Since 2007, Peter Dashboy Khoza, have kidnapped several young girls between the ages of eight and 14, and took them to the bushes in the Phalaborwa, Tembisa and Soweto areas.

Here he raped and sexually and physically assaulted them, before he left them to find their way home in the dark. Some victims were kept for the entire night and were raped repeatedly. In other instances the victim’s friends were taken along, and they were forced to bear witness to the trauma.

During his rampage, he was arrested and detained three times, but continued with the crimes as soon as he was released on bail.  

In 2016 the police successfully apprehended him with the help of expert pathologists, forensic psychologists and crime scene investigators who are tasked with solving the country’s most heinous crimes.

He was found guilty on 139 of the 152 charges against him. One of the experts lauded for his arrest and subsequent incarceration was Lt Col Elmarie Myburgh, a proud alumna of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Potchefstroom.

 
NWU alumna Elmarie Myburgh boasts the most practical experience within the field of forensic psychology in South Africa.

After 21 years, she has more than 50 serial murder cases, 70 serial rape cases and numerous other murder investigations under her belt. She is also the only violent risk assessment expert employed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and boasts academic and practical experience in the field.  

Elmarie was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2018.

The role of a forensic psychologist
As an investigator in the SAPS’s Investigative Psychology Unit (IPU), Elmarie’s job sees her involved in intimate partner murders, muti murders and serial rapist cases. Her team works closely with pathologists and other forensic experts who, according to Elmarie, have a symbiotic relationship.

Every crime scene has a psychological value to Elmarie and her colleagues.

“If a person walks into a room and just shoots you, it’s to get rid of you as quickly as possible. If a person walks in and hits you with a hammer a few times and then strangles you, obviously there’s a lot more anger involved,” says Elmarie.

She explains that in the end everything fits together like a puzzle: the forensic clues on the crime scene, the method used to kill, the wounds, signs of sexual abuse and the level of pain inflicted.

Over the years Elmarie has worked on solving cases such as the Quarry (Pretoria) Phoenix, Wemmerpan, Nasrec, Thohoyandou and Capital Hill serial killers. She also assisted in the Makhado, Weltevredenpark, Mountain Rise, Tembisa and Soweto serial rape cases.

Elmarie has also assisted internationally acclaimed crime fiction writer Deon Meyer with research for his books. He has been quoted as saying that for a novelist, Elmarie is the perfect law enforcement source because she is very good at what she does. “She understands the heart of a detective and psyche of a criminal, but what makes her so exceptional is that she also reads crime fiction,” says Deon.

Elmarie as a panellist during the 2018 Boekejol en Filmrolfees. Here she is in discussion with crime writers Schalk Schoombie and Charne Kemp.

Training nationally and internationally
As a leader in her field, Elmarie often delivers research papers and training workshops both nationally and abroad.

Her expertise is put to use in the development of training curriculums and presentations for several criminology and psychology courses.

“Through the IPU, I present a course called psychologically motivated crimes which is presented three times per year. It is only for detectives and members who are involved in forensic work relating to serial investigations,” says Elmarie who has also lectured at the California School of Forensic Studies and the Alliant International University in Fresno.

Her own training includes a BA degree (1991), a BA Honours degree in Criminology (1992) and a BA Honours degree in Psychology (1993) – all obtained from the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.

Elmarie (far right) with, from left, Celia Willms, Elmarie Weyer and Tharina Naude during a recent Karlien reunion.

She followed this up with a Diploma in Criminal Justice and Forensic Auditing at the former Rand Afrikaans University (now UJ) in 2004.  

She has undergone training at world-renowned institutions such as the Academy for Scientific Investigative Training, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Ontario Provincial Police Academy, St Louis University, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the Laboratory for Scientific Interrogation and Forensic Behaviour Sciences International.