Daniel Smit Found Guilty of Premeditated Murder of Teen, Court Hears of Occult Involvement

The Western Cape High Court has found Daniel Smit guilty of multiple charges, including the premeditated murder of 13-year-old Jerobejin van Wyk. The crime occurred in February 2022 after Smit accused van Wyk and a friend of stealing fruit from his property. Human remains were later discovered in sewage pipes on Smit’s property, leading to his arrest.

Smit faced five charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, violating a corpse, and defeating the ends of justice. While he pleaded guilty, Smit argued that the murder was not premeditated. However, Judge Hayley Slingers concluded that Smit’s intent to kill was clear.

During the proceedings, Smit’s defense introduced psychologist Casper van Zyl, who testified about Smit’s background and mental state. Van Zyl highlighted Smit’s withdrawn nature, his Christian upbringing, and later involvement in occult practices, including “Chinese occult” and satanism, which began when Smit was 13. Van Zyl noted that Smit was cautious in discussing these practices, possibly due to fear of victimization.