The Brutal Murder of the Van Breda Family

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[@TheCasualCriminalist]

Go to sheath.com/criminalist and use the code “CRIMINALIST” to get 20% off your order

[@pattierotondo1108]

They were watching a movie, so Star Trek II should be the Wrath of Khan.

[@donnabert]

It's blood spatter, not splatter: Explanation Blood spatter is a term used in forensic science to describe the patterns created by blood when it is acted upon by force. Blood spatter analysis can help determine the direction of a weapon swing or the type of injury that caused the blood. Types of blood spatter Impact spatter: Created when a force is applied to a liquid blood source Projection spatter: Created by arterial spurting, expirated spray, or spatter cast off an object Cast-off patterns: Created when blood is ejected from a bleeding object during movement Void or shadow patterns: Created when an object or person shields an area from blood Factors that affect blood spatter Velocity: The speed at which the blood was moving when it hit a surface Source: Whether the blood came from a wound, pool, or was cast off an object Surface: The surface the blood hit

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

"I *used to* laugh at inappropriate times." Simon. You laugh at inappropriate moments all the time on this channel, and we love you for it.

[@Fitz1993]

Yeah, he's definitely the type of guy to laugh at a funeral.

[@constancestripling8816]

I​@Fitz1993 I cannot handle funerals. I inevitably laugh . I hide behind my hair and luckily most folks think I'm crying. I used to laugh whenever I was in trouble. 😂😂😂😂

[@jackcurtis9680]

2 words. He got two words into a script before going on a tangent. I fucking love it. Never change, Simon, and to the writers, we all love you too! I hope you take notes on where you think he'll tangent as you're writing your scripts 😂

[@cristianaragon292]

😂😂

[@ONEDVSDVIT]

dont encourage him! ffs!

[@philtkaswahl2124]

People would know Simon got Doppelgangered he didn't go into tangents.

[@emmafreylink]

we definitely do 😅

[@mechanical_chaos]

I specifically watch true crime here just to hear his tangents lol

[@HealingBlight]

Shoutout to the editor who perfectly placed the sponsored segment right after Simon saying he pays for all the different streaming services.

[@charbird20]

Comedic genius

[@drizzify7850]

I was expecting Rocket money tbh

[@sujimtangerines]

​@drizzify7850 Looking for this comment.

[@HealingBlight]

@ Oh we really missed a trick with that one.

[@robertpotter2659]

😂❤

[@maribethmorgan7886]

I really enjoy how Emma specializes in stories that involve the family unit. She’s really able to unpack the family dynamic very well without overwhelming the audience with all the individuals involved. Whether the family as a whole is the victim, or a combination of both perpetrators and victims, she really draws me in and keeps me intrigued throughout the whole video.

[@emmafreylink]

Aww, thank you! This comment made my day 💜

[@smugandsmarmy]

@@emmafreylink I’m late in watching this one so I’m going to reply here. I agree with the above comment, wholeheartedly. I always get excited to hear a script you’ve written. They’re always so rich with details on the entire story and I genuinely appreciate all of your hard work. ♥️

[@constancestripling8816]

Emma is a fabulous writer. Such a complicated story with such a smooth translation. Bravo

[@A.Girl.Has.No.Name.]

The randomness of Simon's commentary always gives me a chuckle. We're also proud of you for never having pissed yourself when drunk, Simon! 😂

[@GardinerAlan]

Incredible that Simon doesn't think he's posh even though he went to boarding school, knows people that play polo and doesn't know how to pronounce Rochdale or Rotherham

[@gordonlumbert9861]

As somebody in the States either one would cause somebody to think you might be out version of posh

[@icp2724]

Fn yeah. Love Simon but damn....yeah

[@Someone-z8r]

Oh no doubt.

[@derekblair1645]

I love when Simon says things and doesn’t realize his privilege is showing. It’s half the fun 😂

[@jezpeep538]

Oh he's incredibly out of touch with some things but that's normal

[@symonew33]

I really like how this channel does so many cases from South Africa. Not many true crime channels do crimes from that part of the world

[@mariz2361]

Emma, the writer, lives there.

[@PrepYo]

Isn't another one of the writers from SA? Ilse iirc? Or does she only do DTU?

[@catalintoporascu466]

Yeah, I liked the Asian ones too (China I believe). But it's been a while. But it's always interesting to hear new cases, since the US / European are more known.

[@mariz2361]

@@PrepYo I may have picked on the wrong of his 'basement' crew...

[@PrepYo]

@@mariz2361 oh I'm not sure where Emma is from, I should've said "also from SA" sorry 🙈

[@SamuelGeist]

Poor Simon. I agree with him, richer people SHOULD be nicer. But most rich people either got rich by being awful or became awful after getting rich.

[@i.b.640]

There is a study were people had to play Monopoly and some people got more money and hotels right at the start. And everyone knew this, that they got a head start. By the end they were absolutly convinced, they won because they were simply better players than everbody else. The human mind appearently needs to tell itself that it deserves its privilege to be able to enjoy it/live with itself. (Also, they ate more than their share of the Snacks on the table)

[@Tina06019]

@@i.b.640 I really do not like playing Monopoly.

[@Strider91]

Sadly, data proves that the issue isn't that rich people are unhappy, its more that in many societies its easier to become rich if your an asshole. Psychopaths have an easier time at making millions, because they aren't afraid to screw people over or hurt others to make a quick buck.

[@theemissary1313]

Not heard the whole of the casual criminalist crime rules, but "Research the prisons you might be sentenced to" sounds like a great disincentive to commit crime.

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

Emma scripts are some of my favorites! They're always crazy stories I've never heard before.

[@cripplious]

Good Simon: Why do I do this show? Evil Simon: we love money, fact boi.

[@brandonquist8394]

Learning stuff with Factboi

[@toxxicx]

Except true crime is like the number one demonetized topic on YT lol

[@me1123581321]

I really love Emma's scripts. They're usually new cases to me, she really goes into the science and detective sides of the investigation, and I just love her voice in the script. Thank you Emma!!!!

[@emmafreylink]

You're welcome!

[@ThroneOfBhaal]

Love the cases from South Africa, Hong Kong and China when we have them. Excellent writing, editing and presenting as always! ❤️

[@gregorymeyer1798]

39:50 This public service announcement brought to you by FACT BOI... "Only weed, and a little coke" 😂

[@PanStolasFan]

Only a lil coke is a crazy sentence.

[@mechengr1731]

I hate how people use "they appeared too calm" as a reason to suspect someone. First of all, some people are better at hiding emotions than others. I got told once by someone that i appeared so calm and collected during a school interview, meanwhile i had been pressing my hands into the desk to stop from shaking. Also, ive learned that its better to be calm and collected when contacting emergency services as it makes it easier to relay information and be understood. The call, imo, sounded like someone trying to keep it together.

[@liannadragon]

My trauma mode is a zen like calm. The emotions only hit me later after I've done what needs to be done... been told more than once that it comes across like I don't care ☹

[@mechengr1731]

@liannadragon yeah. Stuff like that bothers me. People cope in different ways

[@liannadragon]

@@mechengr1731 haha, when the emotion does finally hit, coping isn't accurate 😅

[@writeonshell]

Yeah, I hear you. I'm a chronic pain sufferer so have a ridiculously high pain tolerance. I told one my foot was hurting a little, like a 2 or 3 on my pain scale but it was swollen and bruised so they wanted to do an xray. Turns out I hadn't just broken my little toe, I'd smashed it into lots of pieces. So I have laughed and joked through the worst pains imaginable, and if they haven't dealt with me personally before, so many medical professionals assume I'm lying when I say the pain is high, like 8-10 high. "You'd have passed out by now", you'd think, but i swear my body runs on humour and spite these days. Two people's reactions to the exact same stimulus can be entirely different based on their history, their experiences, their body's natural fight/flight/freeze/fawn reaction, and their current mental condition (drugs/alcohol/illness etc) etc.

[@adenkyramud5005]

Yup. I've dealt with lots of things before. Injuries, death, violence to a degree most people only see in movies. In extreme situations my brain just shuts down everything that isn't needed to deal with whatever is happening. I just start coordinating everything like I'm on autopilot. I'll have time for a mental breakdown later hahaha. My brain is just wired differently to most people's, both due to trauma and due to neurodigergence, and people tend to not know how to deal with it so their thinking marks me as odd, uncaring, or even a danger. Guess my dark sense of humor doesn't help with that either😅

[@helenr-b8156]

Wooohoooo finally a video I can actually contribute to! Go me! I am diagnosed with Generalised Tonic Clonic seizures, and I can confirm there is 0 recollection of what happens during them. I was out for over an hour with my first seizure, only waking up to doctors answering me simple questions I got wildly wrong. Urinating during a TC seizure is common, but not guaranteed. I have never urinated during a seizure which I am thankful for, because they're hideously embarrassing enough as it is. However, another common side effect of TC seizures is biting your tongue. I have bitten off actual chunks of my tongue and it is genuinely the single worst thing about having epilepsy, because that hurts SO BAD for SO LONG. 10/10 do not recommend. Having seizures is surprisingly common also. They come in a great many shapes and sizes, and I had my first seizure aged 31. De ja vu is a commonly recognised seizure marker too! Anyway, fab video again, so huge thanks to the Whistlerverse team

[@MamaOzzi]

i appreciate your comment and only wish to add[ firstly, im glad you seem alright and wish you only the best, internet TC sibling! and additonally] as a mother[and what comes with those body changes] Ill be the one to admit i HAVE pee'd myself[and chunk'd my tongue too, ouch], twice now, during TC's. YES IT IS EXTREMELY EMBRASSING. [my TCs are extremely rare, but i have common "absences" and yes, i've peed once during one of those too" but i also admit to it happening to ME, so that anyone who might see my words and it happens to them can go "at least im not the only one" LOL. much love, best of the best

[@theConquerersMama]

You helped me out. Thank you. My non verbal son just started having them. He can't tell me about them so I have worried what he remembers & experiences. I am sorry you have them. Grateful for sharing your insight though.

[@Cec9e13]

I get deja vu that isn't just like, "oh hey, this has happened before," but more like, "My gosh, HOW MANY TIMES has this happened before?" Because it's so strong. Gosh, how lovely LOL

[@helenr-b8156]

@MamaOzzi Seizure Sisters! 🤣 and I don't envy the urination - I absolutely understand what you're saying though and I didn't intend my comment to single out those who have that unfortunate side effect. Best wishes ♡

[@helenr-b8156]

@theConquerersMama Hey Epilepsy Mama! Please just know your son is amongst a family of people who also do not have answers, verbal or non verbal. Those scary unanswered experiences you and your son have are not something you should be ashamed of. In fact, my husband and children are significantly more impacted by my seizures than I am. They have to witness the horrors and have had to learn first aid to help me and they are the ones who witness the tonic clonics, which are horrendous to watch. So, though they're not happening directly to you, I can guarantee you are horrendously impacted far more than your son. I hope you are able to access support and if not, please feel free to reach out and ask my any questions. I can try to give you a seizure perspective and help in that POV. Sending lots of love

[@smugandsmarmy]

2:12:32 - NOTEBOOKS!!? We’re getting notebooks?!? Yeeehaw!! ♥️

[@4ve4dore]

I really enjoy seeing cases from different places than USA. Really cool to have writers from all over the world!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Thanks For this emma! Your scripts are always appreciated

[@wolfwise1135]

I’m a laboratory professional, and I wouldn’t trust a lab that isn’t accredited and it is absolutely egregious that a police lab isn’t accredited. She can say that their lab follows procedure and she can say that they maintain competency but without an accreditation agency inspecting them and reviewing their procedures or records you can’t take her word at the stand. Accreditation means accountability for laboratory work. If his Advocate had the money he could have pushed this unaccredited thing further by trying to go after their records or going undercover.

[@wolfwise1135]

I kid you not one day of missed QC invalidates the whole days results. We once had a missed QC and we had to rerun every patient test again.

[@pattierotondo1108]

Rules in different places are different. Not sure the rules in South Africa.

[@wolfwise1135]

@@pattierotondo1108 I understand that but as a professional I recommend not trusting a laboratory that has no regulatory over sight.

[@denscustompens1996]

I run a lab as part of my day job. Every year we have our accreditation audit and it is stressful as hell having someone look over your shoulder at everything you do and pick out every tiny little thing but honestly, we couldn't function without it. People just naturally try to find quicker ways to do things and sometimes that is where mistakes can creep in which gives erroneous results.vthe accreditation bodies keep everyone in their toes. Lose your accreditation and you may as well shut the lab.

[@laurap6534]

Thank you! Wonderfully written and read as always.

[@mvb88]

Sweet. A 2 hour 20 minute video. Like the longer videos

[@RoseJ1983]

Me tooooo!

[@AstroFan428]

This!

[@Durp-E-Derp]

Simon does have quite the team that keeps me interested for a wide amount of reasons, Danny is entertaining and a wordwizard of legendary proportions George does some ridiculous levels of research Emma covers so many cases that i have never and likely would likely never have heard otherwise Matt puts such a personal and heartwarming approach to the victims, and when he can, avoids even acknowledging the monsters who commit the crimes. Sorry for those i forgot, but its just a quick list comming from my heavily sleep deprived mind. But i know those i have forgot, do some incredible work too

[@i.b.640]

Absolutly. And even though he was only there for a year, I miss Callum.

[@PanStolasFan]

@@i.b.640Yeah Callum and Kevin provided some comedy to balance out the scripts while David’s scripts are like about the worst people and great research. That’s why I recommend the Freeway Killers to him.

[@bowathand]

Sat down yelling "ABSOLUTELY THAT'S WHAT'S IMPLIED BY THE SECURITY'S STATEMENT DHEAD" is an experience singular to the casual criminalist gang

[@SamuelGeist]

Thank you Emma, editor Robert, and Simon. Fascinating case with a lot of interesting little twists and turns.

[@robertpotter2659]

😊❤

[@bananaspliitz9136]

After having a grand mal seizure ik I’m mentally checked out for at least 30 mins. I always refer to the only seizure I had when I was alone. House sitting for my uncle I remember suddenly realizing I was sore and didn’t remember turning on the tv. The last thing I consciously did was sit on the back porch w my coffee to let the dogs out. Apparently(given the tossed up state of the patio furniture) I seized without knocking over my coffee then picked myself up, walked back into the house to sit on the couch and watch tv. Was super weird😂

[@MadetoRamble]

As someone who's worked in disabilities for almost thirty years, I seriously have to question the neurologists assertion that he wouldn't have been unconscious for 2 hours. I've had many clients that took several hours to properly gain consciousness following a Grand Mal seizure

[@vanessac1721]

Henri's full of shit. Seizures my ass.

[@sovereigntae]

We’re being spoiled with these uploads, thank you to the whole team it’s very much appreciated!

[@ArchangelXCI]

As much as I enjoy Emma’s South Africa stories I do miss George’s Hong Kong ones. They had a fun cop vibe with all his detective interviews

[@KosmoAlx]

I have a bad idea. Release all used scripts in ebook format so we can read them on our Kindle.

[@carrieachilles6362]

I'd definitely read that!

[@TheMrrobustus]

I love the edit for Water Polo! Thanks Editor (is it still Jen?)

[@Annie_Annie__]

The editor on this one was Robert.

[@robertpotter2659]

😊❤

[@TheMrrobustus]

@@Annie_Annie__ Thank you!

[@cellochick42]

Coming in STRONG Emma!! Killed it. Best episode in quite a while. Riveting. Keep them coming Whistleboy!

[@velessachan]

Omg the "water polo" illustration did me in 🤣🤣🤣

[@ceg8677]

Can't find any other Aussies who have already done this, so: Mooloolaba has the syllabic emphasis on 'loo'; don't stress the 'moo', it's more like 'muh'; and 'laba' is more like 'labah' with every so slightly more emphasis on bah than la

[@wynnonacotton7265]

I can’t believe you also didn’t address his pronunciation of Buderim, that was horrendous lol. For anyone wondering, it’s basically pronounced Bud-rim

[@ariadnepyanfar1048]

Thanks, as an Aussie that immediately became easy to pronounce. I love our first Australian place names, most of them are so nice and fun to say. Like ‘wisteria’ is so nice and fun.

[@heathergarnham9555]

Was looking to see if anyone had said this yet

[@justincase3230]

​@@ariadnepyanfar1048great, now I need to re-watch desperate housewives 😭

[@Jamesadoodle]

I also highly recommend The Last of Us. Be ready that you won't be ready is all i will say. That said I love how fast Simon will go on a tangent now. I am really hoping the writers have a secret group chat that they talk back and forth and maybe even take bets on what they can write that will trigger one lol

[@Jamesadoodle]

Also, I am not sure where else to do this but I wish one of the writers would write a script for Simon about the Jayme Closs case. These cases can get very dark so having one that at least has a positive ending is something I think Simon deserves. I love to hear him praise victims bravery and calling those who help "legends" and that is what that case is really about her bravery and the heroes who helped her

[@MuMBlzTOKES024]

So as someone that has epilepsy. I have suffered from several different types of seizures over the years. I have grand mal seizures, absance seizures, petit mal seizures as well as complex partial seizures. It is surprising how different all of these seizures can be. Even the separate types of seizures, each seizure can be very different experience while you're having it from other times that you've had even the same kind of seizure. They are all a wild ride. I have definitely had over a week of memory loss, both that I don't remember what happened after the seizure and that I won't recognize people and places from around me like my wife and kids, what year it is, even who I am with some of the really bad gand mal seizures.

[@Baldevi]

Yay Emma! I loev a hefty Caz Crim script! Emma's scripts are excellent and balanced beautifully between the horror and the hope, Crime and Justice, she's mastered this Genre of writing! True Crime, so interesting.

[@emmafreylink]

Thank you! 💜

[@AletuatheFallen]

Talk with not just your doctor/medical practitioner, but to a pharmacist about your medication before mixing it with any intoxicant or other medications ✌

[@lone6718]

💯 %

[@wendychavez5348]

Facts! I won't claim that I avoid alcohol, though I'm aware of what the potential consequences are, and do choose to avoid other controlled substances (unless coffee counts).

[@ilajoie3]

Star Trek II is Wrath of Khan, the second Chris Pine movie is Star Trek Into Darkness

[@michellemahar9030]

This is one of the only channels' whose notifications I keep up with!

[@JessicaMcCauley-u3d]

I look every Friday for Florida man Friday.

[@michellemahar9030]

@JessicaMcCauley-u3d same!

[@nwvfd22]

I saw the time at 2 1/2 hours and though it was just another Dave deep dive, but am pleasantly surprised it's an Emma mega script, yay!

[@meagansefner3215]

Same!!! Exact reaction

[@nowaysis77]

Guys, there was a serial killer in the northeast of Manchester back in the 70s called Trevor Hardy. He was arrested, I think, around the same time as Peter Sutcliffe, and because of this, little was reported about him, giving him the name the forgotten serial killer. You should consider doing a video on him.

[@PalmelaHanderson]

I kind of like how most of this one became a courtroom drama. Nice change of pace. Not that I want ALL of them to be courtroom dramas.

[@Abby_Liu]

I like the courtroom stuff as much as the csi stuff. Especially when the judge is super snarky like in this one. The 200+ pages, as extra as it was I think did the case justice. No there isn’t more than circumstantial evidence. Yes you’re going to jail forever.

[@zarasbazaar]

I rethink the wild animals living in our area when I hear about the dangerous creatures people in other countries have to contend with, although having a neighborhood river with a hippo named Gloria in it sounds pretty cool.

[@slrdxart]

I usually only listen but I managed to catch the visual water polo joke ( 7:20 ) and it made my day, good job editor!

[@Lucie.Greening]

That one had me cackling 😅

[@OmegaSoypreme]

Simon, I like your shirt. Edit: He changed his shirt.

[@lemonlily4022]

😂 Tbh I hate the first shirt, to each their own! Glad I’m not the only one who notices these irrelevant things though!

[@Softsqueakyduck]

Trust me Simon kids grow so fast! My older child just turned 18, I could swear they were 5 last week!

[@theConquerersMama]

Right???

[@CleoHarperReturns]

Henri went from moderate security, to maximum. He's moving up in the world.

[@YourOlderBrotherChannel]

Literally any time I see a family murder where one family member miraculously survived with only superficial scrapes and bruises, I immediately assume THEY were the murderer…

[@JustKrista50]

So, my MIL has seizures. She doesn't remember having them. She won't remember what happens after. It takes her a time to "come around". You have to tell her she's had one, if she's not fallen. A fall, or "waking" on the floor tells her she had one. She won't remember what happened right before. She is usually very confused or unsure. Has a hard time getting back to "normal"... like she'll walk to the kitchen to get water and stand there thinking... trying to understand why she's there. This is well after she's "come around." Right after a seixure she'll wander and ask random questions or think she's is some other point in her life... calling my husband by his child nickname, telling us to go to bed. Wondering where her room is.

[@senoritoburrito2224]

Oh boy! As a south african and a long time watcher/listener i have been waiting for this episode for AGES! I'm about to dive in - already know you're going to have a LOT to say xD

[@veridico84]

I met him at a pub one night, like a year before the murders. He came across as a good dude.

[@audreybiggs4388]

I thought you were talking about Simon, and the second statement threw me for a loop 😂

[@veridico84]

@audreybiggs4388 sadly I have not met Simon as yet.

[@wonky_shoebox7514]

​@audreybiggs4388 me too 😂

[@barbarabell8674]

That’s chilling.

[@thefisherking78]

Whoa seriously? 😮

[@rhov-anion]

Oh man, that neurologist did him wrong. I have the same type of epilepsy, and after a seizure, I will SLEEP for hours. My seizures go like this: first, I will have an aura -- a visual, auditory, or olfactory hallucination, or an extreme emotion; in my case, I see blue flashes and/or smell tutti frutti while getting intense anxiety and a sense of determination as my whole brain screams at me "GET DOWN. NOW. SIT NOW. SERIOUSLY SIT THE F DOWN RIGHT NOW!" I like to think of it as my brain instinctively knowing how to protect itself from what's about to come. Unfortunately, I don't always have auras, which has lead to four devastating injuries from epileptic falls, including breaking a wrist, dislocated my elbow, cracking a rib, tearing varies tendons, and one extremely close call when my seizure happened while cooking dinner, and I fell on top of the 8 inch knife I had been using. That could have gone VERY badly. My aura lasts mere seconds to maybe a couple of minutes, at which point I have my seizure. Usually they are a minute or so, the longest ever was a horrifying 10 minutes that caused some brain damage that still impairs my word recollection ability to this day. I wake up disoriented, often unable to speak or not easily. I look sleepy or drugged. My speech, at best, is slow and slurred, although it can take 15-20 minutes to speak at all. I might not know how to stand. Above all else though is a intense (and I mean REALLY intense) feeling of shame and guilt. I'll sob. I've been told that the first words out of my mouth are usually "I'm sorry." All I want to do is hide away, to the point where I will try to crawl away from people. I have never wet myself in a seizure, but my sister also has epilepsy and does (it's hereditary, my grandpa had them too). I'll be in the post ictal phase for anywhere for 5 minutes, but normally it takes 3-5 days to fully feel normal again. During this time, I'll have smaller absence seizures like an aftershock following The Big One. And this is where the neurologist did him wrong. At least for me, within under an hour after the seizure, and often only minutes after regaining consciousness, I'll absolutely faint dead asleep. I can be out cold for 2 to 16 hours. Yes, that long! It scared my husband, except I kept talking in my sleep and getting up to sleep walk to the bathroom, absolutely non-responsive but at least I wasn't wetting myself. So he figured I was okay and my brain just really, direly needed the rest as it rebooted. After the sleep, I'll still be in a post ictal state, but the longer I sleep, the quicker I recover. If I can sleep 16 hours and recover as soon as I wake up, I'll take it! Finally, I'll be recovered, but every seizure has the risk of long-term problems. I mentioned my issue with word recollection, which is devastating for a writer. I also have missing time, I've ended up with amnesia (once even forgetting who my husband was, luckily didn't last long), my brain forms memories in the wrong order (I'll swear an event happened before I moved when it actually happened 4 years after I moved) and that's not counting all the injuries from falls. So yeah, that doctor did him dirty when he refrained from admitting that epileptics can fall dead-asleep for hours. If the judge has to admit that it's all circumstantial evidence, but most of the reasons for guilt can easily be explained away by a basic knowledge of epilepsy.... Let's just say, if there had been a jury and I was on it, that Hail Mary throw would have 100% established major doubt. If not that he certainly had a seizure, which explains why he waited so long, why he couldn't remember the number for emergency, why he sounded odd, why he pissed himself.... It would ALSO establish that he was not in his right mind. Culpability is in deep question, in my opinion. Epileptics have attacked and killed people either just before the seizure, as your brain can start to "slip away" (can last many minutes) or just after, as you have that paranoia and your brain is still rebooting. I remember a story, it was hyped up as "woooo he's possessed by demons" but I listened to that show and instantly realized, this man was in an absence seizure. He murdered people on a train, then got off the train and walked away, all while claiming he had only a vague idea of his body moving, but like it's someone else moving you, a marionette looking through wooden eyes as the world goes past you, a back seat passenger as someone else drives your body like an Uber. I know that disturbing feeling all too well, I thought I was demon possessed from age 9 to 14 when I was finally diagnosed. So yes, all that totally could have happened while in a seizure. Like I said, I've walked into a busy highway. I've also had an absence seizure last so long, I woke up 5 blocks away. You can still be active in absence seizures. (It's a certain form, the name is escaping me.... Weird recollection problem, see???) But commit an ax murder? Highly unlikely, sure, but not beyond all reasonable doubt, and I would question, if he was watching anime, was he in a sense "sleepwalking" to grab an ax and reenact a scene he just saw Luffy or Zoro do? The anime could have triggered it. If he did have self inflicted wounds, sadly, that's happened for meant epileptics. You don't really feel your body, so it's not painful. I dunno, I would have solid doubt, and now as I think about it, I'm questioning, even if he DID do it, was he totally of sound mind? I can't stop thinking of that mother who accidentally microwaved her baby while in an absence seizure, because literally her body was going through subconscious motions of making dinner. That story is so tragic, I can't even imagine the mother's sense of guilt, especially being accused of murder and months of a trial, having to relive something you have simply no memory of doing. It terrified me, because I've done similar "unconscious competence" actions. Love to my epilepsy fam. 💜

[@violet7773]

This is a really fascinating insight!!! Thank you! It's possible he did commit the acts while "slipping away". But if he was "slipping away", do you think he'd genuinely believe that someone else had done the murders? Or was he lying? Also, do you think it's possible that adrenaline could keep you awake in those minutes between the seizure and the 2-16 hour sleep? As in, if you or your family was in danger and you had a seizure, would it be possible after you awoke for adrenaline to kick in to keep you from falling asleep until you'd called for help? I still personally believe that he purposely and lucidly killed them and then, similar to his testimony, he heard Marli moaning and while approaching her, he had a seizure.

[@LordMarcus]

Jesus, 141 minutes! Glad I coincidentally prepared an enormous cheese and crackers tray. Time to relax to the dulcet tones of Factboy.

[@HyBr1dRaNg3r]

20:00 Surprised Simon isn’t more skeptical of Henry’s story😳

[@KWMQ]

I have to say, when this story broke, it quickly came out that there was no evidence of any breach of the estate security, and that Henri Breda only sustained superficial injuries while the rest of the family was dead or almost dead, my first thought was that he was behind it.

[@christinaify]

I looked up the family before watching to see some faces and just got to the point in the podcast where Simon mentions the dad getting on Marli about her weight. Holy hell, y'all. Go look up this girl. She is model beautiful and as far as I can tell never had more than an extra 10lbs on her. I'm sorry for what happened to them but that dad can f*ck all the way off with his BS body shaming. Respectfully...

[@bararobberbaron859]

Her dad did seem like a hardass and she looks perfectly normal. But to call her model beautiful... No need to lie just because she went through something awful.

[@LolaHappyFace]

​@bararobberbaron859 beauty is subjective and personally I agree that she's gorgeous

[@christinaify]

@@bararobberbaron859 unless I looked at the wrong person I didn’t lie…?

[@meph190]

I love that there are writers for this from all over the world. I’ve seen plenty of true crime based on American murderers etc. so its interesting to hear differing stories from other places.

[@nicholasnewell6360]

"Why can't you say he was really entrepreneurial AND a nice guy?" Because society has learned that is an infrequent combination.

[@DragonKnight963]

@49:05 I can see that being something someone forgets in a time of panic. When I was a child my mom had an oven explode on her and my dad ran out the house screaming to the neighbors what's the number to 911. The LITERAL number to 911

[@Abby_Liu]

😮 was your mum alright

[@DragonKnight963]

@Abby_Liu she is ok now. Her entire body was black but as of now she only has one scar that shows she was burned.

[@mommiesaurus]

Well. Weird. My big 95lb pitbull barked 2 seconds before you said barking dog. I actually apologized to you before my brain said. That can't happen dear. He recorded this days ago. Then my brain said. Even more this is not a 2 way form of communication.

[@andiward7068]

So glad it's not just my brain that debunks me out of order.

[@ktkt9982]

😅

[@boundsofreason8431]

Where can we (hopefully) buy the 2nd edition of the "Don't write down your crimes" notebook?

[@aphie752]

Seconded!! I missed the first run 😭

[@jojo-pk]

​@@aphie752 afaik there was no first run released as the quality wasn't to Simon's liking

[@lemonlily4022]

⁠@@jojo-pkhe’s mentioned somewhere that he then used a second provider and they sold out super fast 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@faerierain7536]

“Leg twitches while falling asleep can be petite mals” Me with epilepsy: ah, I suppose it’s time to see my neurologist again 😮‍💨 I’ve accidentally dodged the man for years.

[@wonky_shoebox7514]

I have drug resistant epilepsy, it takes me two days to recover and my seizures last 3 minites. I dont get auras and i dont wet or soil myself. Mine happen at night which are apparently more dangerous.

[@kelerews]

Simon's reasonable doubt threshold is bigger than his video catalog 😅 There were more chances "aliens did it" than Henry's story to be true 😂

[@janaskibo871]

Thank you Emma. Excellent script. Thank you Simon 😊

[@TashaBryanRENegade]

CasCrim rule 81 and 82, damn, needed that little giggle. Brilliant job as always team!!

[@maquekenzie]

This was incredibly well written and THE NOTEBOOKS ARE COMING BACK AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I HOPE I GET ONE

[@Parks_21]

As soon as you say Emma I know we're going to South Africa,

[@kkwhitney76]

Simon, My daughter just got to my house and my dog barked and then you said is that a dog barking. I about fell out of my chair laughing. LOL

[@Meggzilla]

I had a head injury so severe that I actually fractured my skull, my head was split open and bleeding for 2 days. I was severely concussed to the point that I couldn't read. I'm exceptionally literate. I did not know what was going on, thought I called my mom but didn't, wound up leaving the hospital AMA (yes I regret leaving) and walked home. I didn't vomit, nor was I dizzy. Not being dizzy or vomiting is not a sign of not being concussed. Also, some people should not be allowed to leave AMA!! This is not the only time that I shouldn't have been allowed to leave the hospital. I had a kidney stone that required surgery. The hospital doped me up with Fentanyl, operated, and sent me driving myself home immediately after surgery. I don't remember getting home.

[@ethanstout8226]

Yes Emma, please write a book!

[@Fabala827]

17:34 Simon: Whoa, go Henri! Me, who watches way too much true crime: Oh, no, Simon, no….

[@kristinetaulbut4975]

As a person who has had seizures I can say that afterwards all I can do is sleep. I get very very confused. This lasts hours for me

[@cas1dor]

Where can we preorder the notebooks simon!?

[@ariadnepyanfar1048]

I think 1000 was a severely underestimated run given how fast the 500 sold.

[@GIBBO4182]

Saw 2 hours and 21 minutes and immediately thought it would be a David video…I’m intrigued to see what Emma produces! I much prefer the longer videos, in all honesty. Probably not the best for Fact-boy though! 😂

[@opheliaismyname9180]

The whole explanation of how seizures work is very interesting, because I've been _diagnosed_ with a seizure disorder and didn't know most of this stuff (also the thing about jerking being a seizure has now triggered mine, my head keeps firing back and it's starting to get uncomfortable) In my case it's triggered by fatigue, anxiety, lack of sleep, being on my feet for too long, heat, flashing lights, and, not infrequently, any alcohol whatsoever (I have freaked out people around me several times by taking a single sip of an alcoholic beverage, going 'ah, shit' and promptly slumping in my chair) Yes, antidepressants can have a side-effect of seizures, so I also freaked out the nurse doing my first meds check when I told her that yes, I was having seizures, before clarifying that a medication I'd been on for a month did not explain seizures I'd been having for four years. Also, do not combine booze and antidepressants, and definitely don't combine them with travelsickness meds, which I made the mistake of doing precisely once Also, EEGs don't actually pick up all kinds of seizures, just the electrical ones! I had three while wired up, and because they're not electrical they didn't register (EEG also _gave_ me that flashing lights trigger) I've definitely been accused of being drunk both pre- and post-seizure, because they tend to cause stumbling, slurred and slow speech, slow movement, confusion etc I'm probably categorising seizures wrong, because all my...management plans? The things I give to people who are going to have a high likelihood of seeing one of my seizures because we're going to be around each other a lot, say that if I've been out for more than 30 minutes, you call one of my friends/my parents, depending on where I am. If it's longer than an _hour,_ or if I'm stuck in a strange position (I once locked up in an Exorcist-like backbend that I couldn't get out of and was in a lot of pain) you call the paramedics, but then, I'm not epileptic, so maybe it's different for me? (I've been having seizures for a long time, so the timings are based on what I, personally, find worrying. I'm also technically conscious the entire time, I can hear and feel what's going on, I just can't move or speak or open my eyes, which is worrying when you're a young woman who is attempting to be independent)

[@ariadnepyanfar1048]

I have Present Seizures too and it SUCKS. Although I just Radically Accept them now when it happens. Was in hospital when one started once and my blood tests showed low potassium. Doctor gave me a potassium supplement and the seizure stopped 20mins after, which was notable because mine usually go for an hour or two. Since then I’ve taken pure potassium carefully measured out with the supplied spoon in a big glass of water (too much potassium is dangerous can make your heart syncopate) and that usually heads off or mitigates seizures when they set in (someone else has to get the potassium water for me if I didn’t catch it early). Personal anecdote, not a doctor etc.

[@rebeccaritchie3315]

Calling it now, Henry did it in the house with an axe.

[@colinbanning9416]

Did Simon just admit to doing 'maybe a little coke'?

[@ktkt9982]

Allegedly

[@letsengrave155]

Must have never seen the OG brain blaze have ya?

[@charlesjmouse]

Thank you. A thought: It might be enlightening if one of you South African writers made some comments on how their criminal justice system compares to other counties, as they would seem to be in a good position to do so with a useful opportunity. In most countries such cases are tried with some form of jury, the judge being more of a 'referee' and 'sentencer' than a 'decider' - I'm curious as to their thoughts.

[@garyb9167]

To me, no breach in security could mean that nobody broke into the estate grounds but that one or more of the residetns were involved.

[@talyabeyers]

I lived in Stellenbosch when this happened, and although I was not interested enough in true crime to follow the case closely yet, I do remember that the public basically immediately decided he did it, or was involved somehow. Crimes in security estates are normally inside jobs, and the fact that no valuables were stolen immediately points to him. The primary motive for home invasions is theft, and the violence and disregard for human life that often happens during home invasions is a deeply tragic result of a number of social, economic, and political things plaguing our country. Also, every time Simon does an SA case, I cringe when he complains about the police response. I wonder what it's like to live in a country where the police service works like it should.

[@doreenbrandt3697]

24 minutes in and Im calling it: The son is behind it!

[@Never2old.]

Simon - why do i do this show? Everyone watching- MONEY 😂

[@renata8979]

Henri just wanted to go home and rest… to the same home, where his family had been brutally murdered just a couple of hours ago. It might be just a figure of speech, but it does sound crazy in this particular context. You can picture him coming through the door in the midst of forensic team collecting blood splatter from all over the place and be like “please, don’t mind me, I’ll be up in my room if you need me”.

[@Kktienlegos]

The clock at 20:00 - excellent editing to make the music the countdown tune from 8 out of 10 Cats Do Countdown.

[@urshurakdieohnekanal9291]

Reminds me of the story with that creep who violated his own sister before killing her and the rest of the family. Wasn't that in South Africa too?

[@annieannie2887]

Yes, The GriekwaStad case

[@camdenharper7244]

Thank you, Emma. Great scrip as usual. I will say from all these stories about South Africa. The SA PD seems to be on their game when it comes to high-profile cases

[@andrediamond4374]

South African here, and honestly it's more like they're only on their game when it's a high profile case

[@camdenharper7244]

@andrediamond4374 not surprised at all.

[@camdenharper7244]

@andrediamond4374 grandfather was south African. Still have a lot of family there

[@lemonlily4022]

20:04 😂 Editor Robert, love the Countdown music in the background

[@mawe8601]

Ah, another episode of the Simon Whistler guide on how to do crime

[@hannahp1108]

I agree with the judge. Each of the pieces of evidence in isolation isnt necessarily convincing, but the totality of the evidence together for me goes beyond reasonable doubt.

[@andiward7068]

A vasovagal syncope (passing out) at the sight of blood is surprisingly common. I'd definitely drop at seeing a loved one bleeding out. With the extra stress and lack of sleep or seizure he may have legit been out for that long.

[@anastaziehall-selwyn4936]

It is. My father and brother have it. I haven't know the name of it. I just hate needles, so passing out is in family I guess 😂

[@andiward7068]

@anastaziehall-selwyn4936 mine has gotten so much worse as I get older. As a kid, nbd, doing dissections in bio class. Now, anything that's supposed to be inside a body that isn't puts me at risk.

[@Wanhope2]

Didn’t even realize the notebook actually ever materialized! Good to hear it’s because it sold out same day 😅

[@kendraspenard8792]

Simon- your recollections on making excuses while sleep walking is cracking me up! So, I notoriously fall asleep on the couch while my husband and I watch tv at night. When he asks me if I’m sleeping, I will lie! 😅and I don’t know why! lol but my sleepy brain thinks I need to be dishonest for some reason! 😅

[@arleccio]

17:36 I definitely heard too many similar stories to react like Simon.

[@heathcliffO_o]

Right? I'm just listening to this and as I'm hearing this story I'm. "Yeah sure Henry, you viking style threw an axe down the stairs. So at what point did the axe ninjas decide you were to much for them? Did you have to show them your awesome backflip?"

[@ProGeologist1222]

When will the notebooks be available? I missed out the 1st time and want to get one now. I'm so excited!

[@melissatorres6858]

Honestly I started having my suspicions when Henry couldn’t remember the emergency number 😐. I love how Emma wrote the beginning so that you really wanted to believe that the perpetrator was a stranger and not a loving son with a good family having a darkness that came out in the worse way. Great job everybody!

[@theroguejestertv677]

Oh, as I was sitting here thinking gosh what am I going to fall asleep to tonight.......... Fact boy once again comes in clutch!!!

[@mygoldenwitch]

56:42 "Every resident and employee at the estate owns an ax--" "Say what--" "--ccess card--" "Oh." why is my brain like this