PODCAST | A small-town nightmare: The murders of Marna Engelbrecht and Sharnelle Hough

On May 26 2018, the house mother at Stella High School’s girls' hostel awoke to horror.

In the early hours of the morning, two young residents had been murdered.

From initial evidence it appeared teenagers Marna Engelbrecht and Sharnelle Hough may have taken their own lives in a tragic suicide pact, but it soon became clear that this was a case of cold-blooded murder.

Listen to the podcast episode:

The name of the young man who would eventually be convicted of the crimes was already on the lips of grieving Stella residents in the hours after the grisly discovery. Xander Bylsma was Sharnelle’s ex-boyfriend and in addition to a history of troublemaking in the area, he harboured a clear and dangerous obsession with his ex.

In episode 110 of True Crime South Africa, we delve into the dark abyss of abuse and coercive control in teenage relationships and how young love can turn deadly when experienced by an emotionally unstable individual.

For more episodes, click here.

Community Intervention Centre (24-hour trauma helpline): 082-821-3447

Join the conversation on Twitter at #TrueCrimeSA

E-mail the show: info@killeraudiocreations.com

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.