Oberholzer Mauritz

Age 66.Mauritz Oberholzer, a 63-year-old farmer (variously recorded as 66 years old in some high court documents), was murdered on his farm located in the Brits district of the North West Province, South Africa.The attack occurred on Wednesday, September 5, 2012. Multiple armed attackers breached the security of the homestead and broke into the house. During the violent intrusion, Mauritz went to investigate or confront the attackers and was shot and killed. The perpetrators then proceeded to assault and torture his 60-year-old wife, Rita Oberholzer, before ransacking the home. They fled the crime scene carrying a rifle safe that contained two revolvers, a rifle, and valuable jewelry.Mauritz died from fatal gunshot wounds sustained during the initial ambush.A swift law enforcement operation resulted in the arrest of two Zimbabwean nationals, Bismark Dick (27) on September 17, 2012, and Samuel Mabena (28) on September 27, 2012. Police found Bismark Dick in physical possession of Mauritz's stolen rifle. Strikingly, ongoing investigations revealed that just over two weeks later, on September 22, 2012, Samuel Mabena went on to orchestrate the high-profile murder of former world heavyweight boxing champion Corrie Sanders during a separate armed robbery at a lodge near Brits.The criminal trial concluded in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria under Judge Lettie Molopa. Both defendants were found guilty of housebreaking with intent to rob, robbery with aggravating circumstances, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and murder. On June 24, 2015, Judge Molopa handed down a sentence of life imprisonment for the murder, paired with an additional 60 years collective sentence for the secondary crimes.