Man jailed for 40 years after stabbing wife 18 times and hiding her body

A 44-year-old Mpumalanga man has been sentenced to an effective 40 years’ direct imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife, whom he stabbed 18 times before attempting to conceal her body.

The Middelburg High Court sentenced Werner Albertus Muller after he entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State in terms of Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Muller pleaded guilty to murdering his wife, Rene Collen Priscilla Muller, and to defeating the administration of justice.

The court heard that the couple had been married for less than a year and had experienced ongoing marital disputes before the fatal incident.

On April 11, 2026, an argument broke out at their Secunda home over the collection of Muller’s depression medication.

During the confrontation, Muller walked to the kitchen in an attempt to avoid the argument, but his wife followed him. The dispute escalated and he armed himself with a kitchen knife before repeatedly stabbing her.

The court heard that Rene Muller sustained 18 stab wounds, including defensive injuries, and died at the scene.

After killing his wife, Muller attempted to cover up the crime by cleaning blood from the house with pine gel before hiding her body in an outside room.

Senior State Advocate Themba Lusenga told the court the murder was a senseless act of violence committed within the context of domestic abuse and argued that a lengthy prison sentence was warranted.

To demonstrate the brutality of the attack, the State presented crime scene photographs and the post-mortem report, which confirmed the extent of the victim’s injuries.

Although the offence ordinarily attracts a prescribed sentence of life imprisonment, the court found that substantial and compelling circumstances justified imposing a lesser sentence.

Muller was sentenced to 40 years’ direct imprisonment for murder and a further five years for defeating the administration of justice.

The court ordered the five-year sentence to run concurrently with the murder sentence, leaving Muller with an effective prison term of 40 years.

He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control Act.

NPA regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the sentence sends a strong message that perpetrators of domestic and gender-based violence will face severe consequences.

She said the NPA remains committed to ensuring offenders are held accountable while securing justice for victims and their families.