How evil Apartheid murderer went on horrifying rampage shooting 39 black victims as young as 12 while being hailed a 'hero' by deluded locals - as he insists he is 'proud' of the 'vigilante' killings in South Africa

A convicted murderer who killed dozens of achromatic men and boys has described really he feels nary remorse and believes his actions were sanctioned by constabulary successful Apartheid-era South Africa.

Louis Van Schoor carried retired a three-year sidesplitting spree successful nan 1980s, utilizing his domiciled arsenic a information defender for white-owned businesses successful nan coastal metropolis of East London to 'hunt down' and return retired intruders pinch 'maximum force'.

The erstwhile constabulary serviceman would beryllium barefoot arsenic he homed successful connected his victims, immoderate of whom were children, pinch his consciousness of smell, earlier shooting them pinch a pistol loaded pinch bullets which were 'designed to kill'.

At slightest 39 group were killed by Van Schoor, and he was sentenced to much than 90 years successful jail. But to nan anguish of his surviving victims and their families, nan evil slayer has been free for 2 decades aft serving conscionable 12 years down bars.

Now, successful an astonishing bid of interviews pinch BBC Africa Eye recorded complete nan past 4 years, nan alleged Apartheid Killer has revealed horrifying specifications astir his crimes which raise caller questions astir his early merchandise - and constituent to nan complicity of nan constabulary successful nan acold blooded killings. 

Once a burly and imposing figure, nan 73-year-old grandfather is now wheelchair-bound aft having his legs amputated pursuing a bosom attack.

In a motion of his depravity, nan slayer elaborate really he had refused wide anaesthetic erstwhile he had 1 of his legs trim off, laughing that he was 'curious' to watch nan procedure.

'I could consciousness erstwhile they sawed done nan bone,' he said. 'I could consciousness nan jerking arsenic they were cutting but earlier that they sewage an electrical soldering robust and they burned nan main arteries, to extremity it bleeding and you could smell nan nutrient burning.'

Refusing to spot himself arsenic a criminal aliases serial slayer passim nan documentary, he insists he changeable his victims 'because of crime'.

'I was a crime fighter, and if you're successful, you're going to beryllium called monsters and serial killer, and immoderate you want. Which I don't work together with,' he said.

'They were justifiable homicides, and that's nan bottommost line,' he went on. This position was not conscionable Van Schoor's, but besides that of nan authorities successful nan mostly of his cases.

Despite sidesplitting astatine slightest 39 people, he was only convicted of 7 murders, pinch nan different 32 recorded killings still classified arsenic 'justifiable homicides' by nan police.

Apartheid-era laws allowed group nan correct to usage lethal unit against intruders if they resisted apprehension aliases fled erstwhile caught - a defence Van Schoor utilized to support his innocence arsenic he claimed that his victims were moving distant erstwhile he killed them.

But grounds has mounted to contradict his claims, pinch harrowing grounds from victims who survived being changeable beryllium Van Schoor unearthed by nan BBC investigation.

A number of group said Van Schoor changeable them aft they surrendered while their hands were up. 

Others said he had toyed pinch them, falsely questioning if they would for illustration to beryllium arrested aliases changeable earlier shooting them successful nan chest.

Another unfortunate told really aft being changeable successful nan abdomen, he begged for water, earlier Van Schoor kicked him successful his wound.

Shockingly, each sidesplitting he carried retired betwixt 1986 and 1989 was reported to nan constabulary by Van Schoor himself.

The shameless killer's ain grounds successful nan documentary is possibly nan astir chilling relationship of what took place.

'Every nighttime is simply a caller escapade and that was exciting,' he tells nan interviewer. 'If nan siren went disconnected astatine a mill aliases shop I'd ne'er thrust consecutive up and extremity successful beforehand of nan place.

'I'd extremity 2 aliases 3 businesses distant pinch nighttime binoculars and past locomotion down. I usually worked barefoot, quiet. I relied a batch connected my chemoreceptor sense.

'If personification breaks in, their adrenaline gives disconnected an odour and you tin prime that up. You benignant of get that emotion that you are hunting a different species.'

As much and much group went missing, achromatic citizens successful East London became progressively fearful, and connection dispersed astir a tall, bearded man who they nicknamed 'whiskers' who would stalk his victims pinch a weapon earlier utilizing it without mercy.

'He was a benignant of vigilante killer. He was a Dirty Harry character,' says Isa Jacobson, a South African journalist who has spent 20 years investigating Van Schoor's case.

'These were intruders who were, successful a batch of cases, beautiful desperate. Digging done bins, possibly stealing immoderate food… petty criminals.'

While Van Schoor terrorised nan city's impoverished achromatic community, galore achromatic business owners who utilized his services hailed him arsenic a hero.

One man moreover made money trading bumper stickers that said 'I emotion Louis', dressed up pinch a bosom made of slug holes.

Despite nan scary he unleashed connected his victims, Van Schoor boasted: 'I don't person sleepless nights. I don't person things coming up successful nan past haunting me.'

One of his victims was begetter Edward Soenies, who he murdered successful 1987. His assemblage was placed successful an unmarked sedate by authorities earlier his family was informed. 

Edward's sister, Marlene said: 'It was devastating for nan family. We couldn't get his remains. 

'We judge that his tone is roaming information present and he's looking for home. He's not pinch his ancestors. He doesn't cognize wherever he is.'

Edward's son, Raymond, was conscionable six years aged erstwhile his begetter was killed, and waited 2 years earlier he discovered he was dead.

'After my dada died, I changed wholly because of nan anger I carried. My dada loved maine very much, truthful erstwhile I retrieve those things, it's heartbreaking,' he said.

Of nan time his begetter disappeared, he said: 'I would beryllium extracurricular and hold until dusk. I waited for him to travel home. My grandma said don't interest your begetter ever comes home. But I felt successful my bosom that thing was wrong. I recovered retired 2 years later my begetter died and he was killed by Van Schoor.'

The documentary besides captures nan affectional infinitesimal erstwhile nan family's 35-year conflict to exhume and rebury Edward was yet successful. 

This long-awaited closure brought nan family a consciousness of peace, Raymond said. 'My begetter comes successful my dreams. I spot nan tone of my begetter was location and he was happy. 

'Everybody successful nan family is pinch him now. He's free. Now also, I'm free now. I'm nan proudest feline successful nan world and I person bid now.'

Many families stay successful turmoil arsenic Van Schoor walks free erstwhile their relatives were unlawfully killed and prosecuted for their expected crimes. 

Van Schoor was yet arrested successful 1991, soon aft Nelson Mandela's merchandise from situation began a oversea alteration successful apartheid South Africa.

'Due to nan displacement successful nan governmental business of our state location had to beryllium a scapegoat location and they picked me,' Van Schoor claimed.   'All of those years it was correct and then, each of a sudden, it was wrong.' 

His proceedings was 1 of nan largest execution tests successful South African history, and he was sentenced to much than 90 years successful prison. 

However he was allowed to service each word concurrently, and was freed connected parole successful 2004.

Some person claimed that he changeable arsenic galore arsenic 100 people. While Van Schoor said nan number was not that high, he admitted that he apt carried retired much than 39 shootings.

'I honestly don't cognize really galore I shot. Some opportunity complete a 100, immoderate opportunity 40… Let's opportunity for argument's liking I changeable 50 people,' he said.

He added that he is proud of his past, and that he has nary consciousness of guilt aliases remorse.

'Maybe nan nationalist want maine to apologise,' he said. 'But I'm not going to make a insult of my ain beliefs, conscionable to please them... I've sewage nary remorse inside. Because I don't consciousness that I was wrong.'