Hannah Cornelius Biography: Death, Controversy, Age, Parents, Siblings, Net Worth, Height, Boyfriend

Hannah Cornelius, a 21-year-old student from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, became widely known in May 2017 after a tragic incident that shook the nation.

Her name gained prominence posthumously due to the violent and senseless crime that ended her life.

Cornelius and her friend, Cheslin Marsh, were abducted by a group of men after offering Marsh a ride home late at night.

While Marsh survived the ordeal, Hannah was brutally raped and murdered, a crime that garnered significant media attention and led to a highly publicized trial.

Profile

•   Full name: Hannah Cornelius
•   Date of birth: February 13, 1996
•   Age: 21 years old at the time of death
•   Gender: Female
•   Place of birth: South Africa
•   Nationality: South African
•   Profession: Student
•   Height: N/A
•    Parents: Willem Cornelius (father), Anna Cornelius (mother)
•   Siblings: N/A
•   Spouse: N/A
•   Children: N/A
•   Relationship status: Single
•   Religion: N/A
•   Ethnicity: White (South African)
•   Net worth: N/A

Early Life and Education

Hannah Cornelius was born on February 13, 1996, in South Africa. She grew up in a close-knit family with her father, Willem Cornelius, a magistrate, and her mother, Anna Cornelius.

Hannah was known for being an academically gifted student. In 2017, she was studying at Stellenbosch University, one of South Africa’s most prestigious institutions, where she was pursuing a degree in humanities.

By the time of her tragic death in May 2017, Hannah was 21 years old. Her upbringing and education reflect the supportive environment she had, but further details about her early schooling and her religious beliefs remain unavailable.

Personal Life

Hannah Cornelius was a university student and was unmarried at the time of her death. She had no children and no public reports of significant romantic relationships.

Her closest relationship at the time of the incident was with her friend, Cheslin Marsh, who was with her on the night they were both abducted. Hannah’s family has been deeply impacted by her death.

Her mother, Anna, tragically passed away in a drowning incident less than a year after Hannah’s murder, while her father, Willem, succumbed to cancer in 2022.

Career

At the time of her death, Hannah was a university student, so she had not yet embarked on a professional career. Her focus was on her humanities studies, and there is no information available indicating that she had pursued any specific career-related projects or professional work.

Net Worth

Since Hannah Cornelius was still a student at the time of her passing, she needed an established net worth. Her family’s status as a respected, middle-class household in South Africa is known, but no information regarding personal wealth is available.

Death

Hannah Cornelius was brutally murdered on May 27, 2017, after being abducted along with her friend, Cheslin Marsh, by four men. They were taken while parked outside Marsh’s Stellenbosch, South Africa residence.

After a horrifying ordeal involving robbery, Hannah was taken to a remote location where she was raped and then killed. Her attackers dropped a large rock on her head, resulting in her death.

The crime sent shockwaves throughout South Africa, leading to the swift arrest and eventual conviction of her assailants. Three of the attackers were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018.

Controversy

The case surrounding Hannah Cornelius’s murder has been the source of much public controversy and outrage. The details of her death were both shocking and brutal.

On the night of her murder, she and her friend Cheslin Marsh were ambushed by four men who violently forced them into her car. Marsh was beaten and left for dead, while Cornelius was taken to a remote location where she was repeatedly raped and then killed.

The murder was widely reported in the media due to the heinous nature of the crime. During the trial, the attackers provided little to no remorse, and the details of the assault were graphically shared in court, which further angered the public.

What made the situation even more tragic was the aftermath faced by her family. Less than a year after Hannah’s murder, her mother, Anna, drowned, leading many to speculate that her death may have been influenced by the immense emotional toll of losing her daughter.

Hannah’s father, Willem, also struggled with grief, which was further compounded when he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in December 2022.

The trial itself also attracted controversy. One of the accused, Geraldo Parsons, admitted guilt during proceedings, while the other men involved either denied or minimized their participation.

The public was outraged by the lack of remorse shown by some of the men, as well as the extent of the violence perpetrated during the crime spree. The court sentenced the three men to life imprisonment, while the fourth attacker, who had left before Hannah’s murder, received a lesser sentence.

Social Media