of attempted murder for “selling” the sexual services of a youth to disgraced advocate Paul Kennedy, who he knew was HIV-positive. This is the story of one of the bad guys.
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January 26, 2024 • 76 mins
In episode two we deep-dive into the story of Anisha Van Niekerk, and how Gerard and Jannie De Lange worked tirelessly to solve the case and bring justice to the family.
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January 26, 2024 • 110 mins
In episode one, we meet one of South Africa's most accomplished investigators, retired Lt Colonel and IPS Lead Detective, Jannie De Lange. We discuss his career highs and lows and his relationship with Gerard, as they reminisce about their time together and some of their favourite cases.
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January 25, 2024 • 95 mins
We're back! Catching up on the state of the nation, and deep diving into the fact that some very interesting criminals are being released on parole. Through the lens of the Oscar Pistorius, Station Strangler & Donovan Moodley cases, we interrogate the parole system and whether certain people should once again be walking amongst us.
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January 16, 2023 • 59 mins
During 2005 four bodies were found in Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa, along the railway tracks. This led to a serial murder task team being formed. The case would take 8 more years to solve. It would take patience, solid police work...and a little bit of luck, to ultimately catch a serial killer!
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January 9, 2023 • 61 mins
We go behind the scenes of crime prevention to discuss the technologies that are applied in local law enforcement, with Peter Fryer, who has spent decades providing the latest tech to the local police, and the private security industry, through companies such as Forensic Tools & Risk Diversion. What is out there, and how is it currently being used by the police in particular? This episode delves quite deeply into where the fundam...
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December 30, 2022 • 114 mins
An incredible first conversation with retiring Colonel Tollie Vreugdenburg, the Head of South Africa's counter terrorism efforts, about his incredible career. We focus today on 'Die Boeremag' case. You'd better sit down for incredible insights into why SAPS likely closed down the specialist units, to just how close Nelson Mandela came to losing his life. The episode marks the Colonel's retirement from service.
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December 16, 2022 • 81 mins
In this episode we take a fascinating deep dive into the world of Forensic Pathology with one of SA's leading experts, and a life long devotee to the profession, Dr Hestelle van Staden.
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December 9, 2022 • 59 mins
In Newcastle, a town between Joburg and Durban in South Africa, in 2004, four men are murdered over the period of a year. All are killed in or around the exercise park bordering the town. Two of the incidents take place when the killer interrupts young couples engaging in romantic activities. He rapes the woman in each case, but he lets them live. The murders are brutal and the killer leaves little evidence. How will police eve...
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November 29, 2022 • 97 mins
On 28 November 2019 the Crimes Against the State (CATS) unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested Harry Johannes Knoesen (60) at his girlfriend’s home in Witbank, South Africa. The charge? Contravening the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act (33 of 2004) by preparing and planning to carry out terrorist attacks, and soliciting support for an entity engaged in terrorist...
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November 14, 2022 • 78 mins
“I want you to help me because when I am with a woman, I lose control and don’t know what I am doing. I kill all of them if they don’t give me what I want”...meet serial killer Jack Mogale, the subject of this week's episode.
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November 7, 2022 • 73 mins
In this episode we chat with Nicole Engelbrecht, creator and host of the True Crime South Africa Podcast, and author of 'Samurai Sword Murder', which tells the story of Morne Harmse, who attacked a number of people with a samurai sword at the Nic Diederichs high school in Krugersdorp in 2008.
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October 31, 2022 • 69 mins
On 23 June 2017 Mariska du Plessis made two calls to the police. In the first at 22:55 she said that her husband, was attacking her son and herself. In the second, made at 23:15, she advised police that her husband had been shot by intruders. So what actually happened?
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PROFILER Episode 22 - Current Cases (The Bodies in JHB) & Gerard's Guide to Investigative Psychology
October 24, 2022 • 70 mins
This week we discuss some current cases, including the discovery of the bodies of murdered sex workers in downtown Joburg recently. Plus, we break down Forensic Psychology, and Gerard explains how you might set about learning to do what he does!
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October 17, 2022 • 53 mins
Around the time of US president Barrack Obama’s visit to Sub-Saharan Africa in June/July 2013 an emailed death threat was received by the US consulate in Johannesburg. This is the story of the man who sent it.
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October 10, 2022 • 77 mins
That one case that Gerard was determined to see through to a conviction. How Gerhard janse van Vuuren murdered his girlfriend Andrea Venter, and then tried to get away with it.
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March 24, 2022 • 73 mins
We travel back to 2010 and discuss the case of Brian Harvey who stalked over 40 women.
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