CAPE TOWN – A 76-year-old pensioner from Muizenberg has been sentenced to 21 years years behind bars for the gruesome murder of his wife, Franziska Carter, in October 2020. William Carter pleaded guilty in the Western Cape High Court to the heinous crime, admitting to beating his wife with a tyre lever and then stabbing her in the back before staging a house robbery to cover his tracks.
William Carter faced a string of charges related to the murder of Franziska, which occurred just days before the couple were due to finalise their divorce. The court heard how the Carters had lived together for many years in Marina Da Gama before separating in 2015, with William relocating to the United States.
Five years later, he returned to South Africa with the intention of finalising the divorce, making his way back to their former home in Uitsig Road.
A Day of Drinking and Deadly Confrontation
According to his statement, on the day of the murder, William had lunch with a friend and later purchased a bottle of tequila. He then went to their former residence, entered a flatlet on the property, and decided to stay the night, claiming he had been drinking during lunch.
When Franziska arrived home, she was angered to find him there, as they had arranged to meet several days later to finalise the divorce proceedings.
Carter claims that an argument ensued, but that they eventually resolved the issue and Franziska agreed to let him stay. He says he borrowed a DVD to watch, but upon returning it, Franziska began complaining about a broken door and other maintenance issues at the matrimonial home.
Tyre Lever Attack and Stabbing
William further alleges that the argument escalated when Franziska began berating him about his mistress, who was back in America, using derogatory names. He claims she then picked up a tyre lever, intending to hit him.
In a chilling account, William admits to grabbing the iron from her and chasing her into the kitchen, where he proceeded to beat her "all over her body." Realising the gravity of his actions, he then went to the pantry to drink more wine.
Elaborate Cover-Up
Neighbours, alerted by the commotion, contacted the police. However, William claims he refused to open the door and instead began staging a robbery to conceal his crime.
He confessed to stabbing Franziska and then ransacking the house, throwing clothes around and removing jewellery from the safe to create the impression that they had been attacked by thieves.
As part of the elaborate cover-up, he even shot himself in the stomach with a firearm before calling for help.
Sentence and Suspension
William Carter was ultimately sentenced to 21 years in prison. However, six years of this sentence were suspended, meaning he will serve an effective 15 years in prison.
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