Episode 8: The Unsolved Murder of Jacoba Schroeder

Loading player...
In 1949, 18-year-old Jacoba Schroeder had been drawn to the bright lights of Johannesburg in the hopes that she could pull herself out of poverty and cast aside the shackles of her social class. Sadly, Jacoba was looking for a knight in shining armour in the wrong place and she instead found herself in a situation beyond her control. The discovery of her body in Birdhaven Plantation sparked an investigation and trial which would inhabit the imaginations of the world for a year and its unbelievable outcome would haunt South Africa for decades to come. Community Intervention Centre (24-hour Trauma helpline: 082 821 3447); Sources: http://www.rahlaxenopoulos.co.za/home
https://eensgesind.com/category/doodloopspore/
https://bygonesandbyways.blogspot.com/
http://www.africacrime-mystery.co.za/books/fsac/index.html
12 Sep 2019 English South Africa True Crime · Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

Episode 199 The Crimes of Peter Frederiksen Part 2

Part 2 of 2 In 2015 a slew of Hawks officers descended on a nondescript home in Bloemfontein. After detaining Danish national Peter Frederiksen the officers' first stop was his freezer. Inside, they found exactly what Peter's terrified wife had confessed they would. That discovery, though, was just the beginning…
7 Jan 1 hr 04 min

Episode 199 The Crimes of Peter Frederiksen Part 1

In 2015 a slew of Hawks officers descended on a nondescript home in Bloemfontein. After detaining Danish national Peter Frederiksen the officers' first stop was his freezer. Inside, they found exactly what Peter's terrified wife had confessed they would. That discovery, though, was just the beginning of a very dark…
7 Jan 1 hr 05 min

TCSA Rewind: Episode 100 The Murder of Siam Lee (with updates)

This is a TCSA Rewind episode - designed to bring more attention to some of the back catalogue of episodes and provide updates in cases I've covered in the past. This episode was first released in December 2022. Listen through to the end for an update including additional information I've…
17 Dec 2025 1 hr 58 min

Episode 198 The Serial Crimes of Elifasi Msomi

In the 1950s in the KZN Midlands, one of the country's first recorded serial killers began a series of crimes which would go down in history for a few different reasons. More than 70 years later, this vintage true crime case remains one of the most infamous tales of coldblooded…
14 Dec 2025 1 hr 11 min

Episode 197 The Murder of Romay van Rooyen

When a well-known magistrate is found murdered in her home, the Crimes Against the State unit are called in to investigate what could be another terrible silencing of a voice of justice. The truth behind Romay van Rooyen's murder, though, was far closer to home. This episode was first released…
5 Dec 2025 45 min