Pietermaritzburg Serial Killer Gets Three Life Sentences

SERIAL killer Kershwin Goldstone was on Wednesday handed three life terms in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court for the brutal murders of three pensioners — aged between 89 and 92.

Kershwin Goldstone

Goldstone had pleaded guilty to the spate of murders. Goldstone had admitted that on July 21 he had scaled the walls of the Jacaranda Lodge Retirement Village, where he murdered and robbed 89-year-old Roland Heathcote.

Ten days before his brutal murder, Patricia O’Connor, 92, was strangled in the neighbouring Kenwyn Retirement Home. Ten days after Heathcote’s murder, Patrica Tugwell, 89, who also lived at Jacaranda Lodge, was stabbed.

He fled with the belongings of both women. Goldstone was caught two weeks ago while trying to scale the walls of the Kenwyn old age home once again.

He said in court that the murder spree and robberies at each flat were fuelled by drugs.

Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane, said Goldstone was sentenced to three life terms for three counts of murder, 15 years each on four counts of robbery and five years each on two counts of house-breaking and theft.

At the time of his confession, Goldstone’s family told the Sunday Tribune that the former Alexandra High Pupil wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Tyrell Goldstone, Kerswhin’s younger brother, said Goldstone disappeared from his Pietermaritzburg home last month.

Goldstone lived with his single mother, and siblings including three sisters.

“He couldn’t even hurt his sisters. He couldn’t even pick up a knife,” said Tyrell.

It emerged that Heathcote, who turned 89 on Mandela Day, two days before his death, was wheelchair bound and bludgeoned to death in his bed.

The wedding ring of his late wife was stolen by Goldstone.

Heathcote, O’Connor, and Tugwell have since been laid to rest.

Above: Patricia O’Connor; below: Roland Heathcote and Patricia Tugwell