17 March 2023
Stella Murders (2023)
Stella Murders investigates the deaths of best friends Sharnelle Hough (17) and Marna Engelbrecht (16) at their hostel at Stella High School in North West. On Saturday morning, 26 May 2018, Sharnelle was found hanged by the staircase and Marna was discovered in a bathroom, with both deaths initially looking like suicides.
The 90-minute documentary features interviews with Ronnie and Sonja Hough, Sharnelle’s parents; Stefaans, Rianet, and Riané Engelbrecht, Marna’s father, mother and sister; Captain Zagaries Human, the Stella South African Police Services station commander; Captain Markus Ferreira, the investigating officer; private investigator Chris Saunders; and Advocate Johan Smit, the state prosecutor, now retired. Also look out for Marizka Coetzer from Devilsdorp, who covered the Stella Murders case for Huisgenoot.
Home to just over 4 000 people, Stella is a small, quiet cattle-farming dorpie near Vryburg in North West. “In such a close-knit community, danger is expected to come from the outside,” says clinical psychologist Elmarie Claassens in the trailer. “But the thing about danger is: it doesn’t come exclusively from the outside.”
Stella Murders is a new true crime documentary from David Enright and IdeaCandy, the director and production company respectively behind the breakout hit Devilsdorp, one of Showmax’s ten most streamed titles of 2021, which sold internationally and won the 2022 SAFTA for Best Made for TV Documentary.
More Mzansi gold

Glam pics: Inside the star-studded Showmax Roast of Helen Zille
A look at the unforgettable moments from the Showmax Roast of Helen Zille at the Laugh Africa Comedy Festival, streaming from 16 May on Showmax.

Ntombee Ngcobo-Mzolo to host The Mommy Club S3 reunion
TV presenter, actress and singer Ntombee Ngcobo-Mzolo to host The Mommy Club reunion for the second consecutive year. The two part reunion streams on Showmax on 17 and 24 May 2025.

The Catch S1
In a high-stakes dating reality show, eight ladies are on a quest to find their suitor. Little do they know, among them lurk six secret imposters ready to break hearts and steal the prize.

Faizon Love joins Laugh Africa Comedy Festival as new headliner
Laugh Africa Comedy Festival announces Faizon Love as the festival’s new international headliner, following Deon Cole’s withdrawal due to an unforeseen medical emergency.