Wynberg Court Sentences Felicia Keur to 25 years for orchestrating the murder of her pregnant ex

A brutal murder that shocked communities across the Western Cape has ended with a lengthy prison sentence after the woman accused of orchestrating the killing of her pregnant ex-girlfriend was sentenced in the Wynberg Regional Court.

Felicia Keur was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, with five years suspended, on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, for the murder of 26-year-old Melanie Stoffels.

Stoffels was killed on 7 August 2024 in Heideveld, in what the State described as a planned and coordinated attack. She was pregnant at the time of her death.

The court heard how Stoffels was beaten to death with a hammer before her body was dumped near a footbridge. The murder drew widespread outrage because of the extreme violence involved and the loss of both Melanie and her unborn child.

Earlier this year, Keur's co-accused, Quinton Jacobs, received an 18-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the murder.

During those proceedings, the State detailed how the attack had allegedly been arranged in advance.

Woman and Child protection group, Action Society welcomed the sentencing, saying it reflected the seriousness of the crime.

Kaylynn Palm, Western Cape Head of Action Society, said while the sentence could not erase the family’s pain, accountability remained important.

“Melanie was a young woman with her whole future ahead of her. Her unborn child was also robbed of life in an act of calculated and senseless violence. While no sentence can undo the devastation suffered by her family, accountability remains critically important,” said Palm.

Palm added that South Africans were becoming increasingly exposed to horrific levels of violence against women.

“A pregnant woman was beaten to death with a hammer and her body discarded near a footbridge. Yet cases involving extreme violence against women continue to appear on court rolls across the country week after week.

"Communities are exhausted, families are living in fear, and many no longer trust that the system is capable of preventing violence before it turns fatal,” she said.

Action Society said it had closely monitored the matter and supported the Stoffels family throughout the court process.

The organisation also extended condolences to the family and acknowledged the work of investigators and prosecutors involved in securing the conviction and sentence.