Latest news with #Stanfield
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Alleged The Firm boss Ralph Stanfield linked to murders in gang feud
The State claims that alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield is the leader of the criminal gang, The Firm, alleged to have engaged in a bloody gang war with affiliates of the 27s, including Hard Livings, Dixie Boys, Sexy Boys and Ghetto Kids. Ralph Stanfield and his alleged organised criminal group, The Firm, is accused of planning and carrying out five murders, including those of former Hard Livings gang boss Rashied Staggie, former City of Cape Town official Wendy Kloppers and 28s gang member William 'Red' Stevens, who was one of the accused in the death of 'Steroid King' Brian Wainstein. They're also accused of murdering Ismail Abrahams and Faizel Adams, who were both killed in September 2021 in Parow. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads These murder counts are among 40 charges against Stanfield, his wife Nicole Johnson and 13 other accused, which build a tapestry of the gang violence that has infiltrated most of Cape Town's notorious gangland areas. The indictment and summary of substantial facts were presented before the Cape Town Magistrates' Court on Monday, 14 July 2025. Seven members were in the dock while Stanfield, his wife and others appeared via video link. According to the State's court papers, Stanfield is allegedly the leader of The Firm, which fought against 27s prison gang associates, including Hard Livings, the Dixie Boys, Sexy Boys and Ghetto Kids. The areas where the continuous gang wars took place were Kraaifontein, Woodstock, Parow, Bellville, Belhar and Eerste River. The Firm's alleged reign of terror lasted from November 2019 to November 2023. It operated in Milnerton, Wynberg, Bishop Lavis, Kraaifontein, Parow, Somerset West, Belhar, Green Point, Kuils River and Blue Downs. The State's court papers say The Firm holds 'positions of leadership and subservience' similar to the system inspired by the 28s 'but not strictly adhered to the criminal gang in its activities and operations outside prison. Ralph Stanfield is the leader of the gang.' advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads In addition to Stanfield and his wife, the co-accused in the case include Johannes Abrahams, Denver Booysen, Jose Brandt, Jonathan Cloete, Abraham Wilson (deceased), Shakeel Pelston, Imtyaas Sedick, Warren Lee Dennis, Michael Morris, Chevonne McNabb, Sharazaadt Essop, Brandon Cornelius and Keathan Gardiner. The charges include murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, robbery, aiding and abetting criminal activity and contributing to a pattern of criminal gang activity in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. Read more: Fraud charges against Malusi Booi, Ralph Stanfield in R1bn tender case dropped, for now Meanwhile, in May 2025, the corruption case against former City of Cape Town councillor Malusi Booi, Stanfield, Stanfield's wife Nicole Johnson and nine others was provisionally withdrawn on Friday, 23 May 2025. Booi, a former mayoral committee member, was arrested in September 2024 and faced charges relating to alleged unlawful tenders worth more than R1-billion. Premeditated murders Topping the list of charges was the murder of the infamous gang boss Staggie outside his home in the Cape Town suburb of Salt River on 13 December 2019. Staggie was sentenced to jail in 2003 after he was convicted of ordering the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl who had turned State witness against him. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads He was sentenced to 15 years for kidnapping and rape. He was then released on parole in 2013. In 2004, Staggie was also found guilty of robbing a weapons storage facility in Faure on the outskirts of Cape Town. However, these two sentences were served concurrently and Staggie was released in 2013 after spending 10 years in jail. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads According to the summary of substantial facts, the State claims: 'On the morning of Friday, 13 December 2019, the accused Cloete, Pelston and Essop allegedly proceeded to the deceased's homestead in order to kill him as planned. Pelston and Essop armed themselves with firearms. 'Cloete allegedly drove his Ford Bakkie, Staggie was seated in a Toyota motor vehicle outside his home. Whilst Staggie was seated in the vehicle, Pelston and Essop approached Staggie and opened fire, fatally injuring the deceased.' Staggie was a member of the 26s prison gang and leader of the Hard Livings gang in Manenberg. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads Stevens, murdered on 2 February 2021, was one of the accused alongside the late Mark Liftman, the late Andre Naude, Jerome 'Donkie' Booysen and others in connection with the 2017 murder of the global steroid smuggler, Wainstein. Read more: Underworld suspect shot dead – one week before scheduled court appearance in Cape Town for murder Nearly four years later, the State claims The Firm members Cloete and Morris allegedly unlawfully and intentionally killed Stevens. According to the summary of facts: 'On the afternoon of Tuesday, 2 February 2021, the accused Cloete, Morris and others proceeded to the area of Stevens to allegedly kill him as planned. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'Morris and a person named Siya armed themselves with firearms, drove to Rembrandt Street. The deceased was seated in the street. Siya allegedly opened fire on the deceased from the vehicle. The driver stopped and Morris and Siya allegedly alighted from the vehicle and opened fire on Stevens. While shooting Stevens, they also shot a complainant and fled the scene.' Stevens was a member of the 27s prison gang. Cloete, the leader of The Firm in Kraaifontein, resided in the same area. Stevens, along with Jerome Booysen, were charged for the murder of Wainstein, who was seen as close to Stanfield. Cloete and others are alleged to have conspired and killed Stevens as revenge for Wainstein's murder. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads City official Kloppers died in a hail of bullets in February 2023 at a housing development site in Delft. At the time Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis offered a reward of R100,000. A week before her demise, two construction workers came close to death after gunmen opened fire on them at a building site in Delft. Both men were wounded in the attack. Read more: Police hunt construction mafia killers after bullets fly at a Cape Flats building site A breakthrough came in June 2024 when a suspect handed himself over to police and was charged with murder and attempted murder. Dennis, Morris and Essop are accused of murdering Kloppers. According to the State's court papers, Kloppers was murdered after Dennis, Morris and Essop, as well as Simon Stanfield and Ernest MacLaughlin, who are both deceased, allegedly decided and planned to kill any white person at the housing development site in Delft. Stanfield and other alleged underworld figures were fighting to get their hands on the R400-million contract for the housing development. On the day of the shooting, the State claims that Dennis drove with Simon Stanfield and MacLaughlin to Delft, followed by Morris and Essop in their car. Morris is said to have proceeded to the development site and remained outside. The State further claims that Essop and another also proceeded to the development site in order to kill the white person as planned. Kloppers arrived at the housing site in her car, unaware that she was trapped and in peril. 'The driver in the motor vehicle in which Essop and another person was, stopped and alighted from the vehicle. They approached the deceased and a security guard and opened fire,' the State contends. Kloppers died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and the security guard sustained a gunshot wound to the right wrist. The first pre-trial conference in the case is set to take place in the Western Cape High Court on 7 November 2025. DM
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking LSU baseball's best five players in the 2025 NCAA Tournament
LSU baseball won its eighth national championship on Sunday. For Jay Johnson and the Tigers, it was their second national title in three years. This team didn't carry the same star power as 2023 -- though Jay Johnson would tell you otherwise -- but the Tigers still got star performances from key players throughout the NCAA Tournament. The starting pitching was stellar, particularly against Coastal Carolina in the College World Series finals. The one-two punch of Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson worked well into every game they could, which kept the Tigers' bullpen fresh. LSU showcased a few different lineups throughout the run, with Johnson not afraid to mix things up. The Tigers got contributions from top to bottom, helping the Tigers go 5-0 in Omaha, the first team to do so since 2013. Timely hitting was the key for the Tigers' bats, with LSU coming through time and time again in two-out situations and runners on base. Here are the top five players for LSU baseball in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and College World Series. 5. Outfielder Chris Stanfield Stanfield showed his experience level on the biggest stage when LSU needed him most. In regionals, he batted in three runs against Dallas Baptist and scored two runs in the opener against Little Rock. Stanfield's success continued in Omaha as he totaled two RBI in the College World Series opener against Arkansas. In the championship clinching game versus Coastal Carolina, he batted in two RBI and crossed the plate himself. The everyday center fielder, Stanfield flashed the leather multiple times even while dealing with odd winds inside Charles Schwab Stadium. He finished the NCAA Tournament with 12 total bases, nine hits, and eight RBI. 4. First basemen Jared Jones The team's go-to slugger, Jones racked up 24 total bases in the NCAA Tournament and finished with four multi-hit games. Even when he seemed to be in a slump, Jones found a way to come through when his team needed it most. Against UCLA, Jones hit a three-run home run to put the Tigers ahead for good before the postponement. In the back-and-forth contest between Arkansas, Jones hit a solo shot to tie the game and knocked in the game-winning run with a walk-off RBI single to send LSU to the College World Series finals. 3. Shortstop Steven Milam In a lineup that experienced plenty of changes during the postseason, Milam remained a fixture in the top half. He racked up 15 hits and 13 RBI during the NCAA Tournament. His biggest moment was a grand slam against West Virginia in the Baton Rouge Super Regional. Even when Milam didn't reach base, he gave quality at bats that forced opposing pitchers into extra work. He remained reliable at shortstop, helping the Tigers keep the base paths clear with solid defensive play. 2. Outfielder Derek Curiel In his first collegiate postseason, Curiel finished his true freshman year as strong as he started it. He finished 2025 on a seven-game hitting streak with 35 total bases plus walks combined. he hit a three-run homer against West Virginia in the super regional and batted in two runs against Coastal Carolina in game two of the finals. Curiel's status as a true freshman means little compared to his contributions to winning the national championship. He played like a veteran all year with discipline in his plate approaches and communication as the every day left fielder. 1. Pitcher Kade Anderson LSU's success in the NCAA Tournament started with its ace. Anderson made four starts and only got better as play wore on. Aside from allowing seven runs to West Virginia in a heavy offensive night for both teams during super regionals, Anderson surrendered just one across 23 innings. He picked up 35 strikeouts in during the tournament. Anderson capped his LSU career with a complete game shutout in game one of the College World Series finals against Coastal Carolina. His durability preserved the Tigers' bullpen for what could've been two more contests. The left-hander persevered with runners on base and propelled his team to the
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Memphis retirement community celebrates annual First Responders Day
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An appreciation day that was hosted by a local retirement community on Friday focused on showing gratitude to first responders for the work they do. There is a multitude of stories from those at Trezevant, a retirement community, when it comes to why they are so appreciative of the men and women who often come to their rescue. 'A day to honor and celebrate, they are over here quite a bit, helping out with residents. A day to really appreciate them,' said Katy Stanfield, Trezevant Community Liaison. For the tenth year, Trezevant has hosted this First Responders Appreciation Day. 'We always do the blessing of the badges, which is really special. They all went home with a little token for them to keep in their pocket to feel safe when they are out there,' said Stanfield. Firefighters, along with Police, including K9 officers like duno, mounted patrol officers, those who patrol on motorcycles, harbor patrol officers, and others, received well-deserved praise for the work they do day in and day out. 'I couldn't be more proud of the officers that serve this city,' said Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis. 'Our officers work hard, they do, every day.' 'Honoring our officers who graduated a class just last night, of 49 new officers. Really, really exciting,' said Memphis Mayor Paul Young. K9 officer Dono, by the way, is set to retire next month. We certainly wish him a happy retirement. When it comes to today's event, each first responder was also given a guardian angel they can carry in their pockets for protection. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
TimesLIVE
04-06-2025
- General
- TimesLIVE
Western Cape gangs recruit 12-year-olds, fuelling rise in child murders
Children are also used as shooters, as impressionable youngsters keen to prove themselves are often more easily influenced to carry out acts of violence. 'Craven Engel, a pastor who runs Ceasefire, a gang violence prevention organisation, described a 12-year-old boy he had assisted, who had been recruited as a gunman for the Only the Family gang, as 'brainwashed to kill people',' the report reads. 'Many sources report that these younger gangs are in fact more reckless and aggressive than previous generations, as they are less familiar with the codes of conduct that — at times — regulate and control violence. This, in turn, has contributed to the higher rates of child murder, with children increasingly becoming both perpetrators and victims.' The report said another sign of rising child recruitment into gangs is the growing number of children getting into trouble with the law. Magistrates and court officials have noticed more children being charged with gang-related crimes, such as drug possession, murder, attempted murder, robbery, sexual offences, and assault. The GI-TOC also reported that feared alleged 28s street gang boss Ralph Stanfield had been inducted into the prison gang. According to the report, Stanfield, arrested in 2023 on multiple charges, used his reputation to quickly enter the 28s prison gang — a rare achievement in South African prisons. Charges against Stanfield and his wife, Nicole, in a R1bn Cape Town housing corruption case were recently provisionally withdrawn. 'During his incarceration, he has managed to bypass the customary years-long progression through the hierarchical structure of the Numbers, one of the world's oldest prison gang cultures, to become an ndota [member of a prison gang],' the report reads.
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Five takeaways: LSU beats Dallas Baptist, Tigers one win away from Super Regional
Five takeaways: LSU beats Dallas Baptist, Tigers one win away from Super Regional LSU baseball couldn't have asked for a better first two days of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Tigers shutout Little Rock 7-0 on Friday night before beating Dallas Baptist 12-0 on Saturday. LSU is yet to surrender a run, winning its two contests by a combined score of 19-0. Now, LSU awaits the winner of Sunday's Dallas Baptist vs. Little Rock game. The Patriots and Trojans square off, looking to earn another shot at the Tigers. The winner has a quick turnaround before facing LSU on Sunday night. But before we move on, let's take a look at how LSU pulled off its dominant win vs. Dallas Baptist. This was the second meeting between the programs this year after LSU won the first round 7-3 in February. DBU entered the contest with one of college baseball's most productive lineups, but you wouldn't know that after watching the Patriots swing vs. Kade Anderson. Here five takeaways from LSU's win. 1. Kade Anderson dominates Anthony Eyanson gave LSU 7.2 shutout innings on Friday night. Kade Anderson followed it up with an elite outing on Saturday. In seven innings of work, Anderson struck out 11 and walked just two. Anderson allowed four hits, but none for extra bases. Nearly two-thirds of Anderson's pitches were strikes. That's just what LSU wanted to see from its ace. Anderson is one of the top pitchers in the country, but elite lineups have gotten to him at times. Dallas Baptist had the bats to do damage, but the lefty wasn't having it. That was Anderson's best outing since his complete game vs. Oklahoma. 2. Chris Stanfield finds power in the No. 9 hole Chris Stanfield isn't your typical No. 9 hitter. He was one of LSU's top bats throughout SEC play and he remained hot on Saturday. In the bottom of the second inning, Stanfield arched a ball down the right field line for his first home run of the year. The center fielder isn't known for his strength, but he showed it off with an opposite-field bomb. Stanfield finished the night with three hits and three RBI. After transferring from Auburn, Stanfield is in the midst of his best year yet. He hit .276 on the plains in 2024, but is hitting .326 with the Tigers now. Stanfield's .451 slugging is a career best, too. 3. Tigers defense shows up Dallas Baptist was threatening to rally in the top of the second inning. The Patriots started the inning with a walk and a single. Anderson took some momentum back with a strikeout, but it was the defense that got LSU out of it. Left fielder Derek Curiel made a diving catch in left field, popped up, and rifled the ball to first base. Jared Jones caught the DBU base runner off the bag and applied the tag for the inning ending double-play. On a night when Dallas Baptist committed four errors, LSU was perfect in the field. 4. LSU comes through in the clutch When LSU had the chance to score runs, the Tigers took advantage. LSU hit .300 with runners on and .333 with runners in scoring position. LSU was .593 on advancement opportunities. LSU hit .333 with two outs. That includes LSU's first runs of the game, which came when Ethan Frey smacked a double down the right field line on a full count with two outs. Frey's clutch hit set the tone for the rest of the night. 5. LSU's bullpen is in a really, really good spot LSU has gotten a combined 14.2 shutout innings from its two starters so far. There's a lot of teams around the country that would kill to have that right now. Not only has that been the catalyst for LSU's 2-0 start, but now, LSU's bullpen is perfectly positioned for Sunday night. Jay Johnson is yet to use Zac Cowan or Casan Evans, putting both in a position to give LSU some length in the final. LSU gets to rest on Sunday while its Sunday night opponent plays an elimination game in the afternoon. The Tigers will be fresh while their opponent plays the second game of a doubleheader. Dallas Baptist already burned its two best arms on Saturday night, and Little Rock spent Saturday navigating its way through a game with 32 combined runs. Neither pitching staff is in good shape.
