Muziwokuthula Madondo

Serial Killer

Muziwokuthula Madondo: A Multistate Trail of Murder

Background and Early Life

Muziwokuthula Selby Madondo, whose surname has also appeared in American court records and news reports as Madonda, was a South African man who committed four murders during a violent crime spree across Ohio and New Mexico in 2011. The killings unfolded within a period of approximately five weeks and were connected by robbery, identity theft, calculated deception and the use of the same firearm. Before the murders, Madondo had followed a path that appeared far removed from violent crime. He was originally from the Pietermaritzburg area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and had reportedly been involved in student leadership. He later traveled to the United States in 2008 to study theology at a seminary in Georgia. Despite this religious education, investigators eventually described a man who was willing to manipulate acquaintances, kill for money and assume another person's identity in an effort to escape his financial and personal failures.

The Beginning of the Killing Spree

Madondo's documented series of murders began in Akron, Ohio, in February 2011. His first known victim was Jacquelyn Hilder, a 60-year-old bank executive. Madondo knew Hilder's longtime boyfriend and reportedly believed that a large amount of money was being kept inside the couple's residence. Prosecutors maintained that Madondo entered the home intending to rob its occupants and obtain money that would help finance another murder he was already planning. Hilder was shot inside her home and died on February 18, 2011. She suffered gunshot wounds to her torso. The killing was not treated as a random attack. Investigators concluded that Madondo had specifically targeted the residence because of his mistaken belief that Hilder's banking career meant substantial cash would be available there. The murder of Hilder became the first step in a broader plan. Madondo intended to travel to the Dayton area, kill a South African acquaintance named Zenzele Davis Mdadane and steal his identification. By taking Mdadane's documents and personal property, Madondo hoped to conceal his own identity and create a new life under the victim's name. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Jacquelyn Hilder Age: (60), Date of Death: 2011-02-18

South African man pleads guilty to 2011 slaying of Akron bank vice ...