Cape Town - Behind a vibracrete wall and between large trees, the stench of death, petrol, and blood hung in the air of a quaint house on Graham Street.
This was the scene that greeted a mother of one of nine men who was killed in the unassuming house in Sea Point, Cape Town, 20 years ago.
Today the vibracrete has been replaced with a solid wall and the house is home to tenants and has been described as a peaceful place to live.
The house was last sold five years ago for over R6 million.
The Weekend Argus has begun a journey to revisit former murder scenes, homes where some of the Western Cape’s most shocking crimes were committed.
Two decades ago the house was the scene of the Sizzlers massacre, in January 2003. The nine men were shot and killed in what was believed to have been a botched robbery. Quinton Taylor was the sole survivor.
A waiter, Adam Woest, and taxi driver, Trevor Theys, were convicted of the murders. Woest is still in jail, and last week was in a bid to be granted parole. Theys died in prison in 2008.
The current owners said there were between two to three other owners before they came on board. The identity of the owners will not be revealed due to sensitivity.
“We have renovated the house. The person who did this is still in jail,” said the woman. Over the years many have lived inside the house.
“We were not the owners at the time when this happened. We have been the owners for five years. It is a peaceful house. It was in the past. There were different landlords and even a Jewish guy before who owned it.”
The owners said they did not want to discuss anything further about the premises and asked that their privacy be respected.
The house’s colour has not changed much and was a light shade of paint.
The exterior wall, previously vibracrete, has been replaced with a solid wall and metal railings, and there are large trees as there were 20 years ago.
Just last week, Woest, who is imprisoned at Kgosi Mampuru Prison, was part of a Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) where the sole survivor, Quinton Taylor, was present with family of the slain victims.
During the VOD, the families said, Worst revealed he always had the deep-rooted desire to kill and that he believed the property was home to human traffickers who had young boys there and drugs.
The families said Woest had not been rehabilitated and should not be granted parole as he posed a danger to society as a psychopath who showed no remorse
In March 2016, Woest did not meet the requirements for parole.
The mother of one of the victims, Marlene Visser, began a personal blog, called “Moms Blog”. when Woest began his parole bid.
She wrote a letter to Woest in which she told of how she remembered visiting the crime scene and the darkness and pain this evoked.
“Going back to 2003, I will never forget the devastation as I walked through the crime scene at Sizzlers in Sea Point, after the horrendous massacre took place where 10 innocent people were tortured. It was quiet as I moved from room to room.
“The stench of death, petrol, and blood hanging in the air. I dropped to my knees and wept as I thought of the trauma, the anguish, and torment that our children must have gone through in their final hours.
“Each room told a gruesome story of pain, suffering, fear, torment, horror – blood spattered across the walls, carpets, cupboards, and … games. The games, a sad reminder that some of these victims were mere teenagers, as young as 16 to 17 years old. Games like Cluedo, chess, Monopoly, dominoes, cards, snakes & ladders, were strewn across the floor … bloodstained.
“My heart ached as I saw my son’s boots under one of the beds. Boots that I’d bought him for his birthday were covered in blood. In the far corner stood a mass of coagulated blood that resembled dark jelly … as if a large bowl of jelly had been overturned.
“I can’t even begin to imagine the victims' sheer terror, shock, and horror as they watched helplessly while another victim was being ruthlessly tortured … left to choke in his blood while dying a slow and agonising death. Each one fearing the moment when it would be his turn next …
“Ten victims were hunted, tortured, butchered, slaughtered like animals … only one survived to tell the tale.
“I walked into the toilet, and staggered at the bloodied sight. The tiny room where the sole survivor clung to life … determined to survive the ordeal.
“Bullet holes in the door showcased his survival instincts, his sheer courage, and determination to escape and run for help.
“We, the families of these nine victims, thank you sincerely Mr Taylor for your bravery in trying to save the dying.”