Career
He was sentenced to 35 years (25 for murder and 10 for kidnapping) in prison. Simons was an intelligent individual, playing classical music and capable of speaking seven languages including English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and French. Simons’ victims were all young boys aged between 9 and 13.
Simons and his victims were all mixed race from the Cape Malays community.
Simons is believed to have started his sporadic series of murders on 29 September 1986, culminating in his arrest nine years later in April 1994. He collected his moniker after it became apparent that most of his victims were lured away from train stations (similar modus operandi to Andrei Chikatilo).
Simons raped and sodomised his victims before strangling them. Victims were found face down with their hands tied behind their backs in shallow sandy graves.
The victims" underwear was occasionally found around their necks, presumably used as a garrote.
Hand-written notes were also found next to some victims. Simons appeared before magistrates in 1995 on one charge of murder and kidnap. His trial lasted three months, leading to a conviction and life sentence.
He is currently serving his sentence in Drakenstein Maximum Correctional Facility, Paarl.
Simons appealed his conviction in 1998, but his conviction was upheld. In 2005, an inquest was opened into the deaths of the remaining victims.
After three years of further analysis, the victims" parents came no closer to an answer. On 9 December 2008, Regional Magistrate Marelize Rolle stated that she believed prima facie evidence showed Simons was probably responsible for the deaths of at least six of the other victims.
However, due to the time lapse, she ruled out further prosecutions in the case.
