WARNING: GRAPHIC DETAIL
Steven Fortune appeared at the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday [December 2], where he plead guilty to the rape and murder of Michaela Williams (12). During his appearance, Fortune detailed the horrific acts that lead to her death.
The 49-year-old from Pelican Park confessed to intentionally raping and murdering Williams on January 7, 2020 by strangling her with his hands and her skirt and by dropping two concrete blocks onto her head.
The incident occurred on a vacant plot on the corners of 9th Avenue and Schaap Road, Schaapkraal in Wynberg.
According to court papers, Fortune lured Williams to the plot and kept her there against her will. He had been visiting a friend in Lotus River on the day of the murder, and after arriving home, he sat outside and spotted Williams playing.
“When the deceased was alone again I spoke to her and told her that I was going to buy her a birthday present. She did not say anything and then just went inside. When I spoke to the deceased I had already decided to rape and kill her,” Fortune said during his guilty plea. “The deceased and her family were my immediate neighbours and if I left her alive she would easily identify me to the police.
Later that evening, Williams left her home with a friend. When she arrived back home, a police van had also arrived and she joined a crowd who gathered around it. During the commotion, Fortune approached her and told her he would buy her a chocolate if she came with him, which she agreed to.
Upon reaching 9th avenue, Williams refused to walk further. Fortune forced Williams to walk to the back of the vacant plot of land.
“She started screaming and I then placed my hand over her mouth. She struggled with me and she fell to the ground. I tore her orange top which she was wearing and then choked her with my hands. She started fighting back and hit my glasses off my face. This caused my nose to bleed. I then choked her with the orange top until she lost consciousness.”
Fortune then tied her hands behind her back with her top and laid her on her stomach before raping her. Fortune admits to being HIV-positive, and not using a condom during the rape.
“The deceased had regained consciousness and when I penetrated her she began to scream. I pulled off her skirt and tied it around her neck. I used the skirt to choke her and continued to penetrate her in her anus until I was done.”
After the rape, Fortune threw two blocks of concrete on her head “to make sure that she was dead.” He then disguised her body with a blanket, tree branches and grass that was lying around.
After returning home, Fortune joined the community in searching for the deceased.
The day after, Fortune’s sister told him the police were looking for him. He gave his nephew his phone and ring and asked him to tell his mother to call the police and meet him at Shoprite. Half an hour later, the police came to collect him and he confessed to the rape and murder, and lead them to her body.
To end off his statement, Fortune asked for forgiveness from the family of Williams.
“The accused is convicted on all counts and his case has been postponed to Friday for possible sentencing procedures,” said the NPA’s Eric Ntabazalila following his appearance.
Picture: Pexels
