The untold truth of Boetie Boer (Stewart Wilken), the South African cannibal
For those who have caught wind of the Stewart Wilken documentary, the Showmax Original true crime series is not for the faint-hearted. The show is centred around the life of a convicted killer, Boetie Boer, charged with nine counts of murder and five counts of sexual abuse.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Boetie Boer embarked on a killing spree in 1990. Unlike most serial killers, he never followed the modulus operandi; he was specific about his victims. Boer targeted young boys and female prostitutes.
Boetie Boer's profile summary and bio
| Full name | Stewart Wilken |
| Alias | Boetie Boer (Brother Farmer) |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 11 November 1966 |
| Age | 56 years (as of October 2023) |
| Place of birth | Boksburg, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Famous as | Serial killer |
| Victims | 10+ |
| Span of crimes | 1990–1997 |
| Date apprehended | 1997 |
| Criminal penalty | 7 life sentences |
Boetie Boer's age
Boetie Boer was born on 11 November 1966. As of October 2023, he is 56 years old.
Boetie Boer's parents
Stewart was born in Boksburg, South Africa, and at six months, he and his 2-year-old sister were abandoned in a phone booth. They were rescued by a domestic worker who took them to her employer, a man known only as Doep, who raised them.
Unfortunately, the two siblings endured abuse. At some point, Boetie's sister disappeared, never to be seen again. At two, Boetie was adopted by Doep's neighbours, Mr and Mrs Wilken, who named him Stewart Wilken, although he nicknamed himself Boetie Boer. The family relocated to Port Elizabeth, where he grew up.
He did not do well in school, neither academically nor socially. He was reportedly sexually abused when he was 9.
Boetie Boer's wife
Stewart married the late Lynn Havenga, his first wife, on 25 December 1985. However, they separated after the birth of their only child, Wuane. Unfortunately, Lynn was murdered in June 2005 in Port Elizabeth. At the time of her death, she was married to her third husband, Hermanus Havenga.
Boetie married his second wife, Veronica, a coloured woman with two sons from a previous relationship. They later had two daughters. Unfortunately, this marriage ended after his parents-in-law filed two charges of sexual abuse against Stewart in connection with Veronica's two sons.
Boetie Boer's children
Wuane, Boetie Boer's daughter, died on 29 September 1995 and is one of her dad's victims. Five years into his second marriage, Boetie visited Wuane's mother. Unfortunately, he was the last person spotted with Wuane before she went missing.
Boetie Boer's victims
By 1997, Stewart had been linked to the murder of at least eight people. However, no one connected all the cases until Boetie made a mistake. On 22 January 1997, a 12-year-old boy, Henry Baker, went missing.
After the matter was reported to the police, investigations revealed that Henry was last spotted in the company of Stewart. The victim's mother and grandmother knew Boer, who was under investigation for his daughter's disappearance and two charges of sexual abuse at the time.
Boetie was questioned but denied the charges, claiming he knew nothing about Henry's disappearance and had spent the night at a lady friend's house. However, the alibi was false, resulting in his rearrest on 31 January 1997.
Source: Twitter
Boetie Boer's confession
According to his confession during the investigation, Stewart alleged that Wuane's stepfather had molested her, and there was hardly any food in the house. He alluded that Wuane had hinted at running away from home. He justified his crimes, claiming, "He was sending her soul to God."
Boetie also confessed to doing the same to Henry Baker, alleging that his parents abused him. He showed the investigating officers where the two bodies were.
He further confessed to his lawyer, describing his crimes in detail, using foul language. He insinuated that he had at least ten victims. Outlined below are Boetie Boer's victims and the years he murdered them:
| Victim's name | Age | Date of murder |
| Monte Fiko | 15 years | February 1990 |
| Virginia Gysman | 25 years | October 1990 |
| Mercia Papenfus | 37 years | January 1991 |
| Street boy | 14 years | October 1991 |
| Street boy | Not mentioned | 1993 |
| Georgina Boniswa Zweni | 42 years | July 1995 |
| Wuane | 10 years | September 1995 |
| Katriena Claassen | 22 years | May 1996 |
| Street boy | Not mentioned | 1996 |
| Henry Baker | 12 years | January 1997 |
Is Boetie Boer still alive?
Boetie Boer was charged with nine counts of murder and five counts of sexual abuse. He is still alive and is serving his prison sentence.
On 27 February 1998, the Port Elizabeth Supreme Court found him guilty of seven counts of murder. He received seven life sentences and is currently serving his sentence at a prison in Bloemfontein.
Boetie Boer's Showmax documentary
Boer's rampage of death has been documented in Boetie Boer: Inside The Mind Of A Monster. The show's first episode aired on Showmax on 18 October 2023, stirring mixed reactions. The show has been billed as the most disturbing original true-crime series on the platform.
Boetie Boer's show's episodes
The show's episodes will be streamed weekly. They will be released every Wednesday until 15 November 2023. The five-part documentary is a co-production between Fifth Floor Films and Stage 5 Films.
Boetie Boer's crimes put him in the spotlight. His biography explores the other aspects of his life, highlighting unknown facts about him.
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Source: Briefly News
