Life imprisonment for man convicted of murdering elderly farmer for insurance money

The Oudtshoorn Regional Court has sentenced Francisco Erasmus to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of an elderly farmer for insurance money.

The sentence comes after the State successfully argued that Erasmus planned the murder of Abraham Herandien, 60, motivated by financial gains.

Herandien met Erasmus in 2019, when he used to take food to him and his wife.

Erasmus took them to different banks in Oudtshoorn and George to open bank accounts and apply for life policies.

He and Herandien's wife were beneficiaries of some of the policies, and he also kept their bank cards and documents.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, highlighted that on March 21, 2023, Erasmus rented a vehicle in George and drove to the farm to pick up Herandien.

Herandien's wife testified that she saw the driver of the car with black clothing covering his whole body when he arrived at their house.

She could only see his eyes.

Herandien told her that the person was going to help him with his SASSA grant application, and they then left.

Provincial traffic officers then came across the vehicle next to Dysselsdorp Road, and testified as State witnesses that they found the injured elderly man in the passenger seat.

They noticed blood on the door of the passenger side as well as inside the vehicle, where Herandien had been stabbed.

They asked him who had stabbed him, and he pointed at Erasmus, who was standing on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

The traffic officers asked Erasmus to drive in front of them towards Oudtshoorn, where Erasmus was arrested at a roadblock, and Herandien was declared dead.

"Police found a knife blade in the vehicle, a make-up kit, a lady’s bra, contact lens holders, syringes, and black material in a bag. It was evident that the accused wanted to hide his identity," said Ntabazalila. 

Following the trial, Erasmus was convicted of premeditated murder, and the State asked the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.

It further argued that the accused could not be rehabilitated, considering his previous convictions that he was out on parole when he committed the murder.

In her Victim Impact Statement, Herandien’s widow said she and her husband had been together for 42 years since the ages of 17 and 19 years.

They did not have any children, and she is now left all alone.

Regional Court prosecutor, Michelle Weyers, argued that the seriousness of the crime justifies a sentence of life imprisonment.

"The NPA welcomed the sentence and praised Adv Weyers and the investigation team for their sterling work to ensure justice for victims of this crime," said Ntabazalila. 

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