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About Dr Louis Heyns
Dr Louis Heyns (1954 - 2013)
Brief overview:
Louis (59), a Doctor of Paediatrics, went missing after visiting his brother in Somerset West on the evening of 22nd May 2013. His body was found in a shallow grave on the Strand beach 8 days later. Louis had been hijacked and kidnapped and beaten to death. His family believe that he was lured to a gay pick-up area under false pretences.
Juan Liedeman (37), and brothers Marthinus (35), and Sarel (43), van der Walt were accused for Louis' murder. Liedeman was granted bail of R20,000
Marthinus van der Walt claimed that Louis approached him for sex on the night of the murder. Louis' wife, Dalene, said that they were married for 33 years and that his friends, family and colleagues believe he would never have solicited sex from another man. She said she never had any reason to doubt her husband's sexuality or fidelity during all their years of marriage.
Brief Biography:
- Other Victims/Family
- Funeral/Memorial
- Louis' funeral took place on 7th June 2013 at the Tygerberg Evangelical Reformed Church in Bellville. Hundreds of people, from the Western Cape and Gauteng, attended his funeral, Dalene, along with the couple’s sons Charl and Daneale, and their daughter Eldalè. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, who together with his wife Leah is a patron of Tygerberg Hospital, was there to offer his condolences. He said that Louis was “such a wonderful symbol of our country”.
- The Street/Suburb
- The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)
Attack Details:
- Date and time of attack
- Weapons
- Items Stolen
- Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
- Torture, Gratuitous violence
- Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.
Perpetrator details:
- Number and Descriptions
- Arrests
- Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
- Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
- Trial/Conviction
- In early 2015, Sarel van der Merwe was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for his involvement in Louis' murder. He pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and theft.
- In May 2015, Marthinus van der Walt sentenced to life imprisonment in the Western Cape High Court. He was sentenced to a further 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. Both sentences will run concurrently.
Additional Biographical Information:
Links to Media articles:
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Dr Louis Heyns's Timeline
| 1954 |
1954
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| 2013 |
May 22, 2013
Age 59
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Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands, WC, South Africa
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June 7, 2013
Age 59
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