Renowned criminal profiler, Micki Pistorius, is a household name in South Africa if you follow true crime in any way, shape, or form. As someone who follows quite a bit of true crime, both local and international, I was familiar with her work. However, it wasn’t until I watched the TV series based on her book, Catch Me A Killer (streaming on Prime), that I truly delved into the amazing life and extraordinary work of Micki Pistorius.
And when I finished binge-watching the show, you best believe I immediately bought the book!
Catch Me a Killer by Micki Pistorius
South Africa has dealt with—and I’m pretty sure are still dealing with—quite a few serial killers. Some of these serial killers are infamous around the world, whereas others are simply of interest to psychologists, criminologists, and law enforcers. They are chaotic, intelligent, brutal, and arrogant. They are broken human beings, who wants to inflict pain on the world in much the same way the world has inflicted pain on them …
Micki Pistorius, South Africa’s first criminal profiler, caught many of these serial killers during the 90s and early 2000s. Catch Me a Killer: A Profiler’s True Story revolves around some of the cases she worked on and, for lack of a better word, delves into the mind of those offenders.
The Minds of Serial Killers
Where I come from, most people know the name Moses Sithole, a.k.a the ABC Killer, who murdered at least 37 women and one toddler between 16 July 1994 and 6 November 1995. What most people don’t know, however, is that there were more serial killers active in the same areas at that time, all of whom Micki Pistorius were tracking.
David Selepe’s “killing grounds” overlapped with Sithole’s. But there may have been a third serial killer, too. Their modus operandi were similar, their victims alike. This connection was made by Micki Pistorius early on in the investigations, but would never be proven thanks to the death of David Selepe before she had an opportunity to interview him. Nevertheless, her profiles on these killers led to them being caught by the SAPS and, by sharing her theory on this, has inspired armchair detectives to maybe see if she’s on to something.
Then, there’s Stuart Wilken, a.k.a. Boetie Boer. While probably not as well known as Sithole, he is by far more interesting in a psychological sense (to me, at least). He killed individuals from two distinct victim types: female prostitutes and young boys. He also killed his own daughter … Wilken was convicted of 7 counts of murder and two counts of sodomy on 20 February 1998.
The abovementioned cases are just some of the ones Micki Pistorius discuss in Catch Me A Killer: A Profiler’s True Story, and let me tell you, it is a fascinating journey.
The Mind of a Prolific Profiler
While the serial killer she talks about are without a doubt interesting, what I found especially intriguing was how she had coped. As Micki Pistorius entered the “abyss” to find those killers, to enter their minds, to see and understand them, was both remarkable and terrifying. At the time, Micki was 36. And while catching those killers, she was also training detectives like Piet Byleveld in finding killers based on their psychology, hanging out with Robert Ressler from the FBI, and presenting case studies at Scotland Yard. The woman was a machine and her compassion unprecedented!
Micki Pistorius reiterates often in her book that she doesn’t condone what the killers had done. However, she also doesn’t view the killers in the same way the media portrays them: Monsters. She saw them. Broken people who did terrible things. And yes, some were scarier than others, but the thing we forget is that they are human beings … and human beings are capable of heinous things.
Of course, all of this did take its toll on her (as it would anyone).
A Fantastic Book Worth the Hype
The show got me hooked, but the book surpassed my expectations by going in-depth into Micki Pistorius’ story, the cases, and the world of psychology. There is a tenderness in how she explains what happened with the victims, too. There’s nothing gratuitous about this book, which I also find very refreshing.
All in all, Catch Me A Killer: A Profiler’s True Story is a fantastic book that’s worth the hype and I can’t recommend it enough to people who love true crime. And if you would rather watch the show, go right ahead. The TV adaptation stays pretty close to the book, but do keep in mind that you will miss out on some interesting details.
