‘Charming psychopath’ Kyle Ruiters jailed for life

‘Charming psychopath’ killer, Kyle Ruiters, will serve a lifetime behind bars after he was sentenced at the Western Cape High Court for the murder and dismemberment of Lynette Volschenk.

Ruiters, who described himself as a “charming psychopath and a smart serial killer”, was convicted earlier this year on charges of premeditated murder, violating a corpse, and attempting to defeat the administration of justice.

National Prosecuting Authority, Eric Ntabazalila, said in judgment Judge Robert Henney argued that declaring the accused a dangerous criminal would force him to find substantial and compelling circumstances for him to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.

“He found that the substantial and compelling circumstances presented by the accused paled into insignificance if one had regard to the total circumstances of the case,” said Ntabazalila.

Ruiters was referred to Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital for psychiatric evaluation during the trial due to the gruesome nature of the premeditated murder he committed.

In his report, Professor Sean Kaliski declared: “He is not mentally ill and has definite psychopathic traits. If convicted the court should be cautious whether he be declared a danger to the physical and mental well-being of others as envisaged in Section 286A of the Criminal Procedure Act.”

Ruiters murdered Volschenk on August 21 2019 when he fatally stabbed her multiple times inside her Bellville flat.

Ntabazalila said: “In his plea of guilty in terms of Section 112(2) of the Act of 1977, he told the court that he was an extensive drug user and owed his drug dealer R30 000. The drug dealer threatened him with severe consequences if he did not pay. He formulated a plan to murder someone to take their valuable items, sell them and settle the debt. He initially researched various possible victims, taking notes, and making videos of their movements to and from their residence, their places of work and any incidental places they frequented. He also tracked their social media activities.

“He did the same with Volschenk and made notes of his intention to kill her. He even drafted a message for her family and friends in case they came looking for her, but he did not post the message but kept it on his phone. After killing her, he dismembered her body parts and disposed of some along Jip de Jager Drive, Bellville. The victim's colleagues panicked after she did not show up at work, and found the accused inside her flat wearing yellow gloves and attempting to clean blood stains. He lied to them saying she employed him to clean her flat. He misled the police and took them to Jack Miller Park, Frans Conradie Road, Bellville, where he claimed he disposed of the head although he knew that he dumped it in the bushes near Jip de Jager Road, Bellville. This constituted the attempt to defeat the administration of justice charge,” said Ntabazalila.

Judge Henney said on the totality of the evidence the accused was without doubt a dangerous criminal, who not only posed a danger to society but to women specifically

In judgment Henney said he was “certain the accused would commit offences again” if he were released back into society.

Ruiters was sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder, 15 years imprisonment for violating her corpse and 5 years imprisonment for the attempt to defeat the ends of justice. He declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm.