Hannah Cornelius and her friend Cheslin Marsh were kidnapped in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in May 2017. Cornelius, a 21-year-old student, was raped and murdered; Marsh, 22, survived and was hospitalized. The four accused were Vernon Witbooi, Geraldo Parsons, Eben van Niekerk, and Nashville Julius.
During the trial, Parsons described the car theft, the sexual assault of Cornelius, and the attack on Marsh. According to his testimony, Witbooi beat Marsh; van Niekerk stabbed Cornelius, and Witbooi hit her with a rock. Marsh regained consciousness and asked for help.
In 2018, all four were sentenced to prison terms totaling 358 years. The sentence came after a kidnapping that left Hannah dead and Cheslin hospitalized.
